20061029 The Carroll Sun’s campaign literature

The Carroll Sun’s campaign literature

October 29^th, 2006

Several folks have been in touch about the back-to-back articles by the Baltimore Sun - Carroll Sun branch of the Maryland Democratic Party in Carroll County.

The articles: “Commissioners - Two shun Zimmer as GOP splits support” and “Republicans split in Carroll County - Democrat Beard gains GOP backing,” have appeared in the October 28^th and 29^th, 2006 edition of the paper.

Much of it is inside-baseball that is not a great deal of concern of the many Moms and Dads trying to attend as many children’s athletic events this weekend as possible. Or the folks who are just intolerant of the esoteric machinations of who-struck-john or gotcha politics.

As an aside, the humor as when the Democratic Party opened a campaign headquarters in Westminster after decades of not having one was that it was not needed as long as the Baltimore Sun had an office in town. (In the interest of full disclosure, that is not an original thought - - it was shared with me by a liberal colleague…)

I was happy that the Dems opened a campaign headquarters in town because the more ideas on the table and candidates on the ballot, the better for Carroll County.

On my way home from dinner last night, I stopped the Dems’ headquarters, after I noticed Frank Rammes toiling-away in the front window.

I liked Frank when he was a Republican and I still like Frank, now that he has switched parties. I just wanted to say hi.

Politics is the business of community leadership and I admire everyone who steps forward to offer their services. When it comes to the business of leadership, may the best plan win – and leave the personal politics out of it.

Back to the Baltimore Sun Democratic campaign pieces; I only read them a moment ago and then I only scanned portions of it.

Yawn.

So what is new?

Actually they are both well-written, if you accept them for what they are – persuasive political rhetoric. If the articles had been labeled as “analysis” or if they had been offered as “columns,” that would have been appropriate.

News articles they were not.

I remember well when the dominant party in Carroll County was the Democratic Party. In those days it was quite conservative.

There was consistent and persistent friction between the conservative-wing of the Democratic Party and the more liberal wing. Much of it was just a rancorous as it is today – only it was the different factions of the Democratic Party doing the bickering.

It was around the late 1970s when the Carroll County Democratic Party started to veer abruptly to the left. Around the time that John Willis ran for the House of Delegates.

As time went on, many of the conservative Democrats left the party and it was not until around 1990 or so that the numbers of Republicans surpassed the registered Democrats.

I think that differences of opinion, whether from within a political party or between parties - - are good for Carroll County.

I rather like differences of opinion being tolerated within a party and I think that it is necessary. As the Carroll County Democratic Party leadership became intolerant of different points of view, many left the party.

Of that note, the Republican Party in Carroll County should pay close attention. As soon as the leadership of the Republican Party becomes intolerant of opposing points of view as to the direction of the party, folks will leave.

Hopefully, the leadership of the Carroll County Republican Party will continue to encourage differences of opinion, discussion and dialogue. The minute that those necessary disagreements are no longer tolerated, the party will cease to be relevant in Carroll County.

If anything, the Carroll County Democratic Party would be smart to get back to its conservative roots in order to win some folks back to the party.

Just as I was about to move on with my day, I got an e-mail from a colleague who spent a bit of time writing up a paragraph or two about the two articles and I found the commentary to be thought-provoking.

I will paste them below and then I’ll go back to work. For everyone who got in touch about the two articles… Thank You. I have saved them. In the future, they will be excellent examples as to why the Baltimore Sun has lost its credibility and relevancy… See: “20061029 The Sunset of the Baltimore Sun.”

Meanwhile, my colleague said:

Baltimore Sun Whacks Carroll GOP – Here’s a surprise –

The Baltimore Sun has run two articles in two days critical of Republicans – more specifically about the Republicans in the Baltimore metropolitan region’s stronghold of Carroll County.

Who’d of thunk it!

Competitive local primaries always disrupt party unity. Supporters have made heavy investments in their candidates – with time, money, talents, etc. – and strong emotions after a primary are expected.

Is this something new?

No.

Does this happen only to Republicans – No.

It is part of the fundamental nature of democratic governments – that democracies work best when they run on conflict. Carroll County Republicans have had significant internal controversies in the past:

1) the fight over the 1985 Orphan’s Court vacancy where three members of the Central Committee resigned;

2) the filling of a vacancy in the ballot for the 1986 sheriff’s race where several prominent Republicans supported the Democratic incumbent Sheriff Sensabaugh;

3) the 1990 state senate primary where the incumbent who lost to Larry Haines endorsed the Democrat Jeff Griffith;

4) the 1990 “Victory” slate for Republican central committee; and the list could go on.

Internal strife is not a sign of a party on the brink of collapse (as the Baltimore Sun and the doomsayers would have you believe) but instead symbolizes a big, open-tent, healthy local party that offers the best candidates and the best solutions to problems in Carroll County.

From my perspective …, these Carroll County internal battles are tame as compared to the infighting and back-stabbing... in the (Democratic) delegations from Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and elsewhere.

But the Baltimore Sun will never miss the opportunity to try and make Republicans look bad – no matter where they live in the state.

####