WP Poll - Baltimore Mayor O'Malley holds large lead over Gov. Ehrlich...

[SaveElmer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_mdpolitics_062706.htm

11 Points among Registered voters

16 Points among likely voters!!!

[Awsi Dooger]

1. That race is my number one priority

Among govs, senators, you name it.

I simply despise smug Ehrlich after his 2002 campaign and debate performances against KKT.

Looking forward to O'Malley presenting the winner's vase after the Preakness next year.

[spooky3]

8. Don't you just want to smack his silly face into the nearest barber shop?

[Awsi Dooger]

2. What type of voting method will Maryland use?

If anyone knows. I remember they tossed the Diebold machines a few months ago by an amazing 137-0 vote. But I never heard if the optical scan machines were purchased or rented, or even approved.

Anything but punch cards. I don't share the machine dread of others on DU but the guaranteed forfeited votes by punch card are absolutely terrifying. No telling how many local elections we lost via punch card, not merely Florida 2000 and therefore the presidency.

[LynneSin]

5. Not good

I have a friend in Maryland who says the system was easily hackable like 16 different ways when they brought a hacker in to test the system

[MADem]

3. The incumbent bum used a FAUX SNOOZE helo to go from campaign

stop to campaign stop...totally illegal. The Faux station was owned by Sinclair, that also owns the DC ABC station, that blacked out Bill Maher's POLITICALLY INCORRECT for the damn DC market...and Faux/Sinclair gave him FREE ads to boost his lousy profile ahead of this race. Disgraceful.

The GQ article recounts Ehrlich's efforts, as a member of Congress, to lobby the Federal Communications Commission to allow Sinclair, which began with a single station in Baltimore, to expand its ownership into new markets.

It recounts the right-leaning media company lending Ehrlich a helicopter while he was running for governor in 2002. And it rehashes an arrangement between Fox television's Baltimore affiliate, which is owned by Sinclair, to produce public service ads featuring Ehrlich as governor at no cost -- on the condition that the state purchase $60,000 worth of time on the station to air them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/10/AR2005121001263.html

[Olney Blue]

4. Great news! Now, we keep working to defeat Ehrlich.

He must go.

[LynneSin]

6. and work to keep Paul Sarbanes seat on our side

Paul Sarbanes is retiring and Lt. Gov Michael Steele (R-pompous asshole) is running for the seat

[TygrBright]

14. I *think* running for Sarbanes' seat is the bait they dangled...

...in front of Duncan to get him to leave the Goob race to O'Malley. If so, it's a win-win situation, because Duncan is an old-school Dem (I mean that in the good way) who knows how to hang tough in a horsetrade and come out with more than he went in with. Very few are big enough to step into Sarbanes' shoes, but Duncan wouldn't be a bad choice at all.

hopefully,
Bright

[Olney Blue]

34. If true, it's a brilliant strategy. Duncan would be great in the Senate!

I admire him very much, and his depression can be controlled with medication and therapy.
He is a seasoned politician, and his talents shouldn't be wasted.

[Divernan]

7. Love "Balmer", love Maryland, love the Bay - LOATHE Ehrlich!

I've spent a lot of time in Baltimore since the 60's - family & friends there. Couldn't believe it when Ehrlich won the governor's race. I do recall lots of dirty GOP campaign tricks going on - in particular, the GOP papering the black neighborhoods with bogus flyers with the headline, "Get Out and Vote next WEDNESDAY!" (of course the election was Tuesday). Then it also warned all people who wanted to vote that they had to pay off any arrearages in child support or rent owed before they could vote or they could be arrested. I have read recently that the GOP dirty tricks people (Karl Rove & mignons) are still using that one around the country.

How any black voter can support Steele for Congress, or ANY GOP candidate after the above described dirty trick AND Bush's veritable murder of so many blacks in NOLA by deliberately delaying assistance, is beyond my understanding, but I saw a story yesterday that Steele was making the rounds of black churches in Baltimore and some of the ministers were planning to back him.

[Zambero]

11. That's "Merlin!" :)

My improper pronunciations got corrected on more than one occasion while in Balmer! I lived in MD when this slimeball was elected. The Free State deserves a whole lot better than a Walmart lobbyist in the goveror's chair. Fortunately the Dem's have selected a candidate who has the ability to send the guy packing.

[Divernan]

20. I stand corrected, "hun".

nt

[riskpeace]

24. That's "Hon," Hon

nt

[rndmprsn]

9. now that dull duncan has dropped out, o'malley should...

clean R gov ehrlich's clocks easily.

[rjhill2]

10. Big Smile from a young Maryland voter..

Ehrlich is incompetent. He is stupid. He is racist (he called the growing multiculturalism of my state "a load of crap"). He also wears a toupe. I eagerly await the day when someone can pull it off his head!!

[DubyaSux]

32. Wait a second....

..Bob Ehrlich is a lot of things, but racist ain't one of 'em. I grew up in Maryland and went to Arbutus Jr. High School with Bob. For 2 years, I was in his class. His hair is for real. His hair hasn't changed a bit over the years. If I showed you my class picture, you could see he looks exactly the same then as he does now. I wish I aged so well!

Now, don't get me wrong. I hope every republican in office gets the boot - including Ehrlich. But that is based on policy. I could vouch that Bob treats people around him very well regardless of skin color, etc.

Now, you may feel better launching vile smears against him, but suffice it to say, it's not based in reality. Is he a good governor? No. Is he a bad person? No. He just sucks at politics.

[mistertrickster]

12. This is going to be a tough one for the Repubs to throw. Wonder

how they'll do it? And how the media will explain it away again . . .

[melissinha]

13. Good news! Not a voter, but...

My boyfriend's brother works for O'Malley and he is a sharp decent awesome guy that would do wonders for your state as he has for the city of Baltimore....

