How to bring Maryland (and other states) back to sanity from the brink of extremes

[Anonymous]

Both parties need to be smarter about elections they can win, and elections they can influence.

Take Larry Hogan. He is arguably the most successful and popular governor in the country. He won because he appealed to moderate Democrats, and Republicans nominated him despite whiners about his RINO and Never Trumper reputation.

The governorship in Maryland is an actually competitive race. I would also say that most state governorships are more competitive than federal offices.

Given the polarization and partisan gerrymandering and all the mechanisms that have reduced the number of legitimately competitive seats, both parties need to be smarter about allocating resources and nominating candidates. Allow me to use Maryland as an example.

After the congressional redistricting, there will be probably two competitive House districts. Republicans should only run candidates in those districts (Harris and Trone seats). No Republican is going to unseat Raskin or Sarbanes or Mfume. It's not going to happen. Instead, in the solid-blue seats, Republicans should rally behind a moderate in a Democratic primary.

Likewise, Democrats would be smart to do that in other elections in red states. Don't like Marjorie Taylore Greene? Donate toward a moderate Republican primarying her in that district.

Another good example is Montgomery County. No Republican stands a chance to win any county wide seat. So stop trying. Donate, knock doors, and (if you can swallow your pride and re-register as a Democrat) vote for David Blair instead. Same goes for County Council and State Delegate/State Senate seats. There are two socialists representing Montgomery County in Annapolis. Find a centrist candidate in their districts and support them.

Voters in this country need to be smart and less tribalistic. That's how we can have more David Blairs and Larry Hogans and fewer Marjorie Taylor Greenes, AOCs, and Marc Elriches.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, Hogan has actively threatened public safety during this Omicron surge. He also flouts open records laws of MD by using self-destroying message app to communicate un-PC screeds to his team. WaPo reported on this recently.

We need more people like Elrich, who has been measured and consistent throughout the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

No person with a brain can vote R. There’s no Republican Party. It’s a cult.

Rs would be better off supporting a moderate D like Biden. I’m a Bush, McCain, Romney voter. I don’t recognize the Republican Party and I won’t support them.

[Anonymous]

OP is the lone Trumpkin in MD masquerading as a “moderate” and fetishizing electing an extremist like Youngkin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, Hogan has actively threatened public safety during this Omicron surge. He also flouts open records laws of MD by using self-destroying message app to communicate un-PC screeds to his team. WaPo reported on this recently.

We need more people like Elrich, who has been measured and consistent throughout the pandemic.

Both Hogan and Erlich are a joke.

[Anonymous]

It wouldn't matter if there were more Republications in MoCo. All politicians save Elrich are paid off by developers. One Party Rule, but it's the Development Party.

[Anonymous]

Rank choice voting.

And that’s exactly why they will never implement it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, Hogan has actively threatened public safety during this Omicron surge. He also flouts open records laws of MD by using self-destroying message app to communicate un-PC screeds to his team. WaPo reported on this recently.

We need more people like Elrich, who has been measured and consistent throughout the pandemic.

Both Hogan and Erlich are a joke.

It seems to me that no politician is without critics, either on the left or right.

But Elrich is too extreme. Hogan is not, and that's why he won in a very blue state.

[Anonymous]

How many billions of dollars did Hogan cost the Purple Line project?

Sorry, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many billions of dollars did Hogan cost the Purple Line project?

Sorry, no.

I can understand being a single issue voter but if the Purple Line is your single issue, I’m just going to laugh. You’re probably the only person I have heard blame that joke of a project on Hogan. If anything, the Purple Line fiasco just reinforces that Hogan was right to kill the Red Line.

[Anonymous]

I am a democrat who likes Hogan. I think he needs to do more for Baltimore but in general for a Republican I think he’s doing a good job. He doesn’t play to the party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both parties need to be smarter about elections they can win, and elections they can influence.

Take Larry Hogan. He is arguably the most successful and popular governor in the country. He won because he appealed to moderate Democrats, and Republicans nominated him despite whiners about his RINO and Never Trumper reputation.

The governorship in Maryland is an actually competitive race. I would also say that most state governorships are more competitive than federal offices.

Given the polarization and partisan gerrymandering and all the mechanisms that have reduced the number of legitimately competitive seats, both parties need to be smarter about allocating resources and nominating candidates. Allow me to use Maryland as an example.

After the congressional redistricting, there will be probably two competitive House districts. Republicans should only run candidates in those districts (Harris and Trone seats). No Republican is going to unseat Raskin or Sarbanes or Mfume. It's not going to happen. Instead, in the solid-blue seats, Republicans should rally behind a moderate in a Democratic primary.

Likewise, Democrats would be smart to do that in other elections in red states. Don't like Marjorie Taylore Greene? Donate toward a moderate Republican primarying her in that district.

Another good example is Montgomery County. No Republican stands a chance to win any county wide seat. So stop trying. Donate, knock doors, and (if you can swallow your pride and re-register as a Democrat) vote for David Blair instead. Same goes for County Council and State Delegate/State Senate seats. There are two socialists representing Montgomery County in Annapolis. Find a centrist candidate in their districts and support them.

Voters in this country need to be smart and less tribalistic. That's how we can have more David Blairs and Larry Hogans and fewer Marjorie Taylor Greenes, AOCs, and Marc Elriches.

Absolutely not

Republicans all of them are traitors to the US

They don’t believe in free and fair elections
Not one is willing to vote for voting rights
Not one remembered the police that saved their lives on Jan 6th

Republicans have zero policies where is the heath plan

Let’s try this again the Big lie took hold Republicans felons sent fake electors to subvert democracy

No Republican in the next few elections deserves a vote

Democracy is the US otherwise we are nothing

Spare me your crap down ballots up ballots either way Dems only and I don’t give a crap who they are as long as they are not GOP

Ex Republican never again

The GOP is the party of nuts like Wendy Rogers of Arizona or king Desantis we don't need any more liars criminals sub humans

[Anonymous]

Flicker is mentally ill

That was our other option

[Anonymous]

Maybe I'm missing the point here but Maryland is the least extreme state I've seen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm missing the point here but Maryland is the least extreme state I've seen?

Well, maybe it's extreme to very conservative people. But the General Assembly is very liberal and passes a lot of liberal policies that Hogan can't veto. (they overturn him all the time).

Montgomery County is extreme. That's a different story.