Hillary Clinton – Baltimore Magazine

Scenes from Congressman Cummings’ Funeral at New Psalmist Baptist Church

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 14:52:00 +0000

Before sunrise on Friday, thousands of mourners, some of whom woke up as early as 4 a.m., boarded shuttle buses heading to New Psalmist Baptist Church to attend the funeral of Congressman Elijah Cummings—the passionate Baltimore leader and civil rights advocate who passed away due to ongoing health challenges last week at the age of 68.

“I made it!” one woman said as she climbed the stairs of a bus leaving from one of the surrounding lots in Lochearn. “I always voted for him. This morning I said, ‘I’m not going to miss this.’ This is history.”

As the bus pulled up to the front of the church—where Cummings regularly attended services—just before dawn, a guard of honor marched by thousands of people who had already formed a line that snaked around the entrance and adjacent parking lots.

“I actually did a dry run yesterday to make sure I knew where the church was,” said Cheryl McLeod of Howard County, who was in line just after 7 a.m. “I also went down to the Capitol yesterday and saw him. That’s how much I really honor his trailblazing and fortitude.”

The funeral at New Psalmist followed a memorial at Morgan State University, where Cummings sat on the board of directors, and a public viewing at the U.S. Capitol, where the Congressman became the first African American elected official to lie in state earlier this week. It brought together community members who supported Cummings’ many initiatives in Baltimore and beyond—including affordable health care, equal education opportunities, and social justice issues—as well as friends and colleagues who had personal connections to him.

“I always enjoyed making him sweet potato pies,” said a woman who asked to be identified as Mrs. Copeland, who met Cummings years ago through New Psalmist. “I would take them to his office downtown. He helped me, as a single parent, get my son through college. We just love him, everybody that knew him loves him.”

Phyllis Ayres, Cummings’ neighbor of 20 years and a retired administrative assistant at Maryvale High School, remembers introducing him at the school’s graduation in 2010.

“I’m very fond of him,” she said. “Every time I called him to be a guest speaker, he was always on board. He was a man with great character—that’s why I’m here.”

Friday’s service was also attended by a number of political dignitaries, including former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Baltimore native and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Larry Hogan, former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar.

In addition to many of these politicians, Cummings’ daughters, Adia and Jennifer, and his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings—as chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party, she is expected to be among those who will run for her late husband’s seat—delivered remarks inside the church.

“I have come here today to say two simple words: thank you,” Rockeymoore Cummings said. “Thanks to everyone in the 7th Congressional District. He loved Baltimore City. Baltimore, thank you for everything you did to make him who he was, and for allowing him to rise to greatness.”

Rockeymoore Cummings went on to address President Trump’s attacks on Cummings and the city of Baltimore during the final months of his life.

“While he carried himself with grace and dignity in all public forums, it hurt him,” she said. “One thing you do not know about Congressman Cummings is that he was a man of soul and spirit. He was very empathetic. It was one of the sources of his ability to be a public servant and a man of the people. . . He would have told me, ‘Maya, I don’t want a service at the U.S. Capitol,’ but I felt very strongly that they were trying to tear him down. And we needed to make sure that he went out with the respect and dignity that he deserved.”

Obama followed by saying, “Elijah’s life validates the things we tell ourselves about what’s possible in this country. Not what’s guaranteed, but possible. The possibility that our destinies are not preordained, but rather through our works and dedication.”

Also in attendance was U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who described Cummings’ passing last week as “a tremendous blow to the struggle to build a fair and just society in America.”

“They all appreciate [Cummings] as much as we do, that’s why they’re here,” said Arnold Landon, sporting an “Obama for President” hat while waiting in line to enter the 4,000-seat church, which was at full capacity by 9:30 a.m. Landon recalled fighting for civil rights in Baltimore alongside Cummings decades ago, mentioning sit-ins they both attended on Lexington Street downtown. “If it wasn’t for Cummings, Obama wouldn’t be able to become president. It started with equal accommodations and equal rights. Politics and civil rights—they go together.”

Not far behind Landon stood Lydia Alexander alongside her 10-year-old daughter, Shylah.

“He’s done so much for the community,” said Shylah, a fifth grader at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle. “I really thought I should be here. I will always remember that godsend.”

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Why Did Senator Kamala Harris Choose Baltimore for Campaign Headquarters?

Ron Cassie — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:27:00 +0000

California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, the first African-American to announce as a 2020 candidate for president, did so symbolically today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And, her team confirmed to Baltimore magazine, the Harris campaign will be headquartered in Baltimore.

Why Harris believes she is the best person to serve as the next president of the United States is important—as is her record and her vision for the future. Those issues will certainly be addressed in the coming months, but Harris’ announcement also begs another, immediate question: Why Baltimore?

Earlier this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Harris had been looking to line up an East Coast location for her headquarters so that she would be near the major cable news outlets all of which operate on Eastern Time. Harris already has a strong presence on the West Coast so placing her campaign headquarters in Baltimore—square in the densely populated Mid-Atlantic region—quickly helps introduce her to a new set of voters as well.

“My initial reaction is that this is a really great move for a few different reasons,” said Mileah Kromer, associate professor of political science at Goucher College and the director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center. “Baltimore is majority African-American city at a time when the backbone and lifeblood of the Democratic Party is African-American women, like those who turn out to vote here. It’s a setting that can play an outsize role in generating resistance to the Trump Administration. And, maybe foremost, it’s a city where the intersection of justice and race matters when she’s touting her record as a prosecutor and on criminal justice issues.”

Kromer adds that Harris’ record as California’s top prosecutor and that state’s attorney general could potentially generate some controversy in Baltimore’s activist community. But addressing those issues head on in a city like Baltimore sends the message that she’s a serious candidate.

The Harris campaign would not comment on when her Baltimore office will open or where it will be located, but did say a second campaign office will open in her hometown of Oakland, where a kick-off rally is scheduled for January 27. Harris’ logo—with its red and yellow colors and theme, “Kamala Harris For the People”—is a nod to another pioneering president bid: Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 campaign.

Will thread info on Harris' announcement here, including staff hires and background info. Obviously it's heavy on symbolism: not only MLK Day announcement, but comes 47 years to the day as Shirley Chisholm's 1972 campaign kickoff. Even Harris' logo was meant as a nod to Chisholm pic.twitter.com/fhV5ha8I4B
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) January 21, 2019

The 54-year-old Harris was by no means a stranger to the East Coast before her election to the Senate in 2016, however. She earned her B.A. From Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1986. Harris has made a name for herself in the Senate from her seat on the high-profile Judiciary Committee, using her position to seize a Democratic leadership role on national issues from Supreme Court nominations to the Trump Administration’s child separation policy at the southern border. Her sister, Maya, former executive director of the ACLU of Northern California and Hillary Clinton campaign policy advisor, will serve as the campaign chair.

Harris previously made an appearance in Baltimore as one of the headliners of the NAACP’s national convention in 2017. She also joined Ben Jealous at one of his campaign rallies in Prince George’s County over the past summer. In the lead-up to election season, Harris has recently published her memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. A Facebook page, Kamala for Maryland, seeking campaign volunteers, launched in December.

Harris is not the first—nor certainly the last—Democrat who will make a bid for the nation’s highest office. Former Maryland Congressman and Montgomery County business John Delaney has been off and running since 2017. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts announced her candidacy at the end of December and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York announced last week. U.S. Rep Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has also launched her campaign—bringing, with Harris’ entry, the number of women already vying to become the 46th president to four. Former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, among a host of others, are considered likely to join the fray.

Diane Fink, executive director of Emerge Maryland, a nonprofit that identifies and trains Democratic women seeking political office, was thrilled to see both that Harris was throwing her hat into the ring—and that she planned to open her campaign headquarters in Baltimore.

“The more women running for public office, for any public office, the better,” Fink says. “When one or two women are running among 10 men, their voices get lost and they’re subject to more unfair sexist attacks.”

Fink noted that just the presence of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race created a huge uptick in the number of women running for office. She believes Harris’ campaign, being based in Baltimore, could have a similar impact citywide and statewide.

“It’s inspiring and demystifying when you see someone else up close run—especially if they are approachable, it takes some of the fear and apprehension of running away,” Fink says. “Maryland already has a strong history of women running for high office—Senator Barbara Mikulski and Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi. I think we’ll see many more women stepping up.”

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Hillary Clinton Speaks at Fundraiser in Fells Point

Michelle Evans — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 11:32:00 +0000

Former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke at a fundraising event for a leadership training program in Baltimore, saying that the world needs to “reach out to one another, to lift each other up” in response to the most recent terror attacks in London and Manchester.

Clinton, who didn’t mention President Donald Trump by name, openly criticized his policies to a packed crowd at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Fells Point on Monday, June 5.

“It’s a time for steady, determined leadership, like we are seeing from local authorities in London, including the mayor of London,” Clinton said. “It’s even more important that we work with our allies and partners. Yes, to keep us safe, but also to expand our understanding of what we can achieve together.”

Clinton’s speech was less focused on politics and more on the youth program that Congressman Elijah Cummings created in 1998, calling it “a labor of love,” and stressing the importance of citizenship.

“It has never been more important for young Americans to see themselves as part of a global community,” she said. “One that works together to confront challenges, and promote peace and understanding across all the lines that divide us.”

The purpose of Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel (ECYP) is to build and strengthen the ties between the Jewish and African American communities. In conjunction with the Baltimore Jewish Council, the program provides leadership and community service training—as well as a three-week trip to Israel—for 12 high school students within Cummings’ 7th district of Maryland.

