Steele takes active role in Maryland politics, eyes 2010 [eyeing gov. in '10]

The Washington Times ^ | December 2, 2006 | S.A. Miller

[Norman Bates]

Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele has rebounded from his election loss by returning to an active role in state Republican politics, positioning himself for a potential run for governor in four years.

"I'm just trying to make sure our party gets back on its feet and stands tall," Mr. Steele told The Washington Times. "If we don't do the groundwork now and pull ourselves up, 2010 won't matter and 2008 won't matter, either."

Since his loss Nov. 7 in the U.S. Senate race, Mr. Steele has helped recruit and promote candidates for state party chairman and members of the central executive committee, who will be elected today at the state party convention in Annapolis.

Mr. Steele, who served as state party chairman from 2000 to 2002, said it was "too soon" to commit to a run for governor, but he did not rule out the possibility. "I'll always be prepared for opportunities," he said.

He also said that after the re-election loss of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the state's first Republican governor in more than 30 years, the party must rebuild the way it did after 1998. That year, Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey narrowly lost a second gubernatorial election to Gov. Parris N. Glendening, a Democrat.

"We struck gold right out of the box," Mr. Steele said of his 2002 win with Mr. Ehrlich. "I think we can do it again."

Senate Minority Whip Andrew P. Harris said he was "encouraged that [Mr. Steele] wants to have influence" in party elections.

"That means Michael Steele is here to stay with us as a political force in Maryland," said Mr. Harris, Baltimore County Republican.

[Norman Bates]

Michael Steele is here to stay with us as a political force

This article brings a breath of fresh air to those who've been holding their breath in these days and weeks after the elections, waiting to see our future prospects. It is encouraging to see that Mike Steele is going to be one of them. I hope and believe this rising-star Republican will continue to shine bright.

[madprof98]

If he knows what's good for him, he'll become a Democrat. It's becoming clear that the Republicans have no use whatsoever for new blood or new ideas. (I wish that remark were just sarcasm, but the evidence is overwhelming.)

[Norman Bates]

Man of Steele ping!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Yeah. I'd like to see Steele take on Obama in "08. He's just as qualified as Obama.

[Norman Bates]

I like MadIvan's suggestion that Steele be given an ambassadorship to the EU to burnish his foreign policy credentials. Two and a half years there out to do him so good, then he should resign to organize his run against Boy Governor.

[NicknamedBob]

"It's becoming clear that the Republicans have no use whatsoever for new blood or new ideas."

It may be safe to make that observation in Georgia. Here in Maryland we grasp at the flimsiest of straws of hope.

Fortunately, Mike Steele is not a flimsy straw. I'm wondering if it's too soon to send in a ballot by mail.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I would think Ehrlich deserves first crack at a rematch, but if he's not interested, Steele has earned a shot at whatever he wants. O'Malley is going to be a disaster as Governor.

[Fairview]

I was concerned about what would happen to Steele, but the other day I spoke to someone who has very high-level connections at the White House and in Maryland politics. I was told that Steele has more options than he knows what to do with, and the fact that he wasn't offered a cabinet position or any other formal connection to the Bush White House was a favor to him, not a sign of disfavor. He doesn't need to be dragging a lot of baggage with him whatever he decides to do.

[sgtbono2002]

Whatever he runs for he has my vote.

[Norman Bates]

I'm grinning with happiness. Go Steele go! Go Steele Go!

[madprof98]

He doesn't need to be dragging a lot of baggage with him whatever he decides to do.

No doubt the same reason the post-election GOP regrouped by selecting the same old tired set of hacks for other positions. Wouldn't want anyone with fresh ideas to be tainted by taking a leadership role in the Party as it is in 2006.

[LdSentinal]

O'Malley maybe a disaster, but Maryland voters aren't too bright.

[Norman Bates]

I doubt Ehrlich will run for a re-match but I would respect his decision. I think he will pass off the baton to Steele. However, Ehrlich ought to consider a run for the Senate against Mikulski in '10. John White should consider running for comptroller. Lt. Gov. candidates?

[Norman Bates]

Thanks for the ping.

[Norman Bates]

With any luck Boy Governor will turn out to be the second coming of Glendening. Maryland voters must be shown the way. Steele has lots of time to build grassroots and raise money. Besides nothing gets you working like being in the wilderness. Someone should form a Man of Steele PAC.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The problem with Maryland are the black holes of Bawlamer and the DC burbs. The rest of the state is sane.

