10.26.2006

Cardin Pulls Out of NAACP Debate

ummm WTF?

This is terrible politics, just TERRIBLE. Ben, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Folks over at Red State make a good point (yeah, I can't believe it either). Ben Cardin has been waiting for this race for a long time. This is absolutely the WORST move imaginable. Sending Michael Steele to the NAACP debate alone? ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Suck it up Ben. Yeah, you had a gaffe at the last debate. That does not mean you insult the most vulnerable Democratic constituency in the state, Black voters.

I am not looking forward to doing GOTV calls in Baltimore tonight. What can I say to a voter who asks "Why did Ben Cardin skip the NAACP debate tonight?" I guess I could say, "Ben will be debating with Steele in front of the NAACP this Saturday", but the damage has already been done.

I warned Democrats about not electing Kweisi Mfume as our Senate candidate. I was worried Ben would have trouble connecting to Black voters in Maryland. For the past few weeks, I figured I was incorrect. Ben might have really screwed himself here.

I can guarantee you that Mfume would never have skipped out on an NAACP debate.

Ben Cardin has violated the first rule of modern Maryland politics. You do not slight, or even APPEAR to slight Black voters. Here's hoping Ben spends tonight doing something EXTREMELY important. I really can't think of what is more important for a Democrat in a Maryland Senate race than debating at the NAACP, but lets hope Ben found the answer, and is doing just that.

For the first time this year, I am nervous about this Senate race.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Remember this is the Washington (Mooney) Times, the most Republican newspaper in the county. They will blow anything questionable out of proportion.

rkujan

Anonymous said...

This is an article form the Washington "Mooney" Times, an unrelenting backer of the Republicans, so they are always looking to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

The real problem for Cardin in this race is Steele's race. I have a think that many blacks in will vote for Steele because of his color. In the last debate he positioned himself as an independent even as a Democrat, which is laughable if you look at his policy stances on his Web site. He is alligned with President Bush in every way, but two, affirmative action and the death penalty, even then his opinion is unclear. Of course he is unclear, Republicans hate affirmative action, even though there is a stong arguement for its need, and are in favor of the death penalty, even though Maryland's death penalty cases are cleary racially biased.

howie said...

You're spreading Steele's spin for him. Cardin never accepted the date.

I wouldn't want to let Steele yell at me anymore either.

Unknown said...

He has an engagement in PG County, which I presume he feels he has to attend due to the purple line gaffe. But since it appears that Steele doesn't know where the purple line is either, I don't think it's as bad as he thinks.