Hello all. I just got back from two weeks of National Guard duty so I was out of the political loop for a little while. Well, the fall campaign in season for Maryland just got more interesting with the naming of Bob Ehrlich’s running mate Mary Kane.
I like Bob Ehrlich. I campaigned with him in 2002 when he won. I interned for him back in the 1990s. I know he was and will be a better governor than the pseudo rock and roll star current governor of our state. However, there are times I seriously doubt if anyone in the Ehrlich camp knows anything about campaigns and elections.
Here are my concerns:
Ehrlich, just like any other Republican has to carry, not only most of the subdivisions in Maryland, but win them by a wide enough margin to make up for the vote differential of Prince Georges’ County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City. While Kane may be from Montgomery County, she will not swing left-center voters towards Ehrlich because of her gender.
In 2002, Ehrlich and current RNC chair Michael Steele made history because they were able to maximize Republican vote totals while depressing Democratic totals in the above named three subdivisions. While Kane may be able to motivate Republican and moderate women to vote for Ehrlich, if Ehrlich has to work hard for these voters, he has already lost in November.
Connected to my last thought: I heard through the grapevine that Dr. Ben Carson was asked to be on the ticket. The Ehrlich / Carson ticket would have easily beat O’Malley / Brown. So, you mean to tell me that there was not another suitable African-American male that Ehrlich trusted to win an election? Was Michael Steele too busy trying to hold onto his RNC job to try to reclaim the state house in MD? Inquiring minds…
Staying on the race topic: If I had been advising Ehrlich, I would have told him to find an African-American female to run for Lt. Governor. It would have been historic, the vote margins in PG, Montgomery and Baltimore City would have evaporated for the Democrats and he would have raised a lot of money. Plus, it would have been fun to witness a debate between her and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.
Mrs. Kane will not be able to put Ehrlich over the top in November. 2010 will be the final missed opportunity for Ehrlich because of a tactical mistake in late June.
Faculty, Department of Political Science, Towson University. Graduate from Liberty University Seminary.