Steele's wins (in the proper shade of Republican Blue)

Ehrlich's wins

Ehrlich managed to carry his home county of Baltimore, and almost carried Howard (the bright red one), where Steele came up short. Although, Steele carried some rural counties (most notably, westernmost Garrett) by a wider margin than Ehrlich.

2002 Governor's race

Unfortunately, you can see the bleed-off of support from his win 4 years ago, most notably losing Howard and the formerly sane Charles County, which must be having PG refugees streaming in (he carried it 56-43% in '02 and lost it 51-48% this year). Even Ellen Sauerbrey carried Charles in her poor rematch against Glendening in '98 (55-45%).

[fieldmarshaldj]

I would presume Mikulski would retire in 2010 (she'll be 74), so that's a possibility. If a Republican is President then, we might be at a disadvantage, as that is a midterm, but if a 'Rat is President, it would be a prime opportunity.

For State Comptroller, Mr. White's showing for Cardin's seat was a rout, so he might want to just save his money. Republicans winning the downballot offices is very rare. We haven't won Comptroller since Phillips Lee Goldsborough in 1898 (and for just a paltry 2 year term, he'd later go on to be elected Governor & Senator, however), and haven't won the Attorney-Generalship since Alexander Armstrong in 1918 (excluding a 1950s era appointee of Ted McKeldin's).

If Steele is the nominee, he could do something audacious and put a 2nd Black on the ticket in the form of Wayne Curry, the maverick former PG County Executive, or a Hispanic, in the form of State Sen. Alex Mooney (though Mooney is queing up to likely succeed the elderly Roscoe Bartlett when he leaves office).

[Norman Bates]

What is your take on Boy Sarbanes? Will he run for Mikulski's seat if she vacates or will he only run for daddy's seat (Cardin's seat)? Any sense on the tradition of this guy?

I'm not sure I would be so bold as to put a second black on the ticket, but I'd be open to it. John White as Lt. Gov. was my first thought but the name Steele/White might be a disaster. Curry might make it very interesting though.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I don't know enough about Sarbanes Junior to size him up, yet. Obviously if he goes for it, he will have competition for the Mikulski seat if she retires. Ruppersberger and Van Hollen aren't going to just hide under a rock (although the former will be 64 in 2010, a year older than Cardin is now, starting to get a bit long in the tooth to embark on a career in the Senate as a 'Rat, Van Hollen will only be 51).

Of course, there will also be added pressure again for the 'Rats to nominate a Black, since they're almost half of their voters, but neither Elijah Cummings or Al Wynn (who nearly lost renomination this year) would fit the bill (and both would be 59 in 2010). They'd probably try to foist O'Malley's token Lt Governor, Anthony Brown (who'd be 49 that year), as a potential candidate (and he looks like a cross between Obama and my state's ill-fated Senate nominee, Harold Ford, Jr.). I noticed on Wikipedia, he has been mentioned for that very position. ;-)

[MinorityRepublican]

Bttt

[Norman Bates]

MD GOP has a new chairman: Steele-nominee James Pelura (state campaign manager for Bush-Cheney '04). He beat out John White for the chair.

http://www.wmdt.com/wires/displaystory.asp?id=56249533

[fieldmarshaldj]

This certainly leaves no room for doubt that Steele is now the de facto top Republican in Maryland.

[GregH]

Steele is a decent man and good luck for him. Did he get only 25% of the black vote during recent elections when a lot more was expected? It is disappointing many blacks couldn't get out of the Dem plantation to vote for a decent man.

[MinorityRepublican]

The Democrats do not have to nominate a Black for a statewide elected office. The recent election shows that the Democrats do get away by taking the Black vote for granted, unfortunately.

[ThreePuttinDude]

I think Steele is much more qualified to run for any
office over B. Hussein Obama. What the heck has this
Obama done? Other than give an opening speech at the DNC
conference?

Plus the guy looks very shady to me. Another used car salesman.

[Norman Bates]

I think it's believed that Steele got somewhere between 22-25% of the black vote. But look at this. This year MD democrat voters said loud and clear, "You don't need to nominate any black candidates." They said to blacks, "You see, we're gonna take advantage of you." And the majority of blacks said back, "Yeah, we agree." Mfume's rebellion was put down; Simmons, M. Mfume, D. King, Tyson, Curry couldn't carry enough favor. But they made a huge mistake: they rewarded bad behaviour, and thus they will be exploited even more thoroughly.

