It?s a safe prediction that today?s election will be decided by a minority of Marylanders.
In an election where all the top jobs are up for grabs and only one of five statewide candidates is an incumbent, those who choose the state’s leadership will be older, wealthier and better-educated than the population as a whole.
As of July 2005, there were an estimated 4.2 million people in Maryland 18 and older, and thus eligible to vote, minus a few thousand felons.
As of September, there were 3.1 million registered to vote ? 74 percent of those eligible. If two-thirds of those eligible exercise their franchise ? a high turnout in a nonpresidential year ? that would still leave the choice of leaders to less than half the population. In 2002, only 59 percent of those registered voted for
governor.
Democracy is a spectator sport for half the population.
Appointed Responders
There were clear contrasts at Sunday night rallies just a few miles from each other in Prince George’s County.
At a rally with ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, billed as a salute to first responders, the fire engines and ladder trucks holding a huge American flag played a prominent role.
But there seemed to be more of Gov. Robert Ehrlich?s appointees in the fairly modest crowd of perhaps 200 than there were cops and firefighters.
Ehrlich running mate Kristen Cox advised the crowd, many of whom are campaigning to keep their jobs: “Sleep and food are optional in the next few days.”
Clinton Mania
Down the road, 1,500 cheering Democrats showed up on 20 hours? notice to hear again from former President Bill Clinton, who makes even accomplished speakers like Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley and running mate Anthony Brown look like amateurs.
“I came back to Maryland tonight because you?ve been good to me,” Clinton said. He brought his brand of smooth partisanship, saying as a southerner he understood “voter suppression.”
And on so many issues, like prescription drugs, “it?s the ruling class against the public interest,” he said.
Meet Mr. Moesby
There was a different brand of excitement at a phone bank for Lt. Gov. Michael Steele down the road. Steele asked the crowd of mostly black supporters, “How many of you have had a fight with a friend over this race?”
Half the room raised their hands. Steele picked up the endorsement of more black pastors today, and his candidacy has created quite a rift in the church community.
“Special guest” at the Steele event was “Mr. Moesby,” the now 10-month-old black-and-white bull terrier puppy seen in his first ads.
“He?s very agitated at the Democratic attacks on him,” reported his owner, Brad Todd, a GOP campaign consultant. “He didn?t know politics was this dirty.”
Len Lazarick is the state house bureau chief of The Examiner, he can be reached at [email protected]