Since its inception, ECYP has worked with more than 200 students in Baltimore, exposing them to life management skills, leadership workshops, community service, and social and political activism. The participants of the two-year fellowship have had a 100-percent high school graduation rate, with 98 percent graduating from college.

Clinton and other leaders spoke on Monday night in front of a sold-out crowd of public officials, board members, donors, and students and the event raised more than $200,000 for the program.

Victor Blackwell—Baltimore native, CNN anchor, and ECYP class of 1998 alum—attributes his success to Cummings and encourages the current fellows to make the most of the experiences.

“Go with your eyes, and your mind, and your heart wide open,” he urged while emceeing Monday night’s event. “It made me a better man. It made me a better journalist.”

Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said he has seen positive results of the partnership and is proud to have a role in it.

“When I see the alumni of the program, they have become leaders in the community,” he said. “They are just remarkable.”

Congressman Cummings, who underwent minimally invasive heart surgery on May 24, was not in attendance but appeared in a pre-recorded video message instead.

“I’m here at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I had to get a tune-up,” he joked. “This is a time where we need to come together to celebrate the lives of our children. Our children are the living messages that we send to a future we will never see.”

Cummings, who personally interviews every applicant for the program, delivered a special message for the incoming fellows, who leave for Israel on July 2.

“I want you all to know that you have a future. We see you all on your way to a great level of destiny,” he said. “We want your development and your destiny to come together for you to become the person you want to be.”

Current fellow and Baltimore City College junior MiKayla Young listened to the message from Cummings with admiration. She was initially hesitant to apply to the program, but now says it’s the best thing she’s ever done.

“Being here, and listening to Congressman Cummings and Secretary Clinton speak to me is unreal,” she said. “I’m so inspired by them to go out and make a change in the world, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Clinton wasn’t the only fiery, female politician speaking at the event—Senator Barbara Mikulski addressed the crowd in typical “Babs” fashion. She began by mentioning Congressman Cummings’ absence, insisting “there’s nothing wrong with Elijah’s heart.”

“If you know him like I do, he has one of the biggest hearts in Maryland, and one of the strongest hearts in America,” she continued.

Clinton expressed appreciation for Mikulski and thanked local constituents for continuously sending the senator back to Washington D.C. Likewise, Mikulski echoed Clinton’s sentiments and also took a few jabs at President Trump without mentioning him directly by name.

“The theme for this fundraiser is building bridges and building leaders,” she said. “Boy, don’t we need that now.”

The current fellows, who are now finishing their junior year of high school, will travel to Israel in less than a month to experience a new culture with children of similar ages. Director of ECYP Kathleen St. Villier explained that the selected students are a unique group that will become “global ambassadors” upon their return.

“They are tasked to go out in the community and share their stories,” she said. “They will continue to do community service and grow as leaders.”

Clinton concluded the event by praising Cummings for his dedication to the youth of Baltimore and a call to action for all in attendance.

“This is the kind of commitment that really represents America best. And we need to do so much more,” she said. “We need find ways to serve, and to be the best citizens we can be to support the next generation.”

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Ten Key Takeaways from the 2016 Presidential Election

Ron Cassie — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

As Tuesday night’s results of the U.S. presidential election came trickling in, many residents were shocked by what they saw. Businessman Donald Trump pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the country’s history by defeating the heavily favored Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. About 61 percent of Americans viewed Trump unfavorably entering this week and, conversely, Clinton comfortably led in recent political polling for the past month. We talked to Goucher College’s Mileah Kromer, the director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center, which conducts the famous Goucher Poll, about why the polls appeared to be so off, what swayed voters in the end, and where disenchanted constituents can go from here.

First, as a polling expert, how did every big national poll miss this so badly?
After it all shakes out, it looks like we will end up with around a 4-point miss. The final nationwide polls had Clinton around 49 percent and Trump around 45 percent. They ended up with 48 and 47 percent, respectively. This difference is within a typical margin of error.

Pollsters rely on folks telling us two central truths: Their likelihood of turnout and their real voter preference. We will certainly spend a lot of time between now and the next election trying to figure out why Trump support was systematically underestimated. Did Trump voters actively mislead pollsters about their true preferences? Did Trump voters just refuse to answer surveys? Did Democrats overestimate their likelihood of voter turnout? I’m leaning toward some non-response bias from Trump supporters. It goes hand-in-hand with their distrust of the mainstream media. They heard Trump bash the polls, they saw polls discussed by media they hate, so I have to wonder if that lead to lots Trump supporters simply opting themselves out of polls.

Is polling accuracy overrated?
No, it’s not. But, it also isn’t a flawless predictor of electoral outcome. Many of the polls leading up to the election showed narrow Clinton leads in those key swing states. Polls showed a thin margin in states like Florida or North Carolina. And, in a lot of cases the results fell within the margin of error. Keep in mind that the margin of error refers to plus or minus each number.

For example, Trump’s support in Pennsylvania in the last polls was around 45 percent. A typical margin of error and the margin of error is 4 percent, thus the expected range will be anywhere from 41 to 49 percent. Trump ended up with 49 percent of the vote in Pennsylvania. Another example is Florida, where Trump ended with 49 percent and Clinton 48 percent of the vote. The last polls before the election showed Clinton at 48 and Trump at 47, a difference within the margin of error.

However, none of this matters come Election Day. Whether pollsters predicted the winner is the only thing people remember. And, this election cycle, pollsters failed to do so. We are modeling the behavior of humans who are inherently unpredictable at the individual level, at the same time there recognizable patterns of group behavior.

Similarly, the entire pundit class missed this. Is the so-called Capitol Hill elite and media that out of touch with middle America? Why?
I think that the pundit class missed the message that was resonating behind the bluster and inappropriateness of Trump’s rhetoric. What working class voters heard was a tough stance on ISIS, economic policies that centered on protecting manufacturing jobs, and harsh criticism of the Washington establishment. While the talking heads were focusing on how offensive Trump’s comments were, large parts of the country simply weren’t moved by them.

Why did Hillary Clinton under-perform in some of the generally blue states like Pennsylvania?
It’s the result of poor messaging to voters outside of the urban centers of the state. This cycle had some cringe-worthy descriptions on blue-collar Pennsylvania—like Bill Clinton’s “coal people” or when Hillary Clinton talked about bringing renewable energy to coal country but mentioned that “we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” This sort of rhetoric, even though the Democrats have fought hard to protect the union jobs of mineworkers in the region for decades, drives the narrative that establishment politicians don’t know or care about the needs of blue collar voters. Trust was an issue, too. It just wasn’t an issue unique to Pennsylvania.

This is probably an impossible question to parse, but if you could try. Does this presidential result represent a strong repudiation by many Americans, of say, the typically more liberal social values of the Democratic Party—given shifting demographics and issues around gender, race, and ethnicity?
I will say this, we need a better understanding of the growing Latino vote. They are far from a monolithic group and political parties still aren’t sure how to fully engage them in electoral politics. Even with Trump’s hardline on immigration, Latino turnout remained flat from 2012. Moreover, nearly 30 percent of Latinos voted for Trump.

Or, did economic issues remain the core driving force this year?
Yes. Pocketbook votes matter. And, economic recovery only matters if it reaches all parts of the US. There are places that are still really struggling to adjust to a changing economy. These regions broke for Trump. There is the unbelievably underlying conventional truth to this election: Republicans voted for the Republican candidate and Democrats voted for the Democratic candidate. The problem for Clinton is not enough of the Democratic coalition showed up—and white women, who she was counting on to flip, went Republican.

How much did Trump’s stunning numbers influence the key Republican U.S. Senate races?
A wave of Democratic voting to stop Trump never came to be. People don’t vote to stop someone, they vote because they believe in the message. Many of us, myself certainly included, thought that Trump’s comments on women and minorities would have prevented him from winning. And, that his downfall would take a few Republican seats with him. This was clearly not the case.

Has Trump, for all intents and purposes, put an end to traditional presidential campaigning? In the age of social media and the celebrity-news complex—do traditional endorsements, coalition building, TV ad buys, and get-out-the-efforts matter any longer?
The men and now woman who make it to the big show all leave their mark in some ways. I think all candidates will be more open to the media now. Gone are the days of the scheduled press conference. It will be all about doing the circuit of cable and national news as often as possible. However, let’s see how Trump does before we talk grand shifts in political campaigns. If things go the way many Democrats expect it to, I doubt the American voter will gamble on an outsider for a while.

Does this result potentially help or hurt Gov. Larry Hogan in his re-election bid? He famously wrote-in his own father’s name rather than vote for Trump.
It is way too early to tell. The Democrats in this state will be fired up for the midterm elections. If Trump does something unpredictable and wildly unpopular, it could drag Hogan down by virtue of shared party identity. However, Governor Hogan has proven thus far that he can focus on Maryland and ignore the national political noise.

Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin and Michigan primaries and polled about 10 points higher than her versus Donald Trump by the end of the primaries. Would he have beaten the president-elect?
We’ve never had a chance to see how Republicans would have messaged against a “socialist from Vermont.” And, frankly, it doesn’t matter. Disaffected voters get this week, but next week all the Monday morning quarterbacking should stop. If you are a voter distraught over the outcome, focus your energy on the midterm elections, rather than the “what ifs.”

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Maryland Community Reacts to Election Results

Meredith Herzing — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 13:49:00 +0000

Many Marylanders were awake late into the night and throughout this morning watching the 2016 election returns come in. No matter which candidate, party, platform, or referendum locals were supporting, there were strong responses from residents on all sides. We’ve compiled varying social media reactions from local politicians and activists—all with a through-line of unity and solidarity for the country moving forward.

