Endorsement tit for tat

Perhaps the battle for the Republican U.S. Senate nod in Maryland could come down to domestic policy vs. foreign policy, at least in terms of endorsements.

After Dan Bongino took the lead with backing from several members of state and federal government, opponent Rich Douglas has countered with a leader who’s been mentioned as a possible Secretary of State in a GOP administration and another ambassador, as well as a former state party Chair. The Douglas campaign picks it up from here:

Richard Douglas, an Iraq veteran, former Diplomat and small business owner, is pleased to announce that Ambassador John Bolton has strongly endorsed his accelerating campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin in the United States Senate.

Ambassador Bolton said, “Douglas is the most qualified Senate candidate to emerge in Maryland in forty years. Douglas will bring badly needed experience to the Senate at a moment of profound crisis. He has my full endorsement.”

Ambassador Bolton served both Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. A Baltimore native and lifelong Maryland resident, Bolton is considered America’s foremost authority on constitutional law and foreign relations.

Douglas welcomed Ambassador Bolton’s endorsement, calling him “Maryland’s most admired conservative.” Douglas continued, “I am grateful for Ambassador Bolton’s strong endorsement and I am determined to justify the confidence he and other Marylanders have placed in me.”

Ambassador Bolton represents the third major endorsement for Richard Douglas in two weeks. Former Maryland State Republican Chair Audrey Scott endorsed Douglas on November 1, calling him “clearly the most experienced and and capable candidate running.” Ambassador Roger Noriega, who hosted a hospitality suite for Douglas at the Maryland Republican Party convention in Annapolis, endorsed Douglas on November 8.

So the question for voters is going to be an interesting one if you presume Rich Douglas and Dan Bongino are the two leading candidates. It’s obvious that Richard’s forte is foreign affairs, while Bongino seems to have a lead with those who favor smaller government – the TEA Party crowd. So how will the pair cover themselves on what would be perceived as their weaker points?

Having heard Bongino speak, I have some concerns about his foreign policy when it comes to the Long War. On the other hand, I’m not familiar enough with Douglas to know whether he would be a budget hawk and make the tough choices necessary to bring federal spending under control in cooperation with a presumably GOP-controlled House and White House.

There’s also the question of establishment vs. outsider to consider. If you consider the most recent past MDGOP Chair as the “establishment” then there’s no question that Douglas is the insider while Bongino – who is backed strongly by the upstart gubernatorial candidate from 2010, Brian Murphy – plays the role of the outsider. So there’s that struggle to get votes in the middle, among the GOP rank-and-file.

And the intrigue may continue as I was assured by Bongino this weekend that he had additional endorsements up his sleeve; presumably Douglas has his own roster of outside supporters as well. Despite the fact there were eleven candidates in the ring for the GOP nod last time around, in the end it basically came down to two names. We may have that same style of race in 2012, too. So endorsements have some importance because they create buzz – and free press. When you’re up against a guy with a couple million in the bank, that free exposure never hurts.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

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