The GOP has a lot of work to do. We need to start change the guard at the RNC headquarters. If it wasn’t for the economy the results may have been different who knows. Maryland will always be a blue state no matter what. Marylanders are culturally designed to be Democrat regardless how conservative or liberals the party candidates are. IT will take at least a generation for the GOP to make any strides in MD again. If Obama is sucessful in his first term which he will likely to be thanks to his surrogates from the drive by media; he will have a second term unless the GOP will reexamine what went wrong and find a younger telegenic candidate (i.e. Gov Palin) I hate to say this but iti is true.

I watched the Today show this morning where Gov Palin, Alaska first dude was interviewed. I know she is very tead off about how the campaigned has vilified her but she tries not to show it. I hope that Palin would consider being in the national spotlight several years down the road. If I were in her shoes right now, I would keep a low profile for the next few years and let the aftereffects of this lost slowly die down. I think 2012 is too soon for her. Maybe 2016 would be better. She is still young, smart and telegenic which would help revive the GOP nationally. Palin has a great platform for energy independence and I think that she should spend time promoting this cause in Alaska. I read somewhere that she might be considered to head the Republican Governor’s Association. That would be great!

Maryland power good for America

By The Baltimore Examiner Newspaper
- 11/9/08

When the 111th Congress convenes in January Maryland’s little delegation will wield immense power officially and even more unofficially. Every citizen of this state must have faith that such power will be used for the greater common good.
We well know and trust Steny Hoyer, House of Representatives Majority Leader. We feel downright familial about Senate powerhouse Barbara Mikulski. And Sen. Ben Cardin, who brings a decade of Congressional connections to his first term, is a comfortable friend.

Most of all, powerful Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may have her heart in San Francisco, but her deepest roots draw from the rich soil of Baltimore’s D’Alesandro political dynasty.

Of course, that bodes well for Maryland as Democrats take control of Congress and the presidency for the first time in 14 years. Let us not kid ourselves about having powerful people from our state in high office bringing certain benefits. It is inherent to all governance.

But it also must bode well for all of America. Why?

Because we know these folks grew to political maturity in the turbulent environment of Maryland public life.

Here in this 2-to-1 blue state, the actual reality tends more toward purple. Dealing with conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans accustoms our politicians to the art of compromise. Political conflicts often cleave more along issue lines than party lines. No wonder our recent slogan was “America in Miniature.”

Want evidence? We’re the state of the 1st Congressional District where President Bush endorsed liberal nine-term Republican dissident Congressman Wayne Gilchrest in a losing primary bid. Then Gilchrest endorsed centrist Democrat Frank Kratovil against conservative Republican Andy Harris. What did voters do?

About 350,000 of them split evenly on Kratovil and Harris after support for Bush grew from 57 percent in 2000 to 62 percent in ’04.

Pundits, prepare to scratch your heads when you ponder Maryland.

That’s just the way we are, and it’s a good thing. It assures us that if this one-party Congress and historic new administration drift toward some kind of political rampage, leadership from Maryland will impose common sense for the common good.

They know this most recent mandate for change in America is overwhelmingly a rejection of Bush administration aberrant policies than an embracing of President-elect Barack Obama’s vague, untested policies.

Where Democrats take America in the next four years could determine our nation’s future for a century. Fate has placed daughters and sons of Maryland in positions of immense power to forge that destiny.

We are comforted to know them, and that they will do the right thing.

Find this article at:
http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/_Maryland_power_good_for_America.html

By the way, I had always voted for Gilchrest but the reason I voted for Kratovil is that I saw the debate at SU. Harris was an arrogant, ignorant fool(the theocrat comment anyone?). He was bad mannered and ill-tempered. I don’t stand for that behavior from my own children, much less my Congressmen.

I feel sorry for you folks on the shore during the assembly session in January. I’m sure he will get his payback then.

Also, why is it so bad to not vote republican? I have been a life long republican and vote that way most times. But for crying out loud if the Dems are marketing something better then what the republicans have, my beliefs or not, I’m going that way. And it doesnt mean I am a bad person.

By the way. Me voting dem or republ does affect my job. I work in the Defense industry.

The election is over, so why not try to determine the reason that Harris did do poorly on the lower Shore (see the Cuff-n-Stuff comment, above) instead of gross speculation “that those who voted for Frank Kratovil who thought he would have a conservative voting record will be sorely disappointed.”

But since you went there, my guess is that he will be moderate, and generally conservative on certain things.
Stupid, he ain’t.

Bobby E. better be looking very close at these numbers!

And I’m not about to knock the hard work put in by the volunteers on our side. However, one cannot discount the effect the sheer bombardment of political advertising paid for by the DCCC had on the race.

The only fact we can gather from this whole episode is that Kratovil is barely winning and will likely come out with under or right at 50% of the vote. All the rest is sheer speculation, but I think I’m closer to the truth than they are.

And you ought to consider that maybe Frank has some good friends who are conservative who think he is a decent person able to represent the entire district, east and west, liberal and conservative, fairly. It wasn’t just “beltway liberals” who were out there volunteering for him on election day.

Honestaby, let’s not allow Kratovil or the Democrats to make the claim they have a mandate since it appears that Frank will win via plurality vs. majority – if he does make it to majority it’ll be something like 50.1 percent of the vote – hardly an overwhelming victory.