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Donald J. Trump Elected U.S. President

Ron Cassie — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 02:53:00 +0000

Controversial Republican businessman Donald Trump pulled off one of the biggest upsets in U.S. presidential history Tuesday night, defeating heavily favored Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Trump will be sworn into office as America’s 45th president on January 20 in Washington, D.C. He will be the first president without prior government or military experience—not the historic first projected by recent political polling, which Clinton had comfortably led for many weeks.

The key East Coast battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Florida in particular, were very tight, postponing any early call in the race. And Ohio, another battleground state, was called surprisingly quick for Trump.

Both candidates entered Election Day with historically low approval ratings, setting the stage perhaps for Trump’s remarkable performance in light of traditional predictive models.

Trump’s key to victory was flipping several states that President Obama had won in 2008 and 2012, including key states in the Midwest, such as Iowa. Many also point to Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, who received more votes than any third-party candidate since 1996.

About 61 percent of Americans viewed Trump unfavorably entering this week, which is the worst score Gallup has observed in its presidential polling history since 1956. About 52 percent view Clinton unfavorably—the second-worst score ever—according to Gallup.

“In sum, this contest of historically unpopular candidates concludes with Clinton the apparent ‘lesser of two evils,’ and that could be what decides the election,” Gallup concluded—apparently erroneously in hindsight—in its summation.

Trump visited Baltimore back in September, where he addressed the National Guard Association’s annual conference at the Convention Center and was met with both supporters and protestors.

“In all my years in military service, I’ve kept my political views to myself—but I retired 18 months ago,” said retired Lt. Colonel Bill York, of White Marsh told us in September. “He’s saying all the things I’ve been telling my wife behind closed doors. He wants to make America great again. He supports a strong military, offering economic opportunity to the inner cities, and he supports the rule of law.”

Similarly, Kathy Friedel, 57, a Baltimore County school bus driver from Cockeysville spoke about supporting Trump.

“I have faith in him,” she said. “I’ve done my research but it comes down to a gut feeling. I trust him more. I think he speaks his mind and tells the truth.”

On the flipside, Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, disavowed Trump previously during the campaign and wrote in his 88-year-old father—former Maryland Rep. Larry Hogan, Sr.— at the top of the ballot, according to aides in a story posted by The Baltimore Sun.

Hogan’s decision to reject the nominee of his party points to blue Maryland’s 2-1 Democratic voting registration advantage and the lower favorably ratings of Trump in the state. (The Texas Tribune reported the former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush did not make a presidential selection when casting their ballots.)

In the late hours of Tuesday night, several financial markets were in turmoil because of the returning election results, including Asian markets trading sharply lower and the United States’ Dow Jones futures down as much as 800 points.

—

In Maryland’s Senate race to fill the shoes of the retiring Barbara Mikulski, Montgomery County Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, handily defeated Republican Del. Kathy Szeliga, from Baltimore County, as expected.

Szeliga, however, distinguished herself during the course of a solid campaign and debate performances and likely has set up another run for higher office down the road, according to political observers.

“She wasn’t well known statewide, but she ran a very viable campaign,” said Todd Eberly, associate professor of political science and coordinator of public policy studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “She couldn’t disavow Trump or she’d lose her base, but she’s more of Larry Hogan-type. She could do well in a non-presidential year.”

In addition, Republicans clinched victory in both the U.S. Senate and the House, winning enough seats to extend their six-year streak of commanding the latter.

In Maryland’s congressional races, incumbents Andy Harris, a Republican, and Democrats Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, John Delaney, and Elijah Cummings retained their seats. Democrats Anthony Brown (District 4) and Jaime Raskin (District 8) won open seats.

Additional reporting by digital editor Jess Mayhugh

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Power Hungry

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Donald Trump is a fan of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish; Hillary Clinton loves Sriracha and eats a hot pepper daily. While one might say that all presidential nominees have voracious appetites, what they eat actually can be construed as a political issue. To shed some light on the politics of presidential foods throughout history, we caught up with Towson University art and culinary historian Nancy Siegel to talk about her upcoming book (and possibly soon-to-be TV series), Political Appetites: Revolution, Taste, and Culinary Activism in the Early Republic.

What messages are politicians sending when they eat on the trail? For example, Hillary Clinton was photographed eating a pork chop on a stick at the Iowa State Fair.
This idea of sharing food publicly is a way for politicians to insert themselves with the general public—it makes them human. It makes them relatable.

What are some of the fun presidential predilections you discovered in your research?
Sometimes we are equally concerned with what a president likes to eat as with what their policies are. We know that Richard Nixon liked ketchup on cottage cheese. George W. Bush loved spicy cheese grits with shrimp. Thomas Jefferson liked crème brûlée, and Abraham Lincoln liked fricassee of chicken. Following candidates through their stomachs is very popular.

In the subtitle of your book, which focuses on the 18th century, you use the term “culinary activism.” What does that mean?
Women became culinary activists, who offered recipes and cookbooks—it was a place for women to be heard. Although most women were not physical participants in the theater of war, many of these women I’m looking at lived through the American Revolution and the War of 1812. They would prepare these sweet treats such as Election Cake and Independence Cake for their guests in praise of the new and fragile nation. Cookbooks with these recipes became plentiful throughout the 19th century.

Did the recipes change over time?
Once we got past the first few decades after the Revolutionary War, and we had a sense that democracy was solid, we started to find a rise of interest in state, so you’ll find a lot of recipes in praise of state and local regions, like Nantucket Pudding or Vermont Sugar Cakes or Maryland Plum Pudding. Food is
a way in which we can trace what becomes important in America as the independent states become successful.

Is there a connection between a candidate’s political platform and what he or she eats?
Politicians are just as concerned about what goes out of their mouth as what goes in their mouth. They are very strategic about this. George Washington had a distillery—he was convinced that there should be distinct American liquor; Thomas Jefferson wanted to produce American wine that could rival the French. There’s a lot of national identity tied up with food and the ways in which we promote our country. Donald Trump is promoting himself with Trump Steaks. Maybe Hillary will promote herself through Clinton hot peppers or something like that. There might even be a new variety named after her should she win the election.

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Goucher Poll: Clinton Boasts 33 Percent Lead over Trump in Maryland

Ron Cassie — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:53:00 +0000

If the presidential election were today, 58 percent of Maryland likely voters say they would vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and 25 percent for GOP nominee Donald Trump, according to a new poll released Thursday afternoon from Goucher College.

Libertarian Gary Johnson earned six percent support among likely state voters while

Green Party candidate Jill Stein tallied two percent. Eight percent remain undecided at this point, according to the survey of more than 500 Maryland voters.

The poll has an estimated +/-4.3 margin of error.

Despite Clinton’s enormous lead, Maryland likely voters overall are still mixed on their views of the former New York senator and secretary of state: 46 percent view her unfavorably and 51 percent view her favorably.

Trump’s unfavorable numbers, however, are startling for a major party candidate: 76 percent of likely Maryland voters hold an unfavorable view of him while 22 percent hold a favorable view. Clinton made a campaign stop in Baltimore in April; Trump spoke at the annual conference of the National Guard Association earlier this month.

At the same time, cautions Mileah Kromer, political science professor and director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Clinton is trouncing the Republican presidential candidate in deep blue Maryland.

“The Democrat-to-Republican ratio, coupled with a large percentage of African American voters and populous progressive strongholds continue to give Democratic candidates a significant advantage in presidential election years,” says Kromer. “Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney by 25 points statewide in 2012, so it’s not surprising that Clinton holds a sizable advantage over Trump in Maryland.”

In the race to replace retiring U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, 54 percent of likely Maryland voters indicate they will vote for Democrat Chris Van Hollen, a Montgomery County congressman, and 24 percent for Republican Kathy Szeliga, a state delegate representing Baltimore and Harford counties. Almost 20 percent of respondents say remain undecided. Green Party candidate Margaret Flowers earned two percent support.

Less than 20 percent of likely voters say they held an unfavorable view of either Van Hollen or Szeliga. But more say they don’t know how they feel about the candidates—30 percent in regard to Van Hollen and 57 percent in regard to Szeliga.

Overwhelmingly, Maryland voters—82 percent—say they discuss politics in their everyday conversation, or, at least fairly often. Likely voters report that their circle of friends tends to include significantly more people of the same political party affiliation, but many do have friends of the other major party—especially Republicans in the heavily Democratic state.

Among GOP voters, 57 percent say they have some or a lot of Democratic friends.

Among Democrats, 37 percent say they have some or a lot of Republican friends.

The complete poll, including methodology, question design, and detailed results, can be found here www.goucher.edu/poll.

*This post will be updated Monday when the second part of the Goucher Poll is released.

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Donald Trump Met by Supporters and Protestors at Convention Center

Ron Cassie — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:44:00 +0000

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addressed the National Guard Association’s annual conference Monday afternoon at the Baltimore Convention Center, pledging to build up the nation’s military while also going hard after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent remark that half of his supporters belong to what she called “the basket of deplorables.”

On the heels of last week’s Commander-In-Chief Forum and the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy yesterday, Trump’s speech to an estimated 4,000 National Guard members from around the country comes at a time of increased scrutiny of national security issues in the presidential race. Both Trump and former Secretary of the State Hillary Clinton were in New York City Sunday for the 9/11 memorial service there. (Clinton, who was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, felt ill during the event and cancelled a scheduled trip to California today to speed her recovery.)

“Our support comes from every part of America, and every walk of life,” Trump said in his 20-minute speech, which he read from a teleprompter. “She divides people into baskets as though they were objects, not human beings.”

