A History Lesson about the Future
During the past few weeks states across the country have been holding primary elections. In both parties the results have been consistently the same. The entrenched incumbent or hand picked successor of the establishment has lost. Yesterday in Pennsylvania Arlen Specter a 30 year member of the U.S. Senate lost and in Kentucky the tea party candidate Rand Paul defeated the anointed pick of Mitch McConnell. Entrenched Senators in both parties are retiring rather then face a re-election challenge. The mood of the country is very clear, we want change. No longer is the politics of doing the same thing over and over again going to be acceptable.
Political cycles like this happen every few years. The party in power loses touch with the everyday American and they are replaced. It happened in 1994 when the Republicans took control of Congress, and it happened again in 2006 when the Democrats reclaimed control. In both instances the party that lost control admitted that they lost touch with the will of the people. So, what does this mean for Maryland, will the Democrats lose control of the Maryland General Assembly, not at all; they have held the majority since the 1800’s. What it does mean is that some entrenched political insiders will lose and there will be a change in representation. As we see from across the country, this is happening in both parties. In Maryland some Republicans will win in a district currently being represented by a Democrat, and the opposite will also be true. This is the nature of political change and the changing will of the people. With all the candidates running right now in Howard County there is a chance this happens to members of both parties.
So, how does this impact my campaign, it is pretty simple. I am running against a textbook political insider. I am running against an individual who was first elected to public office on November 2, 1976, coincidently, that is five days after I was born. It is time for a change. It is time to go in a new direction. What I bring is a fresh perspective on legislating. I have not been indoctrinated in the political trappings of Annapolis. I am not on a first name basis with the lobbyists and special interest that are interwoven into the fabric of Annapolis culture. This election is about what is best for the future of Howard County, not what has happened in the past.
Past track records are great for reminiscing about the good ole days and reflecting on events from the past. Looking back to the past is ideal in understanding where we have come from, but it is not the best approach when trying to figure out where to go next. While we need to learn from the past, something I am very familiar with as a public school history teacher, we more importantly need to be looking towards the future and planning for days to come, not days gone by. This is what my campaign is about. I am looking toward the future for Howard County. As our county changes with jobs from BRAC and the Cyber Command Center entering in the next few years, we need to position ourselves to be able to best accommodate the changing workforce and dynamics of our economy. This is an exciting opportunity for Howard County, but in order to fully take advantage of all that this has to offer we need to be looking forward to what we can become and not dwelling on the past.
This is what I will bring with me if elected: A new perspective, a forward looking approach, and an understanding of where we have come from and who we can become in the future.
Are you a Democrat or Republican? I cant seem to find your party affiliation on your website.
I am a Democrat. Thanks for taking the time to check out my website.
Mr. Bailey,
I am interested in your campaign against Delegate Bobo. We need to get her out of office! Do you have any upcoming events in the near future so I can have the opportunity to sit down with you?
Thank you for contacting m through my website. I am glad that you agree with me that it is time to replace Liz Bobo. As far as campaign events, I do not have any formal events planned. My campaign is a small budget reach out and personally meet as many constituents as possible campaign. I am focusing most of my effort on sign waving in the morning to increase name recognition and then door knocking in the evening and weekends to meet people face to face and introduce myself and my beliefs. If you would like to meet I would be more than happy to set up a time when we can sit down and chat. I am a school teacher, so I am off during the summer, thus giving me freedom to set my schedule. The best time for me to meet is after sign waving at 9am until around 4pm when I am getting ready to start door knocking.
Thank you for your interest and I look forward to meeting you and discussing what is important to you and your family.
Do you ever campaign in the viillage centers? i would love to help out and give people information as they leave safeway and giant! On another note, how are you feeling about yoru chances of winning? are people receptive to your message as you go around canvassing.
Josh,
Thanks for leaving a comment. I have not spent time campaigning at the Village Centers except for when I am stopping by Rita’s in Harper’s Choice or the Meadows Ice Cream store that recently opened in Hickory Ridge. I spend most of my time in the neighborhoods. So far people have been very receptive and open to my message. They see first hand that government could be more responsible and that it is time for a change in leadership in District 12B. I would appreciate any help that you could give me and will look into how to go about giving out campaign literature at the Village Centers. Since they are private property I would need to get permission from the owners.