GOP areas' turn has trio in shock, awe (Maryland)

[Florida_Geek]

GOP areas' turn has trio in shock, awe
Michael Olesker

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/bal-md.olesker10aug10,1,3440310.column?coll=bal-local-headlines

THE DEMOCRATS are accustomed to winning elections in Maryland, so maybe it's not the stuff of headlines when you hear Dan Rupli and Michael Day and Jim Voss doing verbal cartwheels. Except for this: They are talking about sections of the state that traditionally go heavily Republican, heavily conservative, and here are three Democratic veterans who say they cannot believe what they are now seeing in this race for president.

"I've been involved in party politics for the last 35 years, and this one's showing me stuff I've never seen," says Rupli, on the telephone from his Frederick law office. He's been stumping around the state for John Kerry.

,,,,cut.....

I went to the Berkeley County Youth Fair," Day was saying yesterday. "Four years ago, the county went heavily for George W. Bush. The whole day, we've got people one- and two-deep at the table registering to vote, wanting to volunteer. Amazing crowds. These are people who raise farm animals, who have always voted Republican."


...cut....

"But now," Rupli says, "I'm going to places like Chestertown and Easton, and there's 150 people, easy. Hell, I used to wonder if there were that many Democrats in the whole county. A few weeks ago in West Virginia, we had a fund-raiser in Shepherdstown, across from the Antietam battlefield. We raised $100,000. That's more money than Al Gore raised in the whole state four years ago.

....cut....

"We're seeing traditional conservatives who are offended by the deficits. They're worried that the guy at the helm is out of control."

[Sparkly]

1. Great! Maybe there's a Democratic governor in our future?

I can hope! :)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. Yeah, what happened? Dems ran a weak candidate last time?

I'm from Montgomery Co. originally and wondered what happened with the gov'ship.

[DebJ]

4. the candidate last time was Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Md

has never had a woman governor yet in its' history; that was part of it. But also, the appearances on tv that I saw of her were very weak; she was not a very good speaker.

[Sparkly]

6. That, and Ehrlich promised slots and tax cuts... :/

And of course, he delivered growing deficits.

[left is right]

9. I live a long way from MD

but I remember that election day, I remember thinking that it was the dirty tricks that did Townsend in. I remember reports that renters wanting to vote had to bring in proof of having paid their rent. There was something about bringing the rent receipts in on the following day and they would be given a ballot. I also heard that there were radio ads giving the wrong date for the election. These ads targeted African-American voters. From everything I was hearing, I was surprised that people didn't go to prison over the fraud.

[DaveinMD]

10. Townsend ran

a horrible campaign. She didn't do any outreach in the African American community, picked a Republican as a Lt. Gov candidate. In other states, that may make sense. But not here. She did not run aggressively and was tarred with negative image of the outgoing governor. Glendening divorced his wife and married his young staffer who was with child.

[left is right]

12. I knew nothing about her, or the LtGov, or the previous gov,

but I had heard reports all that day and for the following several days, and I was sicken by what I thought was dirty politics. I hope you are right that it was lousy campaigning that did her in. Extremely dirty politics only weaken this country.

[DaveinMD]

13. there was dirty politics

no doubt. But I blame her for the loss. There is never an excuse for a Democrat to lose statewide here. Our last Republican Governor was Spiro Agnew.

[DebJ]

3. I lived in Maryland for 47 years, until last year when I

moved to Pa. I was shocked to see the Repubs take the governor's office. I believe Maryland's last two Repuke governors were:
Spiro Agnew, and another man whose name I can't recall, but he ended up the subject of an investigation about his involvement in corruption in the race tracks, and was ultimately disbarred from practicing law in Maryland for many many years (although not too many years ago they let him practice again).

[DaveinMD]

7. O'Malley

already beat Ehrlich in head to head matchups.

[GalleryGod]

15. I Recall When Marty stopped at my door in Hamilton Section

to ask for my vote: 1989.
Go! Marty, Go!

[DaveinMD]

16. he's a really nice guy

the other Dem is good too. His name is Doug Duncan, the County Executive of Montgomery County.

[cidliz2004]

5. UnF***ing Believeable!

I predict a LANDSLIDE IN NOVEMBER!!!!!

This is awesome, people, everyday people are PISSED at 43',even many that had voted for him!

[LuminousX]

21. Landslide only if we don't take our eyes off the prize

Bush still has the advantage, money, media, and incumbency.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. This article shows how the 'news cycle' stuff DU gets so worked up about

just doesn't matter. None of the people talked about in this article care about parsing the latest Kerry statement for something to be upset about. They just know Bush has to go and Kerry is the man to do it.

[sundancekid]

11. a very BIG AMEN to that ... the BIG REAL PICTURE is what matters

way more than all the second-by-second panties-in-a-wad parsing.

[yellowcanine]

14. WTF?There is no Berkeley County in MD. Is this WV?

There is a Chestertown and Easton and they are on the MD Eastern Shore, which is heavily Repub.

[King of New Orleans]

17. WV panhandle

near Hagerstown

[LimpingLib]

18. Charlee Resse has hurt Bush badly there.

I know people from there and Charlee Reese causes quite a stir in the paper. Many want his collom removed as he gives the partisan GOPers stomach acid. It really is dividing conservatives.

[Tsiyu]

19. Remember How we laughed

at the Iraqi Disinformation minister just parroting what Saddam wanted to hear? Faux News and O'Liely and his ilk are just cheerleaders for a losing cause. They continue to try to pull the wool over Americans' eyes, convincing Karl Rove that all is well in paradise. Let 'em have their delusions. Americans are much smarter and into self-preservation than the RightieTighties give them credit for....Can't wait til November!!!!

[LuminousX]

20. I like to see numbers behind the anectdotes... this is GREAT!

We raised $100,000. That's more money than Al Gore raised in the whole state four years ago.


Kind of puts it into context.