Generally relaxed and poised in his tone, Trump was well received by the audience, at least half of whom were in uniform and offered support throughout his remarks. He received his biggest applause after pledging to take on ISIS, end the defense sequestration, and provide a direct line to the White House for the National Guard, if elected president. Trump received a standing ovation when he punctuated those words, adding, “We will be one people, under one God, saluting one American flag.”

“In all my years in military service, I’ve kept my political views to myself—but I retired 18 months ago,” said Bill York, of White Marsh, a retired Lt. Colonel with the Maryland’s National Guard. “He’s saying all the things I’ve been telling my wife behind closed doors. “He wants to make America great again. He supports a strong military, offering economic opportunity to the inner cities, and he supports the rule of law.”

Retired Maryland Air National Guard Brigadier General Allyson Solomon, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, said the convention center was filled with both Republicans and Democrats, but that she wasn’t surprised by the warm welcome given to Trump. “We’re polite, respectful, and we try to find common ground to work together—that’s our nature,” Solomon said of those in the Guard. “And we serve whoever is Commander-In-Chief.”

After a long pause, Solomon smiled and said it’s “not likely” that she will vote for Trump. She said that she was disappointed in not hearing more from the GOP candidate in terms of his vision for where the National Guard fits into the overall defense picture. The Baltimore native was also disappointed that he didn’t address issues affecting urban and at-risk youth—Trump didn’t mention the city in his remarks at all.

“It was a political speech,” Solomon said.

About 75 Trump protestors were on Pratt Street across from the Convention Center by 11:30 a.m. and a larger number of Trump supporters, around 150 or so, were also rallying and waving signs, with Charles Street essentially serving as a barrier between the opposing groups. Despite occasional shouting back and forth between the two sides—and also passing automobiles—the morning demonstrations were peaceful and took place without any arrests or major incidents.

Trump supporter Elam Stoltzfus, 66, a real estate developer and home builder from Lancaster, PA, said he supports the GOP nominee for two main reasons.

“First, most of the drugs that come into this country come from Mexico and Trump has pledged to stop that,” Stoltzfus said. “We have a drug problem even in Lancaster. And two, he’s a businessman who knows how to balance a budget.”

“I have faith in him,” echoed Kathy Friedel, 57, a Baltimore County school bus driver from Cockeysville. “I’ve done my research but it comes down to a gut feeling. I trust him more. I think he speaks his mind and tells the truth.”

The group Marylanders for Trump rallied outside the Pratt Street’s Transamerica Tower. Trump won the state’s Republican presidential primary, garnering 54 percent of the vote, besting his closest rival, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, who tallied 23 percent. The state’s top elected official, Republican Governor Larry Hogan, has said is not a supporter of his party’s controversial nominee, however.

“I’m not a Trump fan,” Hogan told The Associated Press in March. “It’s a mess. I hate the whole thing. I don’t think we have the best candidates in either party that are being put up. I don’t like the dialogue. I don’t like the things that are going on, and I’m sick of talking about it, because it’s not anything I have anything to do with.”

Activists from the Baltimore-based Peoples Power Assembly, which organized numerous demonstrations around Freddie Gray’s death and the trials of the police officers involved in his fatal detention, gathered outside the convention center. In the group’s Facebook event post, the Peoples Power Assembly said they intended to tell the candidate that “his racist, fascist, bigotry is not welcome here.”

“We’re standing up against his [Trump’s] completely compromised vision of this country,’ said Rev. Cortly “C.D.” Witherspoon. “The people we represent make up the diverse bouquet that makes up this city.”

According to an Opinion Works poll released earlier this month, Clinton led Trump among registered voters in Maryland by a 29-point margin (54-25 percent). Democrats hold a 2-1 advantage among registered voters in the state.

Nationally, however, polling shows the presidential race is much closer with Clinton leading Trump by five points—46 percent to 41 percent—according to the most recent Washington Post/ABC News survey.

The National Guard Association includes nearly 45,000 current or former National Guard officers. Founded in 1878, it was created to provide unified representation for the Guard in Washington, D.C.

“We are participants in democracy as well as defenders of democracy,” said retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the National Guard Association president in a statement announcing’s Trump appearance. “So, in both roles, we are very curious to hear Mr. Trump’s vision for national defense and how the National Guard fits into those plans.”

The annual conference is a traditional stop on the campaign trail for presidential candidates. The event has hosted at least one of the Democratic or Republican candidates every year since 1992, the NGAUS said in a statement. This year, the association invited both Trump and Clinton.

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Pugh Beats Dixon in Tight Democratic Primary for Mayor

Ron Cassie — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 21:28:00 +0000

State Sen. Catherine Pugh, considered the frontrunner in the race to become Baltimore’s next mayor, opened a lead over her Democratic primary rivals during last week’s early voting period, which sustained her through Tuesday’s close voting.

Pugh won with 36.8 percent of the tally, edging out her closest rival, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, who received 34.5 percent of the vote.

“I am the Democratic nominee,” Pugh said, smiling as she greeted a couple hundred enthusiastic supporters at the downtown Baltimore Harbor Hotel, only a few blocks from City Hall, as the race was being called by the Associated Press. “My message is about inclusion, about lifting up the least of us.”

“Having been through a lot, we are now in the process of transformation,” Rep. Elijah Cummings said in introducing Pugh to her election night campaign party at about 11 p.m..

In last week’s early voting—in which 9 percent of eligible residents voted—Pugh garnered 44.5 percent of the tally. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon won received 33.2 percent, followed by attorney Elizabeth Embry at 8.4 percent, businessman David Warnock at 7.1 percent and City Councilman Carl Stokes at 3.4 percent. Although the final percentages of Embry, Warnock and Stokes’ totals changed slightly after the final count, the order of their finish remained the same. DeRay Mckesson, an activist with a large social media following, received 2.5 percent of the overall vote.

On the Republican side, former WBAL radio host Alan Walden won the GOP mayoral nomination with 41 percent of the vote. In heavily Democratic Baltimore City, however, Walden’s raw vote total was smaller than Mckesson’s.

“If the early results show that Sen. Pugh has a significant lead, I think that means we will have a very good night,” Pugh spokesman Anthony McCarthy said earlier in the day. “If they show that Sheila Dixon has a substantial lead, well, we’ll still hold out hope,” McCarthy added with a chuckle.

McCarthy’s take proved prophetic as Dixon led Pugh by a small margin in votes actually cast on election day, but not by enough to overtake Pugh’s substantial lead among early voters.

Pugh touched on several themes in her brief acceptance speech, including helping ex-offenders, promoting small business and city tourism, and supporting community policing initiatives.

“This is an exciting time for the Democratic Party. I extend my deepest congratulations to Senator Pugh, Congressman Van Hollen, and all of the other winners of today’s Democratic primary,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who decided not to seek re-election after last April’s unrest, in a statement. “I look forward to a spirited summer and fall as we work toward a Democratic victory in Maryland and across our nation this November.”

Pugh’s campaign received endorsements from much of city Democratic party establishment and elected officials in recent weeks, including from Cummings. She also received the endorsement of former NAACP head and Baltimorean Ben Jealous, West Baltimore pastor Jamal Bryant, and prominent local attorney Billy Murphy.

The Baltimore Sun also endorsed Pugh. The Afro-American newspaper endorsed her top rival, former Mayor Sheila Dixon.

In the state’s presidential primaries, CNN projected Donald Trump as the Republican winner and Hillary Clinton as the Democratic winner—both had maintained large margins in polls leading up to election—before any of precincts had officially reported.

In the state’s U.S. Senate Democratic primary, Montgomery County Rep. Chris Van Hollen defeated Prince George’s County Rep. Donna Edwards and will be vying in November’s general election to fill the shoes of retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

In the state’s U.S. Senate Republican primary, Baltimore County Del. Kathy Szeliga captured the GOP’s nomination.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore City Council is also getting a shake-up this election cycle.

Six of the current 15 City Council members declined this year to seek re-election, including longtime legislators Robert Curran, Helen Holton, and Rochelle “Ricki” Spector, all whom are retiring. First District Councilman Jim Kraft gave up his seat to run for judge, and fellow members Carl Stokes and Nick Mosby gave up their seats to campaign for mayor, although Mosby recently dropped out of the race and endorsed Pugh.

Two other incumbent City Council legislators, District 9 member William “Pete” Welch and District 13 member Warren Branch, lost their seats, to challengers John Bullock and Shannon Sneed, respectively.

Finally, some questionable tactics during the election season continued on election day. One example was the slashing of 3rd District City Council candidate Ryan Dorsey’s tires, which he discovered at 4:30 a.m. as he was starting his day.

“Thankfully, I have some great neighbors who were willing to help me with transportation,” Dorsey said while greeting voters outside Northwood Elementary. “I have had signs slashed and stolen as well during this entire campaign. Big signs, too. Not just the small yard signs that are easily pulled up.”

In Bolton Hill, windshield fliers headed “Press Release,” with no address or name attached, claimed that former Mayor Dixon, who was forced to resign during her term because of theft and perjury charges, was “set up” by political opponents.

And at Catherine Pugh’s campaign headquarters, the windshield of a van that belonged to her campaign was smashed and its tires slashed, and another van was damaged after part-time campaign workers, expecting to be paid, were told they wouldn’t be needed today,according to reporting by The Sun.

There were also reports of campaign polling places opening late Tuesday, struggles at some venues with the return to paper but scanned ballots, and also a shortage of “I Voted” stickers.

*This story will be updated.

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Bernie Sanders Rallies Baltimore Voters

Ron Cassie — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 16:55:00 +0000

The weather forecast Saturday pushed Bernie Sanders’ planned rally at Druid Hill Park to the Royal Farms Arena, but the light rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Democratic presidential candidate’s supporters.

