The classroom at Morgan State University was filled with the sort of audience the hip TV ads by Senate candidate Michael Steele appeal to: young, educated black voters.
But the Morgan students gave a warm reception to the career white politician who came to call, Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin, and were decidedly cooler when asked about Steele, the black lieutenant governor who is opposing him.
Morgan political science professor Vernon Gray, a former Howard County Council member, introduced Cardin as an old friend and political ally. The 10-term congressman got applause for his support for increased funding for higher education grants and reduced interest on student loans and his opposition to the war in Iraq.
“It?s become difficult for a Maryland family to afford to send their children to college,” Cardin said.
“Michael Steele supported the war, I opposed it,” Cardin said. “The president needs to acknowledge the mistake that he?s made.”
Ashley Bunn, a sophomore performing-arts major who recently registered to vote, asked Cardin the first question about getting young minorities involved in the political process. She said later, “Cardin?s definitely impacted my decision.”
“Race is not a factor” in making political choices, said student Keith Thomas, a former San Antonio, Texas, resident who said he liked Cardin?s balanced approach to immigration. Thomas said Steele?s appeal to blacks is “a political ploy to attract minority voters.” He said Marylanders who were aware about issues would be “colorblind.”
Political science major Alpha Sylla was one of the students who had seen Steele?s ads. “He doesn?t portray [his views] very well,” Sylla said.
On the day the primary vote was certified, the Steele campaign was taking shots at Cardin for what campaign manager Michael Leavitt called the Democrat?s “poor showing” against former U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, winning by 3 percent of the vote despite outspending Mfume 10 to 1.
“I got significantly more votes than Michael Steele did” in the primary, Cardin said.
Cardin got 257,000 and spent $3.8 million through Aug. 23. Steele got 190,000 votes in the much smaller GOP primary, and spent $2 million through Aug. 23. For both candidates, much of that money was seen as an investment for the general election as well.