[Clintonfatigued]

I think that Bob Erlich should run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, if Barbara Mikulski decides to retire (which many think she'll do). While he lost for reelection, Erlich won 47% of the vote, a respectable showing in overwhelmingly 'Rat Maryland.

[Vision]

I can't imagine O'Malley will get reelected.

[Norman Bates]

I can't imagine O'Malley will get reelected.

Amen!

[Bigg Red]

Whatever he runs for he has my vote.

&&
Same here. I have met Mr. Steele three times and I am most impressed with him. If it were not for the Rats' expertise in voter fraud he would be our incoming senator instead of the master of charismatic speeches Cardin.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Of course, this election was profoundly disappointing in Maryland, but this was an unfortunate anti-GOP tide everywhere. We needlessly lost seats in Republican areas as well, not just potential pick-up areas such as MD that lean 'Rat. It wasn't just that we couldn't get more Black votes, but the White voters didn't turn out for us as they had 2 years ago, either.

To get an idea of how bad this was overall, it was the single worst election for the Republicans since 1856 (the first year it competed), not in actual losses, but in complete and total failure to make pick-ups. Not a single Democrat seat was picked up in Congress (even in the Watergate disaster of '74, we won a few House seats) and not a single Governorship went from 'Rat to GOP, not one (and, again, even in 1974, 4 states flipped to the GOP: AK, KS, OH, & SC). It was simply a fiasco without precedence.

[MinorityRepublican]

Like it or not, we are losing the Culture War. The Left is in control of our education system, media, Hollywood, Courts where they are able to spread their lies to America.

That's why we were hard hit now and we will only be shelled even more in 2008.

The days are looking bleak to us in the near-future.

[doc11355]

...you can see the bleed-off of support from his win 4 years ago, most notably losing Howard and the formerly sane Charles County, which must be having PG refugees streaming in (he carried it 56-43% in '02 and lost it 51-48% this year).

Your guess is correct. I can confirm that here in Charles County, PG refugees are, indeed, streaming in. They're converting the northern tier of the county (Waldorf area) into PG County South.

[sgtbono2002]

I am still totally baffled as to how Cardin got elected.

I have to blame it on the Maryland electoral democratic machine.

I really believe that had Steele run for Lt. Governor with Ehrlich, they would have won. I cannt fathom why Ehrlich went with an unknown, blind woman for his Lt. Governor.
I have nothing against unknowns, The blind, or women. But I feel if Ehrlich had found a better candidate for Lt. Governor he could have won. To this day I cannot remember the womans name.

Maryland wil be sorry they picked O'Malley, he sucked as Mayor of Baltimore and he will suck as Governor of Maryland.

[fieldmarshaldj]

That's truly a shame. They soil their nests and then move on to ruin other respectable areas (areas that are as nice as they are solely because the mindset and elected officials are completely opposite to those in those ruined areas).

[fieldmarshaldj]

We're not done, yet. Whatever else happens, at least the side of the good wins in the final judgment.

[Bigg Red]

I agree with all that you said, except that I am not baffled. The charm-challenged Cardin won because of one factor, i.e., the Rats' well-oiled voter fraud machine. When the Ehrlich/Steele ticket won it was because enough voters came out for the Republican ticket to overcome the stuffing of the ballot box. Those same numbers were not there for Steele this time.

[AmericaUnite]

Good for him. He's a real asset to the nation.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Charles County's black population has increased quite a bit over the past decade (not sure if from PG or directly from DC), and thus has become reliably Democrat. It was one of only three counties in the entire nation to vote for Dole in 1996 (a year in which Perot got 8.4% and took almost all his votes from the Republican) but for Gore in 2000 (Orange County, FL was another; I can't remember the third right now).

[AuH2ORepublican]

Yes, Alex Mooney is waiting for Bartlett to finally retire, but Mooney will probably face heavy competition in the primary. There are only two GOP House districts in MD (since 2002 redistricting), and they don't open up very often.

It would be great to have a Cuban-American Republican representing MD in Congress.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I'm surprised Bartlett has stayed as long as he has. He's one of our oldest House members now at 80.