Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Imagine that

Twelve percenct in and they already say O'Malley's the winner.
But Diebold could have told us that yesterday.
Do you believe the results are legitimate?
And if it matters, which it doesn't ... what are we going to do about our city?

19 comments:

John Galt said...

With 37% of precincts reporting, Ehrlich has 51% of the vote.

John Galt said...

And stupid Baltimoreans will vote for a Democrat no matter what sort of civil rights abuses he heaps on them. They're taught by Grandma that "you're supposed to be a Democrat".

This was a chance for black voters to show that they shouldn't be taken for granted. Apparently, they should be.

John Galt said...

I think you underestimate the degree to which black voters have been brainwashed by the Dems. They don't even care what the GOP does or the Dems don't. They were told years ago that Republicans were anti-black. Reality, particularly the present reality, doesn't matter much to them. What they know is the mythology.

John Galt said...

So, now you presumably have Sheila Dixon as Mayor. Question: how do you force her to curtail the unlawful arrests and provide adequate and competent police manpower now, not in a few years when she needs votes ??

John Galt said...

FYI, my gaskets were blown long before the election. These years of O'Maladministration have accustomed me to his ineptitude. If we're going to be stuck with a compromised Governor whoi cannot investigate the misconduct of the City administration because it was..... him,.... then I suppose the investigation will have to come independently from the FBI.

Anonymous said...

I'd say I'm utterly disgusted, but sadly I'm not surprised. According to statistics from the baltimore sun on precinct results, Prince George's County and Baltimore city had the largest percentages of people voting democratic, by a large margin. By coincidence, these are two of the places where 1) there were a large amount of commercials attacking o'm, and 2) some insiders predicted disillusion based on the 'historic abuses' levied against black democrats.

Apparently, these amounted to nothing. Many black voters - against their better judgement - could not permit themselves to not vote democratic, choosing to hope that the democrats will take care of them better, in the largest case of battered wife syndrome EVER.

As much as it disturbs me to say this (for what its worth, I'm black), if many of the black voters could not overcome a so called positive history which blacks share with democrats - which can honestly be contested if you look at the facts - perhaps its time that they reap what they sow (which will be more neglect until 2010 or when O'M runs for President, whatever comes first). If they want people who will promise to take care of them during even numbered years and do nothing more, then let them reap what they sow.

John Galt said...

But they won't even get the correlation between the reaping and the sowing.

The way the mythology works, if Maryland's economic growth should reverse during the O'Malley Governorship, they will be told that it's all attributable to some GOP Delegate from Oakland or maybe to Wal-Mart or to Bush (Mr. O'Malley loves that crutch), and the constituent you're talking about will buy the propaganda. He will.

O'Malley says 'It's time for a change.' So, now you can be lied to by Democrats, instead.

Anonymous said...

Fact is, they've been lied to by democrats for years. The only difference during these four years is that they've had a person to blame it all on (ehrlich), despite the fact that some of their claims are lies, downright absurd, or both.

The worst part in all of this is the reasoning that I've heard to justify voting this peon - and by extension, his accomplished lt. gov - which runs along the lines of:

"Ehrlich is the devil!"
"ehrlich sides with bush!"
"Ehrlich allowed the power issues!"

How many people actually reviewed what the democratic candidates did? Or did the (D) after their name exempt them from serious questioning?

Now for mayor, we have to deal with a lady whose most noteworthy work as city council president were a resolution for iraq and shady dealings with people connected to her.

Can anyone give me a one way ticket to Seattle?

Mr. Mephistopheles said...

Baltimore Cynic,

So why would you think that Michael Steele would better represent blacks' interests than Ben Cardin? Steele basically spit on his fellow African Americans when he refused to criticize Bob Ehrlich for holding a fundraiser at a country club that has never admitted a black member. I think he said something idiotic along the lines of, "I don't care about it, because I don't play golf."

Contrary to your "battered wife" theory, most African Americans saw Steele for what he was- a fraud and an Uncle Ruckus. The GOP establishment threw their support behind Steele because they knew they could not pick up Sarbanes' seat unless they could get Democratic crossover votes in PG County, MoCo, and Baltimore- but Rove and company falsely assumed that blacks would blindly vote for him because of his skin color.

