Ben Cardin -- Loser
By Erick Posted in 2006 — Comments (36) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
At a time when Ben Cardin should be sailing toward victory, he has yet to shore up his own base. The difficulty in doing so is compounded by the fact that he can't get black voters enthusiastic about him. It's a telling sign that none one of Maryland's black elected congressmen has appeared on TV or radio championing Ben Cardin.
And to make matters worse? Cardin has now bailed on the NAACP's debate set for tonight.
Cardin is toast.
« When Negative Ads Backfire — Comments (4) | Joy Padgett Needs Our Help — Comments (12) »
Ben Cardin -- Loser 36 Comments (0 topical, 36 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Cardin has been waiting his whole life for this race. To be so magnificently unprepared as he was on the News Channel 8 debate yesterday (which I watched live) was mindboggling. We can all agree that Cardin is not dumb. He is a policy wonk who devours statistics and facts. To be so unaware about the Purple Line was incredible!
IF Cardin loses this race, it will be one of the all-time great political upsets in modern American history. You've got to think when Cardin heard Sarbanes was retiring, he was measuring the drapes and planning his move across the capitol. ESPECIALLY in the political climate we are in now.
Steele just can do no wrong. The uninspiring Cardin just cannot connect with voters the way Steele can. Steele's ads are tremendous and creative, while Cardin's (like the candidate) are stale and stiff.
I don't know. It would mean SO much to the party if Steele could pull this off. To have a black REPUBLICAN in the Senate from a former slave state, and now a blue state. I think if he wins, Steele could have the VP nod if he wanted it.
-------------------------------------
"As nations can not be rewarded or punished in the next world they must be in this."
- George Mason
...for the Washington Metro subway system; essentially, it'd circle a portion of the city. Popular with anybody who has had to take an hour to go into the city, then right back out to somewhere twelve miles away*.
It probably will not sink Cardin, per se. But that was a bona fide f*ck-up on his part.
Moe
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
*And, believe me, drive the Beltway a couple of times and you'll understand why people will do something like that...
Sounds like the equivalent of a Beltway for the Metro. Wikipedia has this on it.
---
Internet member since 1987
Member of the Surreality-Based Community
I'm not so sure about that. People around here care a LOT about their morning commute. My own goes from a twenty minute drive to Silver Sprint during non-congressional/non-school time, to a 45 minute drive when both are on (which is why I finally gave up and started taking the MARC). So flubbing something on the purple line is going to annoy people in Montgomery, Prince George's, and Anne Arundel counties. So for the most part the only areas he didn't annoy are Western MD and the Eastern Shore, and they aren't going to vote for Cardin anyway.
I didn't see the debate, so I can't confirm where Cardin stands on the Intercounty Connector.* But I think a successful candidate has to support one of the two, and I can't imagine Cardin supporting the Intercounty connector.
*an interstate to connect Baltimore and the Rockville/Gaithersburg/Germantown population center. Currently you need to more or less choose between going northwest to Frederick before turning east to Baltimore, or going southeast to DC before turning northwest to Baltimore. Either way it adds about 45 minutes to a theoretical straightline commute during non-rush hour traffic.
Why Congress should have shorter sittings.
Quentin Langley
Editor of http://www.quentinlangley.net
If you live outside the DC area, your ignorance is forgivable.
Not so if you are running for the Senate from Maryland.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
shows his ignorance of the dc suburbs. Steele is doing great...lets hope he can make it across the finish line. Of all the black republican candidates he has the best opportunity to win and would be a great asset to the party.
Also, I am a maryland resident and the prospect of a republican governor and senator in this state has me very happy.
I'll support putting Michael Steele on the ticket (after he's elected Senator) once he recruits two more steller black Republicans like himself to take both of Maryland's Senate seats. :-)
Until them, we need him to hold down the outpost senate seat in the blue state that I think he's be sure to occupy in the next Congress. :-)
Go Michael Steele!
In 2008, we need Kenneth Blackwell in the VP slot.
one additional black Senator and Jody Rell? Plus a conservative black replacement for Rell.
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
All those little teeny northeast states look alike from out here in the AZ sunshine. :>).
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"?
'this gentleman doesn't have a clue'.....that debate was great!
Go Mr. Steele, Go!
...outnumber Republicans 2-to-1... How Close Is The Maryland U.S. Senate Race? One Poll Calls It A Tie
way to go Cardin!!!
Steele Knows MD, Cardin Doesn't
Long before yesterday's debate began, it was clear that Michael Steele was going to use his only televised meeting with Ben Cardin aimed at the Washington market to make the case that Cardin doesn't know beans about the D.C. area.
And sure enough, with just a couple of well-aimed questions, Steele, who grew up in the District and lives in Prince George's County, managed to transform his Baltimore-centric opponent in the U.S. Senate race into a stammering, defensive congressman from another planet -- or, at least, from a part of Maryland where nobody knows or cares about Metro's proposed Purple Line.
The good people of Maryland deserve to have Michael Steele represent them and with any luck, come Nov. 7th they will!
"The Road To Freedom Is Seldom Traveled By The Multitude" Madhouse Thought
Being from MD i find it hard to see this liberal state electing Steele.The local media isn`t giving the debate any coverage,People here automatically vote democratic for senate.
Cardin has run a really terrible campaign basically just trying to link Steele to Bush.
I`ll believe it when it happens,but anything is possible.
You want us all not to give money to Steele, and instead give it to someone who can win? Like perhaps Mountjoy or Harris?
--
If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
MDGOP... aka 'Maryland GOP' has been living in a blew state for a long time. Cut him/her some slack. Perhaps MDGOP will be more optimistic Nov 8th.
