Bob Ehrlich, is exploiting Maryland Republicans for his own Gain
Al Ritter
When Bob Ehrlich was our last Governor of Maryland, I heard some rumblings from inside the party about his arrogance and aloof nature. I signed this off to some disgruntled party workers and never thought about it again.
This off year election has certainly been interesting to say the least, but this year, as most of you know I got involved in politics, not as a candidate but in the inner workings of an actual campaign. I saw how the Republican Party of Maryland really worked in the spring when at the Ocean City Convention convened, the only person allowed to speak hadn’t even filed or for that matter declared to run for Governor…….that person was Bob Ehrlich. One republican at that time had declared he was running and had actually filed for the run but was denied the opportunity to even speak……that was Brian Murphy.
Supporters of Ehrlich excused this “oversight,” by saying that Murphy had no chance so why give him the stage on which to speak? Many republicans walked out of that convention for this very reason. Problems persisted into the summer as Bob Ehrlich held out for as long as possible before he filed for the campaign, leaving most of the republicans running for state offices in the lurch.
Private republican donors are in short supply in Maryland, and they patiently waited while Ehrlich made up his mind to run. The current anti-incumbency feeling has not transferred effectively into this contest, the favorable rating should be on the Ehrlich side in close to double digit numbers, but it hasn’t come, and to me this speaks volumes to Ehrlich’s campaign and tactics.
The Maryland Legislature has been basically democratic since 1959, and at best a republican governor can merely be a thorn in the side to the legislature. True change has to come in the form of the house and senate in Maryland and not in the gubernatorial arena alone.
None of this matters to Bob Ehrlich, he needs to satisfy his own egotistical need to be the governor again. He knows that he has gobbled up valuable donor resources to fuel his own campaign. Democrats fund their campaigns in Maryland from democratic PAC groups.
Republicans get their campaign funds from businesses and individuals. Ehrlich’s strong arm tactics in September speaks volumes on his selfish motivation.
If Bob Ehrlich fails in November, all this money was wasted when it could have been used for candidate development and endorsement. Ehrlich’s campaign has divided the already fractured infrastructure of republicans in Maryland. His tactics were somewhat similar to George Bush’s when he said “You are either with us or you are against us.”
Immediately after Ehrlich’s filing, he demanded and got the endorsement from every incumbent republican in the legislature. If you questioned his motives or as much as talked to his primary challenger, you were black balled by his clique group of republicans.
Any candidate who runs to the right of Ehrlich, he sees as a threat somehow to his campaign. Rather than running a campaign of republican unity, it’s all been about BOB!
The infrastructure in the Maryland Republican Party is sparse, and that is being kind. Nobody within the party shares anything; voters lists, donor lists, county leader lists, etc. The 3rd most powerful position in Maryland is State Comptroller, and the Maryland Republican party wouldn’t even give Mr. Campbell a dime towards his campaign!
Until the Maryland Republican Party takes an active stance to promote and bring young candidates up through the ranks, they will fail to even have a 50% representation in either house in Annapolis. We have accepted self- defeat as a way of life in Maryland.
It’s no wonder Marylanders are escaping to other states, with friends like this…………who needs enemies?
Al Ritter
When Bob Ehrlich was our last Governor of Maryland, I heard some rumblings from inside the party about his arrogance and aloof nature. I signed this off to some disgruntled party workers and never thought about it again.
This off year election has certainly been interesting to say the least, but this year, as most of you know I got involved in politics, not as a candidate but in the inner workings of an actual campaign. I saw how the Republican Party of Maryland really worked in the spring when at the Ocean City Convention convened, the only person allowed to speak hadn’t even filed or for that matter declared to run for Governor…….that person was Bob Ehrlich. One republican at that time had declared he was running and had actually filed for the run but was denied the opportunity to even speak……that was Brian Murphy.
Supporters of Ehrlich excused this “oversight,” by saying that Murphy had no chance so why give him the stage on which to speak? Many republicans walked out of that convention for this very reason. Problems persisted into the summer as Bob Ehrlich held out for as long as possible before he filed for the campaign, leaving most of the republicans running for state offices in the lurch.
Private republican donors are in short supply in Maryland, and they patiently waited while Ehrlich made up his mind to run. The current anti-incumbency feeling has not transferred effectively into this contest, the favorable rating should be on the Ehrlich side in close to double digit numbers, but it hasn’t come, and to me this speaks volumes to Ehrlich’s campaign and tactics.
The Maryland Legislature has been basically democratic since 1959, and at best a republican governor can merely be a thorn in the side to the legislature. True change has to come in the form of the house and senate in Maryland and not in the gubernatorial arena alone.
None of this matters to Bob Ehrlich, he needs to satisfy his own egotistical need to be the governor again. He knows that he has gobbled up valuable donor resources to fuel his own campaign. Democrats fund their campaigns in Maryland from democratic PAC groups.
Republicans get their campaign funds from businesses and individuals. Ehrlich’s strong arm tactics in September speaks volumes on his selfish motivation.
If Bob Ehrlich fails in November, all this money was wasted when it could have been used for candidate development and endorsement. Ehrlich’s campaign has divided the already fractured infrastructure of republicans in Maryland. His tactics were somewhat similar to George Bush’s when he said “You are either with us or you are against us.”
Immediately after Ehrlich’s filing, he demanded and got the endorsement from every incumbent republican in the legislature. If you questioned his motives or as much as talked to his primary challenger, you were black balled by his clique group of republicans.
Any candidate who runs to the right of Ehrlich, he sees as a threat somehow to his campaign. Rather than running a campaign of republican unity, it’s all been about BOB!
The infrastructure in the Maryland Republican Party is sparse, and that is being kind. Nobody within the party shares anything; voters lists, donor lists, county leader lists, etc. The 3rd most powerful position in Maryland is State Comptroller, and the Maryland Republican party wouldn’t even give Mr. Campbell a dime towards his campaign!
Until the Maryland Republican Party takes an active stance to promote and bring young candidates up through the ranks, they will fail to even have a 50% representation in either house in Annapolis. We have accepted self- defeat as a way of life in Maryland.
It’s no wonder Marylanders are escaping to other states, with friends like this…………who needs enemies?
