Republican candidate for the Maryland governorship Robert Ehrlich is open to debate and ideas for all -- just ask him. About his campaign, he has said "We're going to continue doing the things we've been doing to win their vote. We're willing to show up to debates and engage in conversation about issues with African-American groups. We're very comfortable operating outside our comfort zone."
A necessary question is: considering that Maryland, the state he hopes to lead, is 27.9 percent African-American, why aren't conversations about issues with African-American groups within his comfort zone? Ehrich's opponent, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, correctly responded: "This is not Star Trek. African-Americans are not aliens. They are a part of our community, and I think that it has not been a part of your comfort zone. That's the problem with your party for a long period of time."
Comments (1)
Apparently, Maryland politics is not in your comfort zone. If you understood Maryland politics you would know that the Democrats play the racial card at the drop of a hat. In fact, it is used so often that Governor Glendening used it against fellow Democrat, State Controller Schaffer, in the primaries. He accused him of being "insensitive" to blacks and women.
In the last election for Governor, the Republican candidate, Eleanor Sauerbray, was falsely branded by the Democrats as a racist. This tactic effectively killed any chance for her to win. (In the previous election for Governor, when they didn't brand her as a racist, she had come within a few thousand votes of winning.)
The same political operative was just hired by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to try to destroy Robert Ehrlich. His first statement was to call Robert Ehrlich a Nazi. Now, the first statement that Townsend made in the debate was to bring up slavery, lynching, and segregation and related it to Robert Ehrlich's stand on affirmative action. That is the level to which the Democrats stoop to get elected.
Using these tactics the Democrats have gotten over 90% of the black vote. They must maintain that percentage if they hope to win this time. Now maybe you understand the context of Bob Ehrlich's remark.
Posted by Richard | September 27, 2002 11:18 PM
Posted on September 27, 2002 23:18