This is awesome news...

Now I wish my state didn't have a bunch of idiots and hyporits (Governor Good Hair, Grandma Four Names and Kinky)besides the Dem candidate (Chris Bell)which intend to turn this election into a three ring circus.

[LincolnMcGrath]

15. proud to give this a fifth

[LiberalEsto]

16. One word: DIEBOLD

Just because the polls are looking promising doesn't mean Maryland Democrats can breathe sighs of relief and relax.

Don't forget that Maryland is still plagued with Diebold machines, and that most of the state's Democrats inexplicably continue to say that they don't think these machines pose any problems.

And let's not forget that Ehrlich is a buddy and protege of Resident B*sh, and will likely rake in plenty of GOP cash as well as help with the usual Rethug dirty tricks.

And further, let's not forget that Maryland Dems were too complacent, after decades in power, to work very hard on defeating Ehrlich when he was elected. We cannot assume a victory -- we will need to work our butts off to make sure we bring in such a big, incontestable victory for O'Malley that it cannot be ripped off by the opposition.

[savemefromdumbya]

28. GOP pulled all our yard signs out last gov's race

there are not going to do it this year! Catch them on camera!

[brentblack]

17. This should come as no surprise

In the 2002 election, Kennedy-Townsend was dragged down by the missteps of her boss, Glendening. I can tell you for sure that he was not very well liked in MD. My grandmother is a life long Democrat and has voted Republican ONCE - for Bob Erlich. Obviously, lots of Marylanders crossed lines (sadly, myself included) because KKT was not an appealing candidate.

In fact, it is well known that the MD Dem party persuaded Doug Duncan NOT to run in 2002 so as not to throw off KKT. Sadly, she did this herself by selecting a former republican, white guy as her running mate.

She probably would have won had Glendening not been rocked by a sexual scandal (Left his wife for a much younger assistant that got pregnant) in the months before leaving office. My guess is that Al Gore can relate to this.


O'Malley will be a great Governor! I voted for him as Mayor of Balmor.

No one else here will agree with this but, Steele will be a great Senator.

[SaveElmer]

18. Steele won't be the next Senator...

Cardin will end up winning fairly easily...

[aintitfunny]

19. Steele would be a disaster

He is a religious conservative, or at least he hypes it, owned by big corporations including Bushco. The thought of him replacing the great Paul Sarbanes nauseates me. Maryland Democrats will step up in the General to see him defeated, whoever our candiate may be, and I will personally be working toward that end.

KKT lost because she did not run a good campaign. No one, save republicans trying to make an issue of it, could have cared less about the outgoing Governor's sex life. Even with the poorly run campaign and the old white guy as the LT. Guv, she would have been so much better then Ehrlich.

[Divernan]

21. Welcome to DU and you' re right - don't agree re Steele

No one, regardless of race, whose election assists the GOP to keep a majority in the Senate, can possibly be a great Senator during a Bush presidency. There have been some fine Republican Senators - many years ago. And there are a few good hearted ones around now. Moderates trapped in a neocon party. But if Steele supported Ehrlich, and/or allowed Ehrlich to exploit Steele's race to attract black votes, he is not a moderate, and will back Bush.

[savemefromdumbya]

29. I find it odd that Democrats voted for Ehrlich

Steele will not be a senator. Cardin will win primaries and win the Senate race (prefer Lichtman better).

The GOP ran a very nasty race in MD last time sinking money and troops in. All our signs disappeared.

[aintitfunny]

31. I don't know K.. I think maybe

Mfume could be the candidate. I like Cardin Ok. Mfume is closer to Lichtman in viewpoint (I think Licthman is great). But I would not count out Mfume.

You are right about the signs, you will just need to stock up!

[Olney Blue]

35. Hi brentblack- your first post! Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[kristopher]

22. Does the sample reflect the population??

Not to throw too much of a damper on things, but don't you think that the excitement is a little high considering the polling sample was 51% Dem and 29% Repub? Is that representative of the population of Maryland?

[Awsi Dooger]

30. That's about right in Maryland

The 2004 exit poll had 48% listing themselves as Democrats, 30% Republican.

In '04 party ID in general nationwide, other than the northeast, was slanted a few points from typical toward the GOP, due to 9/11 and national security. We should have a restored 3-4 point party ID edge nationwide this fall, so if you apply that to Maryland the 51-29 should be almost perfect.

[autorank]

23. Ehrlich has to lose...

He's a very clever guy and a real trouble causer. His shifting stance on e-voting shows real
sophistication. It's a ruse to fight early voting, a big threat to Republicans everywhere once fully
implemented. I hope O'Malley piles it on and takes this guy into retirement.

[Divernan]

25. Defeated GOPers never retire, they become fatcat lobbyists and

get appointed to all kinds of high paying Board of Director spots.

[autorank]

26. Buzz kill;) You're right. But at least he'll not be Governor...

[savemefromdumbya]

27. O'Malley versus the voting machines

I'm sure that's how ehrlich won last time = voting fraud.

[BamaLefty]

33. Stick a fork in Ehrlich

He's done.

[mkb]

36. Maryland Governors Race

     I think it's important to not expect too much from our
political candidates AT THIS TIME.  You can read people like
Stan Goff (.com), who have advocated destroying the Democratic
Party, and replace it with something "new".  I
suggest taking a look at his blog and see the good points and
ultimately how he is diverting people away from a cohesive,
organized, position for we sentient creatures.  Sure, the
Democrats aren't very progressive overall, but it's much
better to preserve what we have and maintain a reasonably
strong fighting position than to allow the right-wing to just
run roughshod.  Never will the gymnasium be big enough, with
all the toys in it, for those scurrilous people.