A diverse crowd estimated at 6,000 turned out to hear and cheer Sanders’ message of campaign finance reform and political revolution—at one point interrupting him with the chant, “Bernie Sanders has our back, we don’t need a super PAC.”

The Vermont senator continually railed against accepting the status quo in his hour-long address. Specifically, Sanders called attention to the poverty rates in Baltimore, where the overwhelming majority of public school children qualify for free or reduced lunches, describing conditions in many of the city’s struggling neighborhoods as unacceptable “in the richest country in the history of the world.”

He noted that life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and the health and economic outlooks for teenagers in some of Baltimore’s struggling neighborhoods rank among the worst in the world. He also called for a “Medicare for all” universal health system, an increase in social security benefits for seniors—“the people who built this country and raised us”—and free public college and university tuition.

Sanders said he would pay for an increase in social security benefits by lifting the current ceiling on the social security income tax, which is currently limited to annual income below $118,500, and public college education with a tax on Wall Street speculation.

Sanders was introduced by Baltimore activist Kwame Rose, who garnered national attention last April after confronting Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera during protests following the death of Freddie Gray; as well as Baltimore native Ben Jealous, the former head of the NAACP; actors Kendrick Sampson and Danny Glover; and state delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez.

“I’m in a race against a man who is spending more money than anyone ever has for a seat in Congress,” Gutierrez said afterward, referring to David Trone and her campaign to replace Rep. Chris Van Hollen in Montgomery County. “Bernie Sanders is right about getting money out of politics.”

Maryland’s Tuesday primary coincides with primaries in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Along with those states, it could prove to be the death knell of Sanders’ bid to catch Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton if he does not perform well.

Clinton’s rally in South Baltimore two weeks ago drew about 1,000 supporters, but the former secretary of state has earned the endorsement of Maryland’s elected officials, including Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, and Rep. Elijah Cummings. She has also led Sanders by a significant margin in state polling throughout the election season.

Other than drawing differences with Sanders on their gun control records, Clinton spent most of her speech in Baltimore going after Republican presidential primary leaders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, both of whom she characterized as promoting discrimination and bigotry

In his speech, however, Sanders focused on making distinctions between his positions and record, and Clinton’s positions and record on issues that included fracking, which he wants to ban; a national $15 minimum wage, which he supports; trade agreements, which he has opposed; and breaking up the big banks, such as Goldman Sachs, which he says continues to hold too much economic and political power. As he has done previously, Sanders also contrasted his vote against the war in Iraq and Clinton’s support for the war in 2002. He promised to spend money rebuilding American cities and not on “perpetual” war in the Middle East.

Sanders also told the crowd that people who tell them that the U.S. is poor are “lying” and that for the past 35-40 years “the wealth has been going to the top 1 percent.”

“We are going to have an economy that works for all,” Sanders said.

His supporters stressed the Sanders’ early civil rights activism as a college student and long advocacy since on behalf of women’s rights, LGBT rights, workers’ rights and environmental causes, such as climate change.

“Who else [but Bernie Sanders] would be shackling themselves to the leg of a black woman fighting for equality 50 years ago,” Rose asked the crowd during his introduction, referencing footage of a young Sanders during a Chicago segregation protest. “Who else would be touring the neighborhood of Freddie Gray?” continued Rose, referencing Sanders’ December visit to Sandtown and West Baltimore and meeting with local black pastors.

Maryland’s primary is April 26, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting ended Thursday.

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Ted Cruz Rallies Voters at Towson American Legion

Ron Cassie — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 20:16:00 +0000

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz greeted an enthusiastic crowd of about 500 at Towson’s American Legion Hall Monday afternoon, delivering a conservative message before going after Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and leading Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.

“This election will be about three things,” Cruz said. “No. 1—jobs, No. 2—freedom, and No. 3—security.”

Among other policy positions, Cruz, who was introduced by former Republican candidate for governor Ellen Sauerbrey, and former Republican candidate for president Carly Fiorina, said he will push for a flat tax if elected and vowed to do away with both the Internal Revenue Service and Obamacare. He promised “to reign in the EPA” and federal government regulators, which he described as “descending like locusts” on small business owners and ranchers.

“We’ll see morning in America,” Cruz said to big applause.

At the outset, Cruz directed his words to the “single mothers working two jobs,” “union workers,” and “truck drivers” in the audience—although didn’t appear to be many of those in the nearly all-white, mid-afternoon audience. Later, he addressed the significant number of young adults in the crowd, referring to skyrocketing tuition costs and debt burdens, both personal and national, he said they will endure if the country continues on its current path.

He also reiterated his support for gun rights and Israel.

“You know, it’s easy to talk about making America great again,” Cruz said, referencing Trump’s campaign motto. “Or, even putting that on a baseball cap. But really, the question is [for candidates], ‘Do you even understand the values that made America great?’”

Cruz’s turnout was maybe a third or half of Clinton’s two weekends ago in Baltimore, not surprising perhaps, in generally “blue” voting Maryland. But he did draw supporters from far and wide—most of whom in interviews drew contrasts between Cruz’s conservative bona fides and Trump’s seemingly more malleable positions.

“Cruz is the only guy who talks about small government and ethics,” said Jason Norce of Harrisburg, PA. “He’s an underdog. Trump is just a big show and he doesn’t have one ounce of humbleness.”

“He is a genuine conservative,” said Matt Jacobs, a Towson University sophomore, holding up a Cruz sign on York Road. “He’s not like Donald Trump, who flips flops depending on what position is going to get him the most political attention.”

Others said afterward that Cruz’s appearance solidified their support for his candidacy.

“Ted Cruz is the way to go,” said Chris Mischo, 26, of Davidsonsville. “He has the ability to beat any Democrat that wins their nomination. I’m going to be voting red in November, but the rally today helped me firm up my decision.”

Mischo’s mother, Jill, however, said she remains undecided after Cruz walked past her without answering her query regarding the children of illegal immigrants. “I want to know what he’ll do with the children of illegals, but he didn’t answer my question,” she said. “It makes me reconsider. I’m going to see Kasich tomorrow as well.”

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the third candidate still competing in Republican primaries, has scheduled a town hall in Annapolis for Tuesday evening.

There were also about a dozen Trump supporters on hand outside the venue, waving signs along York Road. The New York real estate developer is expected to campaign on the Eastern Shore this Wednesday, with an event planned for Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin.

Cruz, who is trailing Trump nationally in the Republican primary, and Trump and Kasich in the latest New York polling ahead of the primary voting there, said in Towson that he remains the only candidate that can unite Republican primary. He recently won Republican delegate contests in Wyoming and Colorado, but is expected to face a rocky road in coming battles in the Northeast.

The big question on the Republican side for several weeks has been whether Cruz has enough momentum to prevent Trump from earning a majority of the Republican delegates, thereby creating the possibility of a brokered convention and winning the nomination on the second or third delegate ballots.

“Maryland is going to have an outsized voice,” Cruz said, making his case. “As the nation is looking to Maryland to decide do we nominate Donald Trump and hand the election to Hillary Clinton, or do we unite behind the Cruz campaign?”

Additional reporting by Meredith Herzing.

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Hillary Clinton Makes Baltimore Campaign Stop

Ron Cassie — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:32:00 +0000

Hillary Clinton took a detour from her busy schedule in New York, where the former secretary of state is locked in a heated primary battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, to make a campaign stop in Baltimore Sunday.

The Democratic presidential frontrunner drew a crowd estimated by a fire department official at about 1,000 to City Garage, an innovation space near Port Covington that’s part of a development venture of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank.

Among those introducing Clinton were former U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Baltimore native, current Maryland U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, and notably, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings—a staunch ally of Clinton during her Benghazi hearing last fall, who had remained neutral on the presidential primary until today.

Cummings praised Clinton’s advocacy on behalf of children’s health care initiatives and pay equity when she served in the U.S. Senate, as well as her work on imposing sanctions on Iran as secretary of state.

Cummings also directed words of praise toward her opponent, commending Sanders on bringing the issue of income and wealth inequality to the fore of the national debate and “spending your career fighting for peace and justice and universal health care.” But Cummings added, “I know Hillary Clinton.”

“Families in Baltimore who are hurting right now need more than the promise of a political revolution,” Cummings wrote earlier in an op-ed submitted to The Washington Post, in announcing his endorsement.

According to a University of Maryland/Washington Post poll released this week, Clinton leads Sanders by 15-point margin in the state. It’s a formidable advantage with the Maryland primary scheduled for April 26, but down from her 33-point margin in March in a University of Baltimore/Baltimore Sun poll.

Clinton only mentioned Baltimore briefly in her remarks, saying that if elected she’d invest significant federal dollars in places like West and East Baltimore. She added that she thought the city’s Red Line mass transit project, cancelled by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, “should have been completed.”

Clinton did not mention Freddie Gray, last April’s riot, or the subsequent protests and demands for political and criminal justice reform in Baltimore. When asked by Baltimore magazine following her address what it meant to be in Baltimore one year after the unrest here, Clinton said, “We have to restore faith in the criminal justice system.”

A handful of protestors were also on hand, including a small group that held up a sign reading “Clinton: What about mass incarceration?” and chanted “super predator”—references to policies and statements from the 1990s when her husband was president. Two individuals were also escorted out after shouting questions about the rights of Palestinians.

Mostly, however, it was a very enthusiastic Clinton crowd, which broke into loud applause throughout her speech—an address that ticked off nearly every Democratic issue from early childhood education and clean energy to a minimum wage increase and voting rights. Other than drawing distinctions with Sanders on their gun control records, Clinton spent most of her speech going after Republican presidential primary leaders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, both of whom she characterized as promoting discrimination and bigotry.

