And if you compare how Ehrlich 2002 did vs. Ehrlich 2006, you’ll find that he lost share in all 23 counties plus Baltimore City, and lost over 10% of his share in 17 of them. He got killed in Baltimore County, for example, losing over 20% of his share (61.2% to 50.9%). The closest he came in any county to maintaining 2002 numbers was losing 1.5% here in Wicomico County and, even better, dropping just 0.4% in adjacent Worcester County.

After seeing those numbers, it convinced me that many on the Shore supported Ehrlich because they perceived that he at least gave a rat’s about the Eastern Shore as opposed to many of the Democrat administrations beforehand. The key for my party is to solidify this base and work in toward the center, as the Democrats managed to expand their base into the “exurb” counties this time around and pick off enough votes from areas where Governor Ehrlich was more successful against KKT.

And the reverse was true in 1994 vs. 2002…where Sauerbrey “lost” the election in Baltimore City, she also didn’t do as well in the outstate area. That few points gained there by Ehrlich in 2002 was enough to carry him.

Can you tell I’m sort of a numbers freak?

Look at KKT 4 years ago… She won the 3 big counties and she lost the election… So if you really believe that land votes…. then KKT should have been governor!

Unfortunately, this is where Ehrlich really screwed the state (and us). He plucked a lot of Republicans out of the General Assembly, which removed a lot of people with experience and name recognition from future possibilities. Granted, many/most of these people weren’t world-beaters (to say the least), but they were the bench. It will be quite a while (if ever) before that can be replaced. Instead of pulling a bunch of legislators out, Ehrlich should have filled his secretary and deputy secretary positions with competent (and preferably young) conservatives, from Maryland or elsewhere, which could have really built the party.

So this leaves us with, by my count, about three viable Republicans with any sort of statewide name recognition–Steele, Pipkin, and maybe DiPaula. Steele will almost certainly be the gubernatorial nominee in 2010, if he doesn’t run for Mikulski’s seat, for which DiPaula, if he’s still in the state, could be a good candidate. Would Ehrlich run for that seat? Pipkin has got to be kicking himself for not running for Comptroller, as had been rumored a bit before the filing deadline. He may have been able to beat Franchot, but may not be able to beat an incumbent.

I think Republicans are well and truly screwed, and Ehrlich (and Kane) are to a large degree responsible.

Stephanie – “barring violations to individual liberty spelled out in the bill of rights and other similar documents, the majority rules.” Hopefully you had the same thoughts two years ago and weren’t part of the “Bush stole the election” crowd that’s STILL out there.

Ahhhhhh, you want me to relive almost a decade of election angst, do you? Very well. It will probably amuse you.

During the election debacle in Florida in 2000 I was pretty disenchanted at the usual characters, Katherine Harris, the Preppy Rioters, and the Supreme Court. Al Gore had won the popular vote (and the state of Florida by my reckoning), and the will of the people was being thwarted. I thought Bush stole that election, and I can’t say that I thought of him as more than an accident of the electoral college. I don’t think I referred to him as “President Bush” during his first term. But I wasn’t heartbroken.

Heartbreak was reserved for 2004.

There may have been election irregularities and possibly even fraud in Ohio, but ultimately that didn’t matter. Barring atrocious and extremely risky election fraud on the part of Diebold, the popular vote went to George Bush. He was no longer an accident of the electoral college, in my mind, but the people’s choice. I had to call him President Bush.

And that was heartbreaking

But both of you should bear in mind something you said for future reference:

Stephanie – “barring violations to individual liberty spelled out in the bill of rights and other similar documents, the majority rules.” Hopefully you had the same thoughts two years ago and weren’t part of the “Bush stole the election” crowd that’s STILL out there.

TrueBlue – “In Maryland…we count every vote…” Does that imply that other areas do not? It seems to me that the only places the “not every vote was counted” complaint comes up are places where the GOP wins close elections (see above.)

It’s obvious to me that, despite my votes to the contrary, Maryland decided to become even more of a Democrat state than it already was. Personally, I think that’s foolish but for the time being I have the right to my opinion.

This post came from two factors. On the Eastern Shore, many feel that Annapolis simply ignores their pressing needs because we’re such a small area populationwise and state government only concerns itself with the Prince Baltigomery area because it’s the voter base.

Secondly I personally feel that the governmental principles embodied in conservatism would do much more for Maryland as a whole than the big-government, throw money at the problem solutions espoused by O’Malley and company, which enrich the few and keep the many at bare sustinence or slightly above. In general those ideas are shared by the Republican Party and where they don’t share them it’s easier to move them in the proper direction (I call it the 80% rule.)

Perhaps you believe that government solves all ills. I do not subscribe to that theory.

O’Malley we all have to admit got more votes… Should it really matter how many counties he won?