Anonymous said...

Mondy,

1)This isn't a matter of who would represent the black vote better, its a matter of who has. Ben Cardin's electoral campaign essentially promised to serve the black vote as senator. However, he's been a politician for the past forty years essentially - where in the world has he been up to this point? For all of his foolishness, Steele at least visited places such as Park Heights, and was involved with places such as Morgan State. Do you honestly think Cardin will do anything until 2012 for black voices? The record seems to indicate the opposite.

2) Don't go so far as to attribute the vote to a monolith incident. I'm doubtful that many people even remember the country club incident (even you don't remember the full details of the incident - didn't the democrats get yelled at for something similar?) At larger issue is the fact that many black people did this simply because they have always voted democrat. Is it any surprise that in the largest black jurisdictions (which undoubtedly gave the win to Cardin), Steele was utterly embarassed?

3) Would you explain to me how the Republican party's tapping of steele is any different than the Dems' tapping of Anthony Brown?

My issue here is that while the black vote did not vote on the grounds of skin color the voted for Dems despite the fact that they have an established record of failure in crime and educational development in PG County and Baltimore City. Visit mdsa.net and look at the county councils and state leadership for PG County and Baltimore City. You will not find a single non-democrat, not one. At what point will the democrats stop blaming the bad boogie man that doesn't exist and accept their own failures as our so called protectors?

Maurice Bradbury said...

If you believe the theories in "Hacking Democracy," Diebold helps out whoever pays them.

Cardin won, I'm happy about that.
Crazy Frank Jr. also won! We should all be freaked out about that!
And if O'Malley won-- note not all the votes are in, even now-- I don't hate it. He is more aligned with my values. Maybe he'll stop these grody executions, not veto gay marriage if it comes through the legislature, be more environmentally conscious, etc. And best of all, he's out of this town, and maybe things can start to change. Maybe Dixon will do a great job. One can hope.

I'm not "fudging numbers," you're not paying attention. Nor are you terribly smart, I can trace the ISP of any commentor, anonymous or otherwise, by the time stamp, and more to your issue, your employer could check your history any time. Registering doesn't make a difference.

Mr. Mephistopheles said...

Cynic,

Steele has never been elected on his own. He finished third in the GOP primary for comptroller in '98. He only became Lt. Governor because Ehrlich beat a horribly incompetent candidate (Kathleen Kennedy Townsend) in '02 who angered many African-Americans by picking a white Republican (Admiral Larson) over more qualified African Americans such as Isaiah Leggett or Glenn Ivey. Ehrlich saw an opportunity to pick up black votes by putting Steele on his ticket. Even with Steele on the ticket, I don't think Ehrlich even broke 15% among African-Americans (but most of them stayed home because of their anger at KKT). I guarantee you that Ehrlich would not have picked Steele if KKT had not botched her Lt. Gov. selection.

The country club incident is only one example of Steele's coziness with white Republicans (some even racist). He also a) refused to criticize Ehrlich after finding out that, as a congressman, Ehrlich once requested an IRS audit of the NAACP, b) publicly suggested that Kweisi Mfume would only cater to black interests, and c) took money from donors who ran the Willie Horton and Jesse Helms' "White Hands" ads. It has also been proven that he exaggerated the "Oreo Incident" at the request of Bob Ehrlich and his communications director.

You can criticize O'Malley and the city council all you want for the crime in Baltimore City, but the last time I checked Cardin was not an employee of Baltimore City.
From what I've heard, most 3rd District residents were pleased at his constituent services. Maybe he lacks charisma, but I'd rather have someone who gets things done instead of someone who offers nothing but empty sound bites.

Anonymous said...

Mondy,

Thank you for the history lesson. After heavily analyzing the past five years of politics there were one or two details I forgot about.

You want to talk about someone who has never won an election on his own? Look at Cardin's history - even wikipedia will serve you well. He's been given every seat he won since forty years ago, when his uncle let him take over his seat. Looking at the Maryland election I'm not particularly surprised he was passed this one as well. I'm not impressed with career politicians, especially ones like him who didn't earn anything.