Sanders visited Baltimore in December, touring West Baltimore and meeting with local pastors.

While the crowd was largely white and perhaps not as racially diverse as Clinton might have wished for, it included many who have been looking forward to today since 2008 when they first hoped the former First Lady would break the biggest glass ceiling in the country.

“I’m so excited about Hillary’s campaign,” said Bronwyn Coltrane, who brought her 8-year-old daughter to the rally. “I was with her eight years ago and I’m glad she’s back.”

“Eight years ago, I walked into the [primary] voting booth wearing pins for both Hillary and Barack Obama, but I pulled the lever for President Obama,” said Darcy Sawatzki, who brought her 9-year-old daughter. “Since then, I’ve been waiting for my turn to pull the lever for Hillary.”

Early primary voting in Maryland begins April 14 with same-day registration offered during the early voting period—which continues through April 21— for the first time ever this year. Early voting centers in the state can be found here.

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Catherine Pugh Takes Lead Over Dixon in Mayor’s Race

Ron Cassie — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:05:00 +0000

A new poll released Thursday shows that state Sen. Catherine Pugh has surged into the lead in the Baltimore mayoral race, leading former Mayor Sheila Dixon by six percentage point with less than three weeks remaining before the April 26 Democratic primary.

Conducted by OpinionWorks, an Annapolis-based firm, for The Baltimore Sun and the University of Baltimore, the survey shows Pugh as the top choice of 31 percent of the 400 likely voters surveyed. Dixon came in second, earning the support of 25 percent of likely Democratic primary voters.

Elizabeth Embry, who served as chief of the criminal division in the Maryland state’s attorney general’s office before running for office, came in third with 9 percent of the tally. She was followed by investor and philanthropist David Warnock at 7 percent. City Councilmen Carl Stokes and Nick Mosby each received the support of 5 percent of those polled. DeRay Mckesson, a national Black Lives Matter activist with Baltimore roots recently endorsed by John Waters, and the rest of the field received less than 1 percent support. Fourteen percent of likely Democratic voters remain undecided.

“Senator Pugh is clearly the one in command now in this race,” Steve Raabe, president of OpinionWorks, told The Sun. “She is leading and widening her lead.”

Dixon campaign manager Anthony Jones pushed back against the poll results, saying that the survey failed to include 20,000 ex-offenders, who had recently received the right to vote. He also noted that the same pollster had been wrong about the most Maryland governor’s race three weeks before that election.

“When The Sun poll was taken over last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, we had just begun our advertising campaign, whereas our opponents had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars driving their message on the airwaves in the previous six weeks before the poll,” Jones said in an email release. “We are confident that Sheila Dixon’s proven track record of reducing crime and her deep connection to the community will be at the forefront of voters’ minds as they head to the polls starting a week from today.”

Embry’s campaign manager, on the other hand, noting the poll showed his candidate moving several others into third place, said in an email that time still remains in the race for more changes.

“Thirty-eight percent of voters are still soft in their support for other candidates and might change their vote,” Coon said. “The race is still very fluid and Elizabeth has room to grow.”

Pugh, however, was also the leading “second choice” among likely voters with 23 percent of that tally, followed by Dixon at 12 percent.

For the first time ever, the mayor’s race is coinciding with the presidential election, which is expected to boost turnout at the primary. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an unexpectedly competitive race with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, announced today that she will be making a campaign stop in Maryland Sunday.

Also coinciding with the mayor’s race is a very competitive U.S. Senate race between U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards and U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

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John Waters Talks Politics, Gender, and Equality At MICA

Gabriella Souza — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 14:46:00 +0000

You’d recognize that pencil-thin mustache anywhere. Coupled with his trademark cackle and Bawl-mer accent, John Waters represents everything deliciously eccentric, grotesque, and oddball about Charm City.

Baltimore audiences are more than familiar with Waters and his films, art, and books—from the iconic Pink Flamingoes and Hairspray to his book CarsickCarsick, a chronicle of hitchhiking across the U.S. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less spectacular when the Pope of Trash—or the People’s Pervert, his newest nickname—makes an appearance in his hometown.

That was the case Tuesday night at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where Waters took to the stage to perform his gloriously dirty, and insightful, one-man show, “This Filthy World.” Delivered stand-up style, Waters wove biographical information with his insights on current events, pop culture, and, of course, his love for his hometown.

“Baltimore is the best place to live because it’s cheap enough that you can be bohemian,” he told the sold-out crowd. “Stay here, don’t leave.”

As is always true of Waters, no topic or material was sacred (and trust us, a good chunk of it was unprintable). Discussing presidential primary candidates, he said, “Even Cuba doesn’t want to be Socialist any more,” then continued that he’d “like Hillary to win so Bill can be First Lady, like Mamie Eisenhower.”

Turning to the state of the city after Freddie Gray’s death, he lamented that there doesn’t seem to be enough racial mixing. He brought up his own experiences of leaving the suburbs in high school to venture to North Avenue, where he “hung out with black kids. The cops hated it.”

He continued that, if black and white people interacted more, they would begin to realize that problems are more about economic disparity than race. “Pigtown and black communities should join together . . . then come to my neighborhood and burn down the country clubs. That’s how revolutions are made!”

In the second part of the evening, Waters took questions from MICA president Sammy Hoi—who said Waters’ films taught him about American culture when he arrived in New York after emigrating from Hong Kong—and then from the crowd. (Suffice it to say, his answers reddened some cheeks, but had people bent over in their seats.)

After a query about attending a burlesque performance, Waters floated a plan to turn The Block into a place for burlesque and punk rock venues. When asked where he goes to eat, he named Peter’s Inn and Rocket to Venus, though he really likes to cook at home. And he also declared his love for Justin Bieber.

But Waters kept coming back to his hometown. “This city has always been eccentric. Everyone has a sense of humor, it’s not pretentious,” he said.

“If I had to get rid of all the places I live, I’d keep Baltimore.”

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Iowa: Cruz Wins; Clinton-Sanders Split; O’Malley Quits

Ron Cassie — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 02:18:00 +0000

It wasn’t for a lack of effort.

Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley announced that he was suspending his presidential bid after failing to win over Iowa democratic primary voters, earning less than 1 percent of the delegate tally in the state’s caucus.

As O’Malley noted in ending his struggling campaign Monday night, “Iowa has been like a second home” for the 53-year-old candidate for the past year. Nonetheless, an inability to connect with Hawkeye state voters on the ground; the unexpected success of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ progressive message; unrest in Baltimore, where O’Malley, of course, served as mayor; as well as mediocre debate performances against rivals with more national experience—notably frontrunner and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—kept O’Malley from registering more than low single digits in polls all primary season.

The winner, however, of the Iowa primary for the Democrats remained up in the air late Monday night, with Clinton and Sanders essentially splitting the vote and delegate tally.

On the Republican ledger, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the clear winner, with 28 percent of the GOP vote. He was followed by businessman Donald Trump with 24 percent and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 23 percent.

Former Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a political newcomer, who at one time led in the Iowa polls, fell to fourth, registering 9 percent of the tally.

Carson’s slip in the Iowa polls in late November, while certainly disappointing to his supporters, was not completely unexpected by Maryland GOP observers.

“Politics is a contact sport and Ben Carson is not contact person—he’s a nice guy and a genius in his field,” said Joe Custer, executive director of the Maryland Republican Party.

Custer, in an interview Friday, said that he thought Rubio was picking up momentum with more people in the Republican establishment getting behind his candidacy in recent weeks—which was reflected in subsequent Iowa numbers.

Neither Custer and Greg Kline, of the blog Red Maryland, offered support for Trump’s campaign, doubting the real estate developer’s commitment to conservative causes. “It’s very disconcerting,” said Kline, a Cruz supporter, of the former reality TV star’s popularity among the GOP electorate. “He connects with people [who are frustrated with the direction of the country], but he’s a very imperfect vessel. He could be very damaging to conservative principles.”

Towson University communications studies professor Richard Vatz, a longtime, conservative political observer, expressed similarly strong reservations about Trump’s campaign, adding that he’s backing Rubio at this point.

On the other side, Vatz, though certainly not a Sanders supporter, said it’s easy to see why the 74-year-old senator’s populist economic agenda and campaign has surpassed expectations: “He’s authentic,” Vatz says. “There’s no political trickery. He says what he means and that’s that. If you don’t agree, he says ‘fine.’ He doesn’t say one thing to one group of people and then something else to another group of people.”

Todd Eberly, director of Public Policy Studies at St. Mary’s College, said he finds Sanders success to date even more surprising than the rise of Trump—a political rookie—in national polls. But he puts part of the blame at Clinton’s feet.

“It’s amazing to me that she’s making the same mistake she made in 2008, which is running a [a centrist] general election campaign in Democratic primaries,” Eberly said.

In national polls, however, as well as in Maryland, where she out-tallied Sanders by 13 percent (40-27 percent) in the most recent Gonzales poll, Clinton still maintains a healthy lead.

Trump—despite the aforementioned concerns among some state GOP activists—topped the Gonzales poll in Maryland, garnering 32 percent of the Republican vote. He was followed Cruz (15 percent), Rubio (13.6 percent] and Carson (9.3 percent.)

Up next: the New Hampshire primary scheduled for Feb. 9.

Our chance to weigh-in on all this in the Maryland primaries? Not until April 26.

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On Body Language: Why is Ben Carson Connecting With Voters and Martin O’Malley Isn’t?

