Annapolis Capital Punishment

Already Trudy McFall and Greg Stiverson have politely and respectfully declined to be considered for an endorsement by our firefighters. Bold move. Good move. I applaud you. Of course, we all know who is likely to get that endorsement anyhow--right?

At least the firefighters are gathering information and deliberating before making their choice.

Already Josh Cohen has gotten the AFSCME, the Plumbers Union, former Alderman Mike Fox (he's a Republican, a county employee and Josh Cohen is still a county councilman--weird?) and of course FOE Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson, who happens to be a long time teacher's unionist.

Read today's The Capital for a story about all this at endorse but I predict that The Sierra Club which just sent out a complex 18-question survey will endorse Josh Cohen as will the police union, UFCW 400.


Let's wait and see.


Not only is it good policy for McFall to turn away from these endorsements, she has little to lose in taking the high road, knowing full-well that Cohen is the favorite son in those parts. Do voters even pay attention to endorsements? How can we know? I think endorsements can be important if it is clear who is endorsing and how they do it and whether they truly represent their members or not. If you trust a particular organization and believe in it and it does its homework and involved its members (that is the key), an endorsement can be valuable. But when a group acts as if it is speaking for its members and it is really only representing a small and politically connected group...well....I see the invisible hands of FOE all over this one.


Finally, what do all these endorsements say about candidates who rack them up? Is it good old democracy in action?Give and take? Pay-back? Quid pro quo? Politics as usual? The best damn gummint that money can buy?