Maryland, my home state, happens to be a center-left state. Reliably Democratic (Maryland is 2-1 Democratic registration), the only way Bob Ehrlich won the governorship was by running as a moderate against one of the all-time worst gubernatorial candidates in American history. In 2006, he’s going to have a much harder time against Martin O’Malley… and now Ehrlich’s hard right base is grumbling.
No one believes that Republicans will abandon Ehrlich when he stands for reelection in November 2006. But Purtilo was one of numerous conservative leaders interviewed in recent weeks who said they are noticing cracks in the foundation that gave the state its first Republican governor in a generation.
Just as black voters have warned Democrats not to take them for granted in 2006, social conservatives are starting to send a similar message to the state’s leading Republican.
It’s hard work for Governor Bob. He’s already got weak re-election numbers because of his rightward lurch, and if he goes further to the right it’ll be a mess for him among whatever moderates are still left in his column. He’d like to pick a Democratic running mate, but the upside among Dems would probably be zip while it would tell the wingnut base to stay home.
Maryland ain’t Alabama, kids. Thank God.
‘Maryland ain t Alabama, kids.’
For which the good citizens of Alabama are grateful.
Dugger
Yes, that’s it. OW is protecting the tender sensibilities of us ignorant liberals from the biting, incisive truth delivered by the conservative brain trust that infests these premises.
Just be patient, Z. Your deathless prose will see the light of day in due time.
In re Steele:
Steve Gilliard catches Jeff Jacoby telling all the right-wing liesabout the victimization of Mr. Steele.
I lived in Alabama for the better part of 2 years, dugger.
About the only thing most of the citizens of Alabama are grateful for is beer, guns, Jesus (of the do what I say not what I do variety), and the fact that they feel no matter how pathetic they are, they can always make fun of Mississipppi.
This is, of course, a gross generalization, so there are exceptions. As with all rules. But they’re pretty sparse.
Re: QiaB
Please don’t link to Gilliard as if he is a credible source, he has lost all of his credibility with his “Steele is a traitor to his race” campaign.
Oliver, true KKT wasn’t a strong candidate, but let’s get real here, she ran on her name. If you can’t win with the Kennedy name in a strong Democratic state (please don’t try to paint it as moderate left), then I don’t think some tool from the city can win. The only thing he has accomplished in his tenure as mayor is getting drunk like a frat boy and rocking out with his rock band, that sucks by the way.
I followed the link, Quaker, and I’m not sure what lies (plural, and your word) you’re referring to.
Jacoby includes a quote from someone talking about the Oreo incident, which at this point I’ll grant you has been exaggerated by the right, but what were the other Steele lies that Jacoby spouted?
What lies?
–That one instance of intra-racial squabbling shows that liberals are, at heart, big ol’ racists.
–That anyone in the Maryland Democratic party said the attacks on Steele (if they hadn’t been entirely imaginary!) were justified.
–And yes, the famous “cookie” incident that wasn’t “exaggerated.” It was fabricated.
Actually, it’s the second one that interests me the most. Jacoby is drawing a quote from the Washington Times that never quoted a single person saying anything bad about Mr. Steele. The writer helpfully “interpreted” innocuous statements to explain the evil lurking beneath the surface. Coincidentally, it was the same writer who pimped the cookie tale.
Well you do have Robert Byrd and David Duke.
Oh, and beyond the subject of Mr. Steele, Jacoby supports his argument that the “mainstream left” engages in hate speech against conservatives by quoting that mainstream leftist Jim Jeffords.
I assumed that it was a link to Gilliard, I didn’t bother mousing over it to see where it went. My apologies, but you can see where I’m coming from here.
Secondly, can we drop the ‘oreo story was fake’. It would be different if Steele was parading around saying it was true, however the only people who have made a big deal out of this is the left, not the right.
Good job, ian. Your comment shows that you neither followed the link (which goes to the Boston Globe) nor bothered to find out what Jacoby and Gilliard had to say.
Apparently actual knowledge is not required for you to hold forth.
All too well, ian. You apparently have the will, but not the capacity, to contribute to the discussion.
“ That one instance of intra-racial squabbling shows that liberals are, at heart, big ol racists.”