Also, let me get this straight - you tell me not to connect the city government's activities with Cardin, then have the audacity to essentially do the same thing with the republican party? Talk about the pot and the kettle - give me a break. After forty years of connection with the maryland government on a state and federal level, I would hope that Cardin has the reputation, resources, and wherewithal to change something - ANYTHING. But the fact is, he didn't - he's been little more than a rubber stamp politician for the past forty years, and I have little reason to believe he'll be any different as a senator - especially since this election has proven that he doesn't have to be.

Oh, for the record - the 3rd district does include baltimore city. So yes, he is an employee to at least part of the town, along with howard, baltimore and anne arundel county.

As for the remainders of your allegations of Steele's Coziness with the blasted white republicans, I'm going to take the time to dismiss them as irrelevant for the same reason I dismissed some of the idiotic statments democrats have made (See: Hoyer's 'slavish' remark). They are irrelevant because they speak to what he's said not what he's done. Politicians say dumb things some times, its a matter of fact. My concern is action. Cardin won't do any actions for this state. At least if steele had been elected he would be forced to do something in order to keep his seat.

And for the record: Don't start with the issue of campaign donations. If you want a laugh, read up on Kevin Zeese's website, there are plenty of questionable people Cardin has taken money from as well.

One parting note before I go: Would you be so kind as to name some of the things cardin has done as opposed to promised to do?

-A very disgusted TBC

Mr. Mephistopheles said...

One parting note before I go: Would you be so kind as to name some of the things cardin has done as opposed to promised to do?

Oh, absolutely! Do you recall the embryonic stem cell research bill that he supported (along with several Republicans) that was vetoed by a president who caters to the 30% of the country- you know, the 30% that believes that the world is 5,000 years old and that 9/11 was the sign that Jesus is coming back to Earth to convert or kill non-Christians. And everyone knows how Steele feels about this issue after he so eloquently tried to compare it to Nazi experiments conducted during the Holocaust (at, of all places, a Jewish community center).

Yeah, you're right- he was a victim of the know-nothing black voters who suffer from "battered wife syndrome". I mean, he couldn't have lost because he was unqualified, right?

John Galt said...

Steele is not entitled to the 'black vote' because he is black. That the black vote is just assumed by the Democrats is a shame. Fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, shame on us.

And yes, the 'battered wives' of Baltimore are slavish in their failure to stand up and be considered. Councilmen come out and round them up to vote like herding cattle. Hey, why not just allow proxy voting? Just sign your vote over to the Eastside Democratic and go home. Why not just allow them to sign over their lifetime votes all at once? Oh, that's right; that would be a return to having no rights, like back before,uh,... emancipation by the Republicans in 1863.

Thank goodness for the Democratic Party.

Mr. Mephistopheles said...

Galt,

So how are the councilmen's tactics any worse than Ehrlich and Steele busing homeless people from Philly and having them hand out ballots which falsely a)identify the two candidates as Democrats and b) tout "endorsements" from Kweisi Mfume and Jack Johnson?

John Galt said...

It's hard to comment without seeing the ballot handbook. Actually, if people are going to be brainless and vote for anything that looks like a jackass (democratic mascot=donkey), then why not Hee Haw at them and see if they vote for you?

Voters here need to be a little smarter. The guy who prevented the State from supplying manpower to control crime is now our Governor-elect. What the hell in the way of a public benefit did those voters get for supporting him? We'll still be the most murderous city in the country, even if the O'Mayor gets a new office. He's screwed us again. Thank you, neighbors.

As to faux endorsements from public figures, it seems to me those figures would have some cause of action for misrepresentation. I haven't seen it myself. I don't support misleading constituents.

John Galt said...

As for employing street people from Philly, what's wrong with that? I just want to make sure the bus which returns them has no empty seats. In fact, it might make sense to send our homeless to Philly, provided they cannot get a return ticket.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Ha!
Thanks for the words of wisdom, HoCo!
In Real Life, fortunately, I don't talk about any of those things!