Trump wins proxy war with Hogan in Maryland primary -- boosted by Democrats

[JoeOtterbein]

Source: Politico

Democrats and Republicans are shaping the future of their parties in Maryland Tuesday, as they choose their nominees for governor and for a pair of key congressional seats outside Washington.

A crowded field of Democrats emerged to try to win the governorship and succeed popular (and term-limited) Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose impending departure has made the usually blue state one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities this year. And on the Republican side, state Del. Dan Cox won the party’s nomination, a win for former President Donald Trump in a proxy war with the outgoing governor.

Further down the ballot, Republicans picked their nominee for a contest that could give the party their best shot in years at clawing back another House seat in Maryland. And a Democratic primary in a deep-blue district has turned into one of the most expensive contests of the election.

It is likely that the winners of several critical contests won’t be known on Tuesday night. State law prevents election officials from counting mail ballots until Thursday, and they could be decisive. As of Monday, nearly 169,000 Democrats have returned a mail ballot, while 38,000 Republicans have done the same. (Ballots that are either returned in dropboxes by close of polls Tuesday night or postmarked by the USPS by Tuesday will also be counted.)

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/19/hogan-trump-maryland-primary-00046639

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. This is Politico's spin - naming a Republican as a Trump loyalist is now "boosting them"

You have to go a long way into the article to find out what it is that Politico is claiming is "Democrats boosting a Republican":

The closing weeks of the race were dominated by the Democratic Governors Association, which dropped a multi-million ad campaign “attacking” Cox as too loyal to Trump. The DGA has insisted it was merely getting a head start on the general election, casting Cox as the frontrunner — despite public polling in the run-up to Tuesday showing Cox and Schulz deadlocked. But the campaign was widely seen as an attempt to boost the more extreme candidate in the Republican primary, in hopes that Cox would be easier to beat in the general election.

Well, yeah, Trump is under investigation for trying to overthrow democracy in the USA, so pointing a politician supports that is not just reasonable, but a civic duty. Trump only got 32% in Maryland in 2020, so who wouldn't point out how extreme a Trump loyalist must be? This is not the only state race Politico has use this ridiculous spin in - from yesterday:

Democrats boosted a MAGA longshot in the Pa. gov’s race. Now he’s got a real shot at winning.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/19/mastriano-pennsylvania-governor-race-00046423

You have to hunt even more for what happened in that which Politico claims was Democrats "boosting" Mastriano.

Mastriano was initially seen as such a long shot that Shapiro ran a commercial during the primary that appeared to boost him. Shapiro has said that it was clear the Republican was going to win the nomination at that point and that he was getting a head start on the general election.

"Appeared to boost him". Yet that "appeared" is disputed, since Shapiro says it was just like campaigning against him in the general election. Again, it's pointing out Mastriano is a Trump loyalist, and also that he wants to ban abortion in the state. The ad:

Link to tweet

Politico is whitewashing Trump. It's trying to make supporting Trump to be a normal, unthreatening thing. Again, Trump lost PA in 2020 (though it was close, of course; but that was before he tried to mount a coup - which Mastriano took part in, bussing people to the Jan 6 riot, and crossing the barriers at the Capitol).

[bucolic_frolic]

4. LET'S GO, DOUG!

Troll that MFcker till he grows hair

[Deminpenn]

16. I live in PA. Mastriano was consistently ahead in the GOP primary polls

The state GOP was actually trying to knock him out. Toward the end, the Rs tried to consolidate behind Barletta, but to no avail.

Once it became clear Matriano was going to win, Shapiro's campaign ran some negative ads about him before the primary, but they were never trying to "meddle".

Pennsylvania is a closed primary state. There wasn't a mass of Dems changing their voter registration to vote for Mastriano.

[More_Cowbell]

2. "Boosted by Democrats"

It took the writer a long time (almost the end of the story) to get to this point.

"The closing weeks of the race were dominated by the Democratic Governors Association, which dropped a multi-million ad campaign “attacking” Cox as too loyal to Trump. The DGA has insisted it was merely getting a head start on the general election, casting Cox as the frontrunner — despite public polling in the run-up to Tuesday showing Cox and Schulz deadlocked. But the campaign was widely seen as an attempt to boost the more extreme candidate in the Republican primary, in hopes that Cox would be easier to beat in the general election."

eta: I was too slow!

[oldsoftie]

3. Much better to do the opposite; defeat all Trumpers in the primary.

Defeat them and send them to the dustbin of history.

[gab13by13]

5. The Democratic party is using this strategy

all across the country, I hope it knows what the hell it is doing. Spending millions of dollars on the most radical Republican candidate can come back and bite us in the ass. I know they spent money in my state, Pa. to elect Doug Mastriano and I have to tell you, there are Mastriano signs all over central Pa. If Mastriano would happen to win in Pa. thank you for nothing in advance Democratic party.

Our candidates could use the money the party is spending on domestic terrorists. Yeah go ahead and alert on this post, but a lot of big name Democrats are shaking their heads at this strategy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Are you that pessimistic about Pennsylvania voters, that you think they want more Trump?

Trump lost last time. Then he tried a coup. Then his judges threw out Roe v. Wade. Do you really think ads pointing out how much Mastriano loves Trump and wants to ban abortion help him?

[Wuddles440]

7. You must not reside in PA...

because Traitor Don remains as popular as ever in the Republican T and some exurbs outside of PGH and Philly. Hopefully the urban dwelling Dem voters will turn out en masse in November to maintain some degree of sanity in the state.

[Demsrule86]

13. I lived in PA for years...and now live right ouside in nearbye Ohio...and both Trump's

picks for Senator and Governor are underwater...so no I don't think Trump helps that much and if he is so f'ng popular, he would have won the state in 20.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

9. They have a GOP controlled legislature that is basically setting up one-party rule

So yes, I'm that pessimistic. Once you are west of Harrisburg, outside of Pittsburgh, it's hard-core Trump country.

[Johnny2X2X]

8. This virtually guarantees Dems flip the governorship in MD

Cox is not electable in MD, not even close.

This was a smart move, others not as smart.

[Marthe48]

10. If Dem voters did vote for the traitor pick

in the primary, guess we'll see if this chancy strategy is successful.

I can't wait to see traitor's pick go down in defeat.

[More_Cowbell]

11. The story doesn't mention Democrats voting for Trump's choice

The alleged "boosting" was anti-Cox advertising by the Democrats that linked Cox to Trump, possibly encouraging MAGAts to pick him to win the GOP primary instead of the more moderate GOP candidate.

[Marthe48]

12. I saw another post on DU

mentioning that Dems might have crossed over to vote for cox. If they did, I hope it works out.

[Orangepeel]

14. possibly, but not likely. the dem primary was hotly contested

and Maryland is a closed primary state.

[Marthe48]

15. Thank you for the information

n/t