Ron Cassie — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 11:00:00 +0000

However top political communications consultant Ruth Sherman believes that, while Carson’s debate performance improved at the third GOP debate, he has a long way to go in that format. As a media coach, she thinks Carson remains too soft spoken.

“He was significantly looser in his presentation [at the CNBC debate]. He was more prepared and his presentation was more engaging, though his physical and vocal affect are still too quiet,” she says. “His voice is especially monotonous, which causes a mismatch. He is unable to show excitement or display passion. His facial expression is flat, though he didn’t close his eyes as much, which is a bad habit.”

Karen Bradley, the director of graduate studies in dance at the University of Maryland and a movement analysis expert, says that one of Carson’s strengths is that he speaks in clear, short phrases and can be animated with his eyes—“they can twinkle”—and hands. Carson, however, she says doesn’t generally give the impression that he fully “stands behind” what he says with strong “core” positioning, in the manner other, more practiced candidates do.

In that way, Carson shares a certain characteristic with Trump that may be helping voters identify with each political newcomer. Notably, neither of the two GOP leaders comes across as overly rehearsed in their speech. “We call this ‘flow’ and it’s fun to watch,” Bradley says. “They say what they think and move from topic to topic.”

Essentially, in terms of communication, it is this lack of self-censoring that is appealing about outsider candidates. Of course, it’s the same quality that makes both Carson and Trump prone to controversial statements.

“Carson appeals to the nonpolitical type, he’s someone who is viewed an uncorrupted by the political system,” says Shawn Parry-Giles, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Political Communication and Leadership. “He says: ‘I’m not a debater, I’m just a person trying to do the right thing’ and that is really appealing right now.’”

On the other side of the aisle, Martin O’Malley’s communication skills, which can vary widely and send mixed messages, can be harder to parse. “I’ve seen him as ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ and ‘Mr. Nasty,’” Vatz said.

None of the experts we spoke with believe that the former Baltimore mayor and former two-term governor with a liberal record of accomplishment in Annapolis doesn’t mean what he says. He just doesn’t communicate “authenticity”—the signature quality primary campaigns are about when party activists are looking for candidates they can back with enthusiasm.

“He comes off as ‘too smooth,’” said Parry-Giles. “He wants to be the ‘cool guy,’ the Obama-figure—the young, energetic guy—but he hasn’t taken off and it’s too late now.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuq8DbB_e94

O’Malley, in many ways, has been stuck in the outside lane, unable to get in-between Sanders, the self-declared socialist, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the establishment candidate.

It’s somewhat ironic, Parry-Giles said, that Bernie Sanders is one the seen as against the establishment. “He’s unkempt and unpolished, but he’s a lifelong politician, too.”

But while Sanders’ Brooklyn accent, at times, uncombed hair and emphatic gesturing communicate ‘genuineness,’ O’Malley often misses the authenticity target because his anger can feel rehearsed and his smiles ill-timed or forced.

“Psychoanalysts—and I’m not one—call this ‘misplaced affectation,’” Vatz said, referring to O’Malley’s occasional mismatched expression and context.

On the other hand, Bradley says, O’Malley on the stump or at the podium, speaks with a “tremendous” amount of core support, which communicates that’s he engaged and “stands behind” what he says. O’Malley is able to turn his body and look directly at other candidates on stage. He’s also able to look into the camera and use his smile, effectively, at times. O’Malley’s main problem, as Bradley sees it, is that he speaks in very long phrases that may be hard for some people to follow.

“He’s not easy to understand in the way that Bill Clinton is,” she said.

Cohen agrees with Bradley and takes it a step further. He says not only does O’Malley—a well known policy wonk—speak in phrases that are too wordy; he also tries to squeeze in each of his talking points when he’s interviewed on television or standing on the stage. The combination inevitably makes his presentation more awkward and stiff than necessary.

“It always looks like he’s trying to get everything he’s written down on his ‘3 by 5’ cards into his allotted time,” Cohen says. “That’s why he struggles to communicate on a deeper level with voters.” In Maryland, the University of Baltimore political observer says, voters have had time to get to know O’Malley, but that’s not true outside the state.

In fact, in some ways, the challenge O’Malley faces is similar to one that Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush face. All three have strengths based on governing experience and knowledge of policy, but they are not the most gifted nonverbal communicators.

All three want to make the case want that they are the “competent” choice for voters—and, to their credit, put forth their policy plans. Not exactly a recipe for excitement or how we tend market things in the U.S., however.

In the end, it will be interesting to see where Carson and O’Malley land even if neither wins their primary nominations. Some, cynically, already view Carson’s campaign as largely an effort to enhance his brand and book sales. Some also believe that O’Malley’s realistic aim in the short-term is not the Democratic presidential nomination—though he would certainly accept it—but the vice-president slot or a cabinet level position.

“He’s a really smart politician. I consider him one of the smartest politicians around,” Vatz said of O’Malley. “I don’t think he’ll be making unnecessary personal attacks at Sanders or Clinton and take the risk of offending the party.”

This Friday at 8 p.m., MSNBC host Rachel Maddow will moderate a Democratic forum from Winthrop University featuring O’Malley, Clinton, and Sanders.

The next Republican debate, the GOP’s Fox Business Network debate from Milwaukee, WI, is scheduled for 9 p.m. Tuesday.

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Can Martin O’Malley Give Struggling Campaign a Jumpstart in Debate?

Ron Cassie — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 13:46:00 +0000

Former Gov. Martin O’Malley will get his first shot on the big stage with Democratic presidential primary frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Tuesday night’s CNN debate.

And the big question at the moment among the national media seems to be whether O’Malley—who put together a compelling resume of liberal accomplishments during his two terms in Annapolis—can finally gain some traction in a campaign that has thus far barely registered a blip on the radar.

In a poll released last week by Goucher College, O’Malley registered just two percent of support among Maryland Democratic voters, which was only slightly better than the most recent CBS national poll where he managed just an asterisk—indicating less than .5 percent of the tally.

By contrast, Clinton, the former Secretary of State, and Sanders, the Vermont senator, registered 46 and 27 percent support, respectively, in the CBS poll (below). Vice president Joe Biden, who has not yet decided whether he will run, even posted at 16 percent.

O’Malley has been loudly pushing for more Democratic debates in recent weeks—not an unusual tactic for an underdog. But beyond mere desperation, the former prosecutor, city councilman, and Baltimore mayor most likely feels confident he can hold his own on stage with Clinton and Sanders, as well as with Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee, who are also struggling at the bottom of the polls. (Whether he eventually decides to run or not, Biden is expected to skip the first debate.)

When he ran against Republican Bob Ehrlich in 2010, O’Malley was generally seen as the better debater. And while his speeches at the 2004 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions flopped—his oratory often comes across as overblown—O’Malley is a studious politician who always has his numbers and facts on the tip of his tongue. He also isn’t afraid of being combative, a trait that often came across in his Sunday morning talk show appearances when he served as chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association.

If anything, the challenge Tuesday night might be for O’Malley to combine his natural instinct for data (see CitiStat and StateStat initiatives) with a sense of humor, likeability, and charisma—which has been difficult in the past for him to transmit via television. O’Malley didn’t come up with a five- or 10-point plan for how he would govern as president, but a 15-point plan—overkill in the age of Twitter and sound bites.

In recent days, O’Malley has gone after Clinton for “shifting positions” on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and Sanders for not supporting “common sense” gun control measures. Also, just the opportunity to stand next to Clinton and Sanders, both a generation older than the O’Malley, could help the famously fit O’Malley present a younger option for potential Democratic voters—a la Bill Clinton and Al Gore circa 1992.

“I think right now most people in the Democratic Party think they only have two choices,” O’Malley acknowledged during in a recent Washington Post interview. “It’s malpractice as a party to have waited so long to begin our debates. Eight years ago, we had already had nine debates. But now we’ll finally have our first, and finally we’ll get the opportunity to make our case to the American people.”

Of course, no one in Maryland was surprised when O’Malley launched his campaign earlier this year in Federal Hill. The move seemed like a mere formality after passing a series of liberal agenda items during his second term, including Maryland’s same-sex marriage law; the Dream Act (to assist undocumented immigrants with in-state tuition); a new, partisan congressional map; and stricter gun controls regulations following the mass school shooting in Newton, CT.

In fact,
in Baltimore, many—including us—have believed an O’Malley presidential campaign
has been inevitable since his days as a city councilman.

Source

Atop Federal Hill, O’Malley Makes Presidential Bid Official

Ron Cassie — Sat, 30 May 2015 12:40:00 +0000

On an unexpectedly warm morning, with Baltimore’s harbor as his backdrop, former mayor and Maryland governor Martin O’Malley offered an animated, and, at times, fiery, indictment of the status quo and rapidly growing economic inequality in the country.

And then he officially announced his bid for the White House in 2016, declaring that the presidency of the United States wasn’t a crown to be passed back and forth between two families.

“Recently, the CEO of Goldman Sachs let his employees know that he’d be just fine with either Bush or Clinton,” O’Malley recounted for the crowd. “Well, I’ve got news for the bullies of Wall Street—the presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth by you between two royal families.”

The biggest question today wasn’t whether Martin O’Malley was going to announce a presidential bid—that’s been assumed forever as we noted in a profile two years ago—but who would turn out to support him.

O’Malley, a staunch backer of Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton’s run in 2008, doesn’t have a natural constituency in the way that the former first lady and secretary of state does in her bid to become the first woman to win the nation’s highest office. Nor does he have socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sander’s built-in progressive following.

