President Obama urged thousands of Maryland voters on Thursday to tap back into the energy of his election and rally Democrats to the polls — but this time, for Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“I hope you are ready to fight for Martin so he can keep fighting for you,” Obama told a feisty crowd of supporters gathered at Bowie State University in Prince George’s County. Around him, bright green O’Malley-Brown signs littered a courtyard in the center of the small college campus. “Right now you got pundits saying the other party supporters are more excited. … It’s up to you to prove them wrong. Don’t make me look bad now.”
Polls show O’Malley is putting some distance between himself and his Republican challenger, former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, after months of a statistical dead heat. But campaign analysts say the race remains a tossup, in part because GOP voters are assumed to be more motivated.
Obama’s visit to the historically black college comes after turnout numbers for Democrats hit record lows in Maryland’s September primaries. It was the president’s first visit to Maryland — where his approval ratings soar nearly 20 percent above the national average — since 2008.
“I’m back today two years later because the success of [our] mission is at stake,” he said, calling O’Malley “one of the best governors in America.” “We’ve got a lot at stake right now. … So on November 2 I’m gonna need you just as fired up as you were in 2008.”
Lines to get into the event began curling around campus buildings as early as 10:30 a.m., two hours before security gates opened and five hours before Obama was scheduled to speak.
The crowd was largely black — and hundreds were students, judging by the swell of cheers when Obama gave a shout-out to the Bowie Bulldogs.
In the countdown to Obama’s appearance, a dozen Maryland Democratic leaders took the podium.
Many speakers made direct references to the Tea Party.
“We are gonna turn the tables on those Tea Partiers,” said Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., president of the Maryland Senate. He alluded to the Boston Tea Party and boasted “dumping their ships” and “taking their tea.” “We are not gonna stand for the Tea Party people here in Maryland,” he said.
Rep. Donna Edwards warned that if Democrats don’t turn out to vote, Republicans Glenn Beck, Karl Rove and Sarah Palin would decide Maryland’s future.
“We don’t need any witchcraft,” said Sen. Ben Cardin, in a reference to Delaware Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell.
In a closing note, O’Malley compared Maryland with states where Republicans have won.
“They can take back New Jersey, they can take back Virginia, but they can’t take back Maryland!” he said, to cheers.
