Annapolis Capital Punishment

Democrats came out and voted in BIG numbers, way more than Republicans. CP will let the paid pundits chew on that one but the figures seem to be high according to my fetid memory. In the Fourth District of Montgomery and PG counties, newcomer Donna Edwards pulled a strong win from incumbent Al Wynn. The flip side of that was in the First, which includes the Eastern Shore and areas nearby to Annapolis. CP is crying in his cereal this morning after learning that extreme-right, religious fundamentalist, and highly-negative campaigner Andrew Harris unseated long-time incumbent Republican Wayne Gilchrest. Astle had a similar contest with Herb McMillan in his last re-election campaign and Astle refused to get in the gutter as well.

Harris, a hardworking and intelligent State Senator and anesthesiologist is absolutely wrong-headed and self-righteous on many issues, also received vast outside funding mainly from a group called Club for Growth which did its best to label Gilchrest with that dreaded "L" word. Well Mr Harris, you are labeled with those dreaded "FR" words, as in "far right". I also met Harris in his office and have seen him in Senate committee. He is arrogant and full of himself, masquerading as a good Christian. He is possibly moving on to Washington unless Democrat Frank Kratovil can stop him. That will be an uphill battle for Kratovil. Oh well, if Harris wins, we'll at least get him out of the State House but he'll be joining the ranks of Roscoe Bartlett and his ilk on Capitol Hill.

Gilchrest was always a thoughtful moderate and CP sees him as similar to our own Senator John Astle in many respects. They are both Vietnam Marine veterans,and outdoorsmen who try to vote based on their constituents' interests without fear of crossing party lines. CP met Gilchrest many times over his career in Congress and even spent a few hours canoeing with him. I was shocked at the poor quality of his web-site and that his campaign office did not respond to a phone message or e-mail during the campaign. It seems as if he was tired and did not wish to engage in a negative campaign with the cantankerous and vituperative Harris--who also upset many conservative bloggers due to his nastiness. I never felt Gilchrest was one of the great minds or speakers in Congress, but he was an honest, hardworking, thoughtful and ethical Congressman. At least my spider sense tells me that Harris is.....hardworking. CP would have been very happy to have seen State Senator Pipkin win this close race.

What will the big Obama win mean to the many Maryland Democrats, from Governor O'Malley to Mayor Moyer who supported Clinton?