Extremist Politics

As usual, MonoBlogue has a great post … this time on Maryland Sen. Andy Harris’ announcement that he will challenge incumbent Republican Wayne Gilchrest.

In a previous post I described Sen. Harris’ announcement as a first step. Technically it is, but I spoke with Andy Thursday evening and he told me that the exploratory committee was merely a technicality until all of the required paperwork is completed. He’s definitely running and he’s running to win!

Reading Michael’s post I was amused by a quote from the Baltimore Sun’s article on the announcement from Gilchrest’s AA Tony Caliguiri:

Anyone’s entitled to run for office, but we don’t believe his brand of extremist politics will appeal to Maryland voters.

As Micheal notes:

So being in favor of “fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, traditional values, and an optimistic view of this country and its role as a world leader” is extremist?

My response to Mr. Caliguiri is, “Define extremist”. Was Ronald Reagan an extremist? Was Phil Gramm? How about Dick Armey?

Michael raises another interesting point:

Oddly enough, while the First District is thought of as solidly Republican and Eastern Shore, redistricting and demographics make it a district split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans as far as registration goes, and only about 5 out of 8 voters live in the nine counties comprising the Eastern Shore. If you split out Cecil County, which straddles both sides of the northern terminus of Chesapeake Bay, it’s about half-and-half between Eastern and Western Shore voters. Last year’s Democrat nominee, Dr. Jim Corwin, is a Western Shore denizen but he still defeated an Eastern Shore resident in that primary.

As a Talbot County native, and the first Republican in a family of extremely politically active Democrats, I can attest to one thing - while the registration may be near even, many registered Dems on the Eastern Shore are REAGAN DEMOCRATS. They make Wayne Gilchrest appear left of “Little Tommy” Pelosi.

Andy Harris will be a Congressman that makes us all proud - Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Unaffiliated. The only folks that will be worrying are the true lefties; and they are a distinct minority in the First District.

For those of us on the lower shore, you will need to depend on sites like MonoBlogue and Delmarva Dealings to provide honest coverage of the Harris and Gilchrest campaigns. The “Tilghman Times” has never shied away away from bias and the wife of their Executive Editor serves as Gilchrest’s Communications Director. If you believe what you read in the “Tilghman Times” then expect coverage of Harris’ campaign to be be near non-existent; or to read that Andy Harris sleeps with the devil. While I’ve never met Mrs. Harris face to face, if she is half as nice in person as she is on the phone I can already attest that Andy definitely doesn’t.

Technorati Tags: 2008, AndyHarris, WayneGilchrest, Maryland, politics, marylandpolitics, MDFirstDistrict, EasternShore, conservatism

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