"Took the nickname Troll long before BlogTrolls existed..."
wouldn't take Sauerbray's voter fraud challenges seriously, but in defense of this campaign, everybody pretty much thought the same thing about the governor's race until Ehrlich and Steele took that one. While I think it will be close, I think Steele can pull this one out.
what is the reason he is skipping the NAACP debate?
I am a precinct captain in MD- we have a shot if we can do well with the Baltimore/PG County vote. We need to pull 25% of the Democrat vote there..
United States Air Force
Cross Into the Blue
I have seen Michael Steele in a couple of venues and I am always impressed. He is smart, charismatic and a courageous conservative.
Dare I hope that some day Steele could be a Republican Presidential Candidate?
I certainly hope they'll follow the lead of others and provide debate time to "all candidates that show up" and let Mr. Steele talk to the audience anyway. I think he's got a lot of good things to say and MAY be able to win a few more votes.
They should do what was done at one PA Senate debate where Bob Casey, Jr. didn't show up, and Senator Santorum insisted on putting an empty chair on stage to represent the absent Casey.
In the interest of "equal time", the moderators should give "Cardin" (the empty chair) time to "speak", following which Steele could claim that Cardin does not have any plans for Maryland in the Senate, or that a "Senator" Cardin might not show up to vote in the Senate if elected.
The bad news: Conservatism is hard to sell. The good news is that it works.
I don't want him to win he is pro illegal alien.
Wanted to pass on my concern about Mr Ben Cardin, running for congress and his lack of fighting ILLEGAL immigration in Maryland. This will hurt African Americans across the State if he is re-elected. See links at the end of this letter.
As you are probably already aware ILLEGAL immigration has been on the rise in Maryland. Currently Maryland is one of only six States that still knowingly hands out drivers license to illegal immigrants. This is a huge incentive to Illegal Immigrants who have poured into Maryland. Currently Maryland is one of the TOP States of choice for ILLEGAL immigrants.
Part of the problem is also weak and almost non-existing control of ILLEGAL immigration in Maryland. There have also been incentives by CASA of Maryland setting up day work centers to assist ILLEGAL immigrants to get US Jobs ( Prince Georges and Montgomery County ) and pressure our American Politicians to assist Illegal Immigrants ( Like preserving Drivers License for Illegal Immigrants and time stalling threats of law suits etc... ). Six Flags Maryland has a yearly event on American Fathers day to pass on services by Univision ( Banking, Housing, Job Search ALL in Spanish speaking Vendors ) which can greatly benefit Illegal Immigrants.
Mr Cardin has been voted with some of the WORST grade on stopping illegal immigrants from hiding and setting up shop in Maryland ( See web links below ). This will WORSEN if Cardin is elected into office again.
If Mr Cardin is re-elected Illegal Immigration control will be very very weak in Maryland. Illegal Immigrants ( and their millions of family members ) will continue to pour into Maryland. Then, if they later get Amnesty their numbers will jump by at least x4 when they are then permitted to bring in their extremely poor uneducated Spanish speaking family members into Maryland. These Millions of new Illegal Immigrants, if they get Amnesty, will bring in Millions more family members who will then be in competition for minority benefits, further weakening our African American protections. This will further erode the straight of the NAACP in Maryland.
Although this will effect ALL Marylanders, African Americans will be felt even deeper. Typically these Illegal Immigrants go into many of the jobs that are often, but not always, jobs taken by a higher % of African Americans. These illegal immigrants will move into all sectors of jobs, lowering wages and eroding the power of the African American Minority voice in Politics. As the Hispanic voice gets louder, our American Citizens, African American , will all pay a heavy price for not taking a stand. The African American voice will be smaller. Its time to STOP this from happening.
Mr Cardin will tell you anything you want to hear for a vote but simply look at his record to see what he actually does. A vote for Cardin is a vote against ALL Maryland residents, including African American Marylanders.
Brian Bonner
AKA The Uncooperative Blogger
I suppect alot of African-Americans will pull the lever for Steele once they get into the voting booth just so they can African-American into the Senate.
How racist! 8-)
I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100 percent.
Cardin is very wise to "run and hide," and it should be easy for him, as one of the first proponents of "cut and run."
Where is your proof that Steele is surging. All we have is his poll showing him 2 behind while Cradin has a poll showing him up 12.Split the diffreence and you come up with the same 6-7 point lead that`s been there all along.
Except those SUSA polls no other neutral poll has Steele really close, lets wait until rasussen or some neutral poll shows some movement.
I live in this state, they hate bush and as much as the black population would want one of their own i just don`t see any proof yet.Also there is that problem with african american candidates polling better than the result.Sure he will pull in some black votes but how many white votes may he lose.You go 50 miles west of dc and MD is like a southern state.
Anyway we shall see in a week, my best guess after watching MD politics for 30 years is Steele will top out at about 46%.
...how anyone can view such an issue as any kind of pivot. Candidates have to watch microanalysis of certain "issues", lest it come back to them in a disruptive fashion:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR200610...
You think that's what Steele wanted to come out of the next-to-last Thursday prior the election, when all independent polls have him facing a 6-7 point deficit? Every news cycle, really every day, counts at this point.
And besides, Cardin is going to win the HEAVILY democratic DC suburbs by a vast amount anyway...Steele would be much smarter to focus on energizing the more conservative, central and western portions of the state.
Just my thoughts as a prior resident of the state (the rents still live there, in Carroll County)...would, of course, welcome any comments in the spirit of healthy debate.
"Cardin is toast" sure has a beautiful ring to it.
Say it again, say it again...
"During my lifetime, all our problems have come from mainland Europe, and all the solutions from the English-speaking nations across the world." - Thatcher