You got that right! I agree completely with Ms. Sauerbrey—from the ground up and fast (with conservative principles set in stone)!
By the way, I saw a comment yesterday from a Massachusetts conservative who said you can’t win as a watered down liberal—voters will pick the real liberal every time. In Massachusetts, Republicans ran RINOs and lost even bigger than in Maryland.
From the Baltimore Sun (emphasis mine):
Republican former Gov. Robert L. Erhlich Jr. described his gubernatorial election loss this week as the close of a chapter in his life. It could also signal the end of an era for the Maryland GOP.
As Republicans nationwide celebrated a historic victory in the midterm elections, GOP leaders in Maryland