Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Memo to Md Gov. Larry Hogan: Always understand the context in which you serve.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Memo to Md Gov. Larry Hogan: Always understand the context in which you serve.

The newly-elected Md. Gov. Larry Hogan, is a likeable-enough guy; but now is the time to stop campaigning and start governing.

Memo to Md Gov. Larry Hogan: Always understand the context in which you serve.

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2015/02/memo-to-md-gov-larry-hogan-always.html Labels: Gov Hogan Larry, Governance, MD Gen Assembly 2015, MD Gen Assembly Opera, People Miller-Thomas V Mike MD Sen

Kevin E. Dayhoff, February 9, 2015

Apparently, the Baltimore Sun sees it as many do; now is the time for Gov. Hogan to govern. Gov. Larry Hogan’s State of the State address February 4, 2015 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2015/02/maryland-gov-larry-hogans-state-of.html was a page from the playbook of President Barrack Obama that has failed so miserably.

That is, know when it is the time to be a statesperson and govern and when to stop campaigning.

Now President Obama cannot help himself. He suffers from a destructive narcissistic personality disorder.

But the newly elected Republican governor of Maryland ought to have known better.

As much as many in his base agreed with every comment uttered in the state of the state address, it was mistake to say it. We get it. And it was an unnecessary exposure to say it.

To say much of what he said in the hallowed halls of Md. State Senate President Mike Miller and Md Speaker of the House Mike Busch is tantamount to the old adage, don’t tug on superman’s cape, and don’t spit in the wind….

Now is the time to move-on to the business of governance in the Maryland General Assembly, a government whose feudal middle-ages roots were laid before the birth of the modern Westphalian State in 1648 - a medieval byzantine environment that is ruled by feudal lords of the manor that are inherently hostile to dissent and have no concept of accountability or being held responsible for their behavior.

The governor should take a memo; now is the time to stop preaching to the choir and reach out into the Maryland General Assembly audience and start winning folks over. In this business one accumulates enemies, do not go out of your way to make any.

All the state of the state did was feed red meat to the liberal lions of the Maryland General Assembly and they reacted predictably. It was the mistake of someone who had never held elected office before. It was the sophomoric mistake of a rookie and candidly, the governor is surrounded by enough veterans that the mistake ought to have been avoided.

That said, it is often been stated that the reaction to a problem is often as critical as to the problem itself. Fortunately the governor is a likable-enough guy who roots in real estate transactions have taught him that it is better to be loved than feared.

The Senate President on the other hand, is so powerful – arguably one of the most powerful elected officials in the entire nation - - that he does not care whether or not you like him. He is simply to be feared.

In this case the reaction by the Senate President Mike Miller was the mistake of someone so arrogant as to believe that he so powerful that the rules do not apply - that he would not be held responsible for his actions or behavior. President Miller’s behavior was a manifestation of how dare this conservative Republican upstart tread into my pond and row around spewing such blasphemy.

It brings to mind another rule: Always understand the context in which you serve.

Candidly, if the shoe were on the other foot, and a liberal had rowed into a conservative stronghold and thumbed their nose at the powers-that-be; conservatives probably would not have reacted any better. We hope they would have, but maybe not.

In this case, the case of the Senate President; the reaction was so over-the-top and cringe worthy that even the Baltimore Sun cringed.

Read the first two paragraphs of the Sunpapers’ response here and be sure to go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-hogan-miller-20150209-story.html and read the rest. It is well worth the time.

Baltimore Sun Editorial: Miller overreacts, Hogan benefits February 9, 2015

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-hogan-miller-20150209-story.html

We doubt Gov. Larry Hogan intended to make Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller's head explode with his State of the State speech last week, but it might wind up working out for him politically, if not for the people of the state substantively. The governor's address was heavy on recycled bromides from his stump speech and not equal to the occasion, but it looks downright statesmanlike in comparison to the ensuing petulant overreaction from the Senate president and his loyal lieutenants. Nonetheless, it may have given Democrats an excuse to kill legislation they didn't like anyway.

On Friday, the Senate delayed confirmation votes for the first five of Mr. Hogan's cabinet secretary nominees to come before it, and senators were not at all subtle about the connection between that decision and the State of the State speech. The contrast with Mr. Miller's attitude on the opening day of the legislative session, when he predicted before even holding any hearings that all of Mr. Hogan's nominees would be confirmed, is not flattering. It suggests that the Senate's role to advise and consent is a function of the Senate president's mood and not the quality of the nominees… http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-hogan-miller-20150209-story.html

Also be sure to read: Miller’s joke with one appointee could prove prophetic By: Bryan P. Sears Daily Record Business Writer February 9, 2015 http://thedailyrecord.com/2015/02/09/millers-joke-with-one-appointee-could-prove-prophetic/

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