None of the city or state’s major politicos were on stage with O’Malley—other than his father-in-law, the long-serving, former Maryland attorney general Joseph Curran.

Even in his adopted hometown, O’Malley’s legacy in light of the Freddie Gray riots has taken a darker hue recently. His administration’s “zero tolerance” toward crime—while seen as effective in reducing violence in the city at the time—has also been blamed for engendering poor relationships between struggling neighborhoods in the city and the police department. In fact, the ACLU and NAACP sued and won a settlement from the O’Malley administration in the aftermath of his mass arrest policies. And one local activist group, Baltimore Bloc, led a protest of O’Malley’s announcement at Federal Hill.

That said, there are plenty of reasons why O’Malley’s record as both mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland might appeal to Democratic primary voters. He’s credited with reducing lead poisoning in the city as mayor, adding drug treatment services, and making city services, like trash pick up, more efficient. As governor, he successfully fought to end the death penalty in the state, to make same-sex marriage legal, to strengthen gun control measures, and to pass a Dream Act for young immigrants brought here by their parents.

During his announcement speech, O’Malley plugged his efforts to keep college tuition in check in Maryland while governor as well as his commitment to the state public school system, which has generally been ranked among the best in the country.

He also highlighted his middle class background, including the lift his father received from the G.I. Bill as a World War II veteran, and took shots at Wall Street’s influence and power, sticking to a populist economic message throughout his announcement: “Tell me how it is, that you can get pulled over for a broken tail light in our country, but if you wreck the nation’s economy you are untouchable.”

But at the moment, the continued blight in many Baltimore neighborhoods—though certainly driven by long-term national economic and political trends as much as anything else—and his administration’s crime and policing policies are viewed as albatrosses around O’Malley’s bid.

O’Malley didn’t address the recent violence in Baltimore at length in his remarks, but made it clear that more needs to be done directly, including raising the minimum wage, to end “the scourge of hopelessness” in challenged urban areas. “Conditions of extreme poverty,” O’Malley said, “breed conditions of extreme violence.”

O’Malley, who has never backed away from his record in Baltimore, also touted the widely-praised CitiStat and StateStat efficiency initiatives that he implemented first as mayor and then as governor.

But how exactly O’Malley will raise his profile and standing among potential primary voters outside of Maryland isn’t clear.

In the most recent Quinnipiac poll, he ticked just 1 percent of support among potential Democratic voters, well behind not only Clinton, at 57 percent, but Sanders, at 15 percent. Still, with just three candidates officially entered in the Democratic race—although former Rhode Island senator and governor Lincoln Chafee is expected to join the field next week—there would appear to be enough elbow room between the centrist Clinton and ultra-progressive Sanders to create a running lane. One major difference, of course, from Clinton and Sanders is O’Malley’s age—at 52, he’s a generation younger than either one of those candidates.

“I think he has shown vision with his ideas for improving health care and education in the state of Maryland,” said O’Malley supporter Joan Floura, a small business owner who lives in Govans and has two children in Baltimore City public schools. “We need a fresh approach to government and something new—not the same old thing.”

How much traction he ultimately gains remains to be seen, but there’s certainly nowhere to go but up at this point for the never-shy O’Malley—off to Iowa today to win over that caucus voters there.

Source

Is Ben Carson the Republican Frontrunner for 2016?

Ron Cassie — Tue, 26 May 2015 13:08:00 +0000

Can a retired neurosurgeon with no political experience win the Republican presidential nomination?

Over Memorial Day weekend, Ben Carson, the retired Johns Hopkins doctor famed for becoming the first surgeon to successfully separate Siamese twins at the head, dominated the first major poll of Republican primary candidates in the south.

Organized at the Southern Leadership Republican Conference in Oklahoma City and produced by SoonerPoll.com, Carson bested all 17 candidates, taking 25.4 percent of the total vote. Carson not only easily topped Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who finished in second with 20.5 percent of the vote, but also Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who took third with 16.6 percent, and establishment favorite Jeb Bush, who came in sixth with 4.9 percent of the tally.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came in fourth place with 5.3 percent of the vote while Texas Gov. Rick Perry finished fifth with 5 percent of the tally.

Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO who earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, finished in 10^th place.

Whether Carson’s momentum can be sustained through the debate season remains to be seen, of course. Carson has shot himself in the foot several times with public remarks, comparing Obamacare to slavery and comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality, for example. In 2013, he canceled his scheduled commencement address at Hopkins after his remarks about same-sex marriage sparked an outcry on campus. But there’s no doubting his popularity in conservative Christian and Tea Party circles—two groups that turn out in Republican primaries. Not only could Carson do well in the first Republican primary in Iowa, he could also potentially benefit if an early “SEC primary”—the name taken from the Southeastern Conference college football league—takes shape with states such as Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee coming together to hold primaries on the same day in early March.

Carson’s quick rise to prominence in the Republican Party began after a 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech—a setting that’s usually nonpolitical—when he sharply criticized President Obama’s heath care law and tax polices. He opened up his home and talked to Baltimore magazine about his life story in 2009.

The other significant politico with strong Baltimore ties—former mayor and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley—is expected to announce his Democratic presidential bid Saturday in Federal Hill Park.

Only time will tell whether Carson or O’Malley, who faces especially long odds against Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton, will be able to win or even significantly impact their respective primary races. But having them in the field should at least help keep things interesting for Maryland voters for the foreseeable (and long and often tedious) 2016 campaign.

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Ben Carson Makes Presidential Bid Official

Ron Cassie — Mon, 04 May 2015 13:36:00 +0000

Ben Carson, the famed Johns Hopkins doctor who became the first surgeon to successfully separate Siamese twins at the head, formally announced his bid as a Republican presidential candidate Monday. Before today, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were the only formally announced candidates in the Republican field.

Carson’s entry into the presidential sweepstakes by no means came as a surprise: Last month, the 63-year-old retired neurosurgeon said he would be making a major statement May 4 in his hometown of Detroit about his decision to enter the 2016 Republican field.

Carson, who has never held elected office, first rose to national attention in 1987 following the groundbreaking surgery on the conjoined twins. At the time, he was already the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery ever at Hopkins and his personal story, overcoming a childhood of urban poverty, was later turned into a best-selling autobiography, Gifted Hands, and movie.

Others, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham are expected to join the suddenly burgeoning—former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina also announced a bid today—group of Republican contenders.

Coincidentally, Fiorina also has local ties: She earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Carson’s quick rise to prominence in conservative political circles began after a 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech—a setting that’s usually nonpolitical—when he sharply criticized President Obama’s heath care law and tax polices.

But Carson has also shot himself in the foot several times in public remarks, comparing Obamacare to slavery and comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality, for example. In 2013, he canceled his scheduled commencement address at Hopkins after his remarks about same-sex marriage sparked an outcry on campus.

He remains, however, popular in conservative and Tea Party circles, often polling ahead of elected officials in the field where he’s seen as both an inspirational leader and advocate for conservative Christian values. He opened up his home and talked to Baltimore magazine about his life story in 2009.

Of course, we still expect another Marylander, former Baltimore mayor and former Gov. Martin O’Malley, to throw his hat into the ring on the Democratic side. The field there remains, well, almost nonexistent at this point, other than former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Given the past two weeks in Baltimore, bringing Carson and O’Malley together for a discussion addressing inner-city problems might not actually be a bad way to start the presidential debate season.

Source

Ben Carson Takes Big Step Toward Presidential Bid

Ron Cassie — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:19:00 +0000

It’s been a hectic 24 hours.

Monday morning, Sen. Barbara Mikulski surprised the political world by announcing that she would not seek reelection in 2016, immediately setting off a day of wild speculation about potential contenders to fill her shoes.

Then, this morning, the presumed Democratic frontrunner for her seat, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, issued a statement praising Mikulski’s record, but declaring that he would not be a candidate for her office. He has been, after all, making the rounds in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina—early presidential primary states—where, it is presumed, he will eventually throw his hat in the ring.

Which brings us to renowned former Johns Hopkins’ neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson. The 63-year-old conservative Republican launched a formal presidential exploratory committee Tuesday—a key move that allows him to start raising money now for a campaign should he decide to enter the race. He made the announcement via video on his new website, which highlights his compelling personal story, groundbreaking career in pediatric neurosurgery, and philanthropy.

In his nearly 4-minute video announcement, Carson, who has never held elected office, says, “All of us are frustrated with the way Washington has let us down. Career politicians simply don’t understand the disappointment, anger, and pain in real America.”

He says that if he receives enough encouragement and support over the next few months, he’ll make for a run for president.

Although Carson has at times created controversy with his public remarks, such as expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage and Obamacare, as well as his creationist views, he remains popular among conservatives. At the recent, annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, MD, Carson finished fourth in the straw poll with 11.4 percent of the vote, after Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul with 25.7 percent, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker with 21.4 percent, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with 11.5 percent.

It’s worth noting that Carson outpolled former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who finished with 8.3 percent of the tally, as well as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry—all of whom received less than 4 percent of the vote. Carson, who has often appeared on Fox News as a political commentator, discussed his potential bid on Meet the Press this past weekend. At this point, there seems little to indicate why he wouldn’t run.

In fact, Carson, who talks often about his religious faith, may play particularly well in the Iowa Republican caucus and South Carolina primary if former Gov. Mike Huckabee does not enter the race.

O’Malley, on the other hand, has struggled to make much of dent in national Democratic presidential polls, and recently tried to distance himself from Hillary Clinton.

Time will tell if Carson or O’Malley will be able to gain traction in their potential primary campaign efforts, but what does seem clear is that neither man lacks ambition for the job.

Source

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