First off, the oreo cookie incident was exaggerated, not fabricated, because it’s a known fact that people did show up with Oreo cookies where Steele was appearing. Why do you think people had them? They were worried they might get hungry and they all had the same taste in snackfoods?
Your other two points aren’t proving any “lie” at all.
No, no, not lies. Not at all. They’re just, um, mistakes, yeah, that’s it, mistakes that have been widely discussed and discredited which Mr. Jacoby inadvertently repeated in his nationally-syndicated column.
But not “lies.” Such an ugly word.
Quaker, you reference Gilliard for chrissakes! that you approvingly cite him in a post where you’re trying to say that liberals (sorry, SOME liberals) don’t portray black Republicans as Sambos, Uncle Toms, and sellouts is so rich in irony it’s almost unreal.
And you keep saying all this has been “discredited”. All that’s been discredited is the “raining Oreos” thing.
Do you attend the same high school as ian? You seem to have similar problems with reading comprehension.
What my initial comment says is that a columnist named Jeff Jacoby took one instance of personal opinion, posted on a personal blog under the blogger’s own name, and used that to arrive at a conclusion that…wait, let’s quote it exactly…“racist insults in the political arena are more likely to come from the left.”
If you want to discuss that, do so. If you want to extrapolate whether I approve of Mr. Gilliard or the naughty words people sometimes use, feel free. However, I will quickly remind you that you are guessing and guessing wrongly.
As far as the cookie incident goes, the managing editor of the Washington Times has admitted that the writer who has been hawking this story was not even at the event. The auditorium manager from the college that hosted the event is on record as saying it didn’t happen. No one can produce a remotely reliable witness who saw any cookies thrown. The most Mr. Steele himself will claim is that one rolled across the floor–of the seating area, not the stage.
If it’s not discredited, show me any evidence at all that it happened.
The non-wingnut portion of Maryland’s voters do not like his rightward lurch, he ran as a moderate not as a winger. KKT was a bad candidate, and the name Kennedy couldn’t hide that. Mayor O’Malley has been a vital part of Baltimore’s emergence from the dark ages, and he has been recognized as one of the country’s best mayors as a result. I have no doubt he’ll take Maryland on to better and greater things.
And hell yes I’m glad my Maryland ain’t Alabama.
Except the reason those businesses are around the harbor is largely because of policies O’Malley put in. Business doesn’t ever decide to revitalize an area on it’s own. And it’s not like I don’t ever go to Baltimore.
QiaB: Your article thing is what I get at most liberal sites. “Read this” and when I don’t, I am apparently ignorant because I want to argue what Oliver said and not some paper.
Oliver, you live closer to DC, please don’t tell me how great the city is when I live 5 minutes away from it. The way the harbor is, isn’t because of him, it’s because of big businesses — which I know you libs hate — coming in throughout the years. The shitty part of the city was shitty before he came into office and is still shitty. He hasn’t accomplished one big thing.
O’Malley still hasn’t accomplished one big thing? You’re right, he’s accomplished several big things.
]
Violent Crime drops 40% since 1999 (when O’Malley was elected)
http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/news/press/041028.html
Baltimore has first budget surplus in 25 years
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/politics/4377190/detail.html
City schools continue gain in test scores
http://www.sra4kids.com/download/rmp/gainsintestscores.pdf#search=‘Baltimore%20O’Malley%20school%20test%20scores’
Thanks for that Press Release Oliver, it solved every problem or question I have ever had about the O’Malley administration. /sarcasm
Everything on there looks nice on paper and sure it shows his “accomplishments” because that is what it is meant to do.
No, that’s not what makes you ignorant. What makes you ignorant is that you chose to reply to my comment–the one containing the link you didn’t follow and didn’t read–not just once, but three times.
As previously noted, you seem to have the will but not the capacity to join in the grownup conversation.
By the way, what are Michael “Cookies” Steele’s accomplishments?
So you are going to the Maryland electoate with this as your major issue:
A GAMBLING EXPANSION
Good luck trying to sell that.
Why don’t this gun advocate name in the post article run for Governor of Maryland if he is wants gun rights in the state of Maryland.