Sixty days and counting ? any candidate with a competitive primary can tell that?s how long he or she has till Sept. 12: Judgment day.
After that, it?s only 55 days till it?s all over in the general election! For those who are not already sick of the name-calling and finger-pointing, The Examiner will run this weekly column of campaign tidbits and outtakes.
The numbers game
With so few ways to accurately gauge how a campaign is faring, reporters fall back on the old standbys of money and polls. The campaigns are alternately coy or boastful of each.
You would think Ehrlich?s people would have been crowing about raising as much as $500,000 Wednesday with an appearance by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, but instead the media had to hunt down a guest or two and figure out it was $4,000 per couple. That?s often difficult to do when the pressies are quarantined in side rooms and behind rope lines to avoid contaminating the well-heeled Republicans.
As for the O?Malley camp, “we don?t comment on fundraising,” said spokesman Rick Abbruzzese.
Kitchen table candidates
Mayor Martin O?Malley and his sidekick Del. Anthony Brown have had a series of what they?re calling “kitchen table talks” with real “working” folks to make their campaign points. They?re as uncontrived as the usual reality show. Just assemble a family around a table as a bunch of newsies gawk, take notes and snap pictures as they hover around the sink and read the refrigerator magnets.
Honk if you love Martin
The attempt to create appealing visual settings for the evening news had O?Malley on Ellicott City?s quaint Main Street in Howard County on Wednesday. He was sometimes drowned out by street traffic, a passing freight train and honking horns that would cause the mayor to give a wave. Reporters had their backs to the traffic, so it was hard to tell whether the honkers were on O?Malley?s side.
Staying gubernatorial
While O?Malley must cook up campaign events, Gov. Robert Ehrlich clearly plans to stay gubernatorial, rolling out announcements and plans as only an incumbent can do, along with the money to pay for them. On Monday, he toured the School for the Deaf in Frederick with Disabilities Secretary Kristen Cox ? coincidentally his running mate. Tuesday he gave grants for police to track sex offenders; Wednesday, he introduced a new mobile emergency unit; Thursday, he addressed emergency management officials from around the state, introduced by his chief of staff who only used the term “under the leadership of the governor” three times in a 10-minute speech.
Endorsements that count
Endorsements are another imperfect shorthand for gauging support. Wednesday, Sen. Paula Hollinger picked up the endorsement of the state teacher?s union in the crowded Democratic race in the 3rd congressional district. There are more teachers than members of any other union, and they vote in Democratic primaries.
Tom Perez, running for attorney general, already had the teachers union behind him, and Wednesday picked up the nod from the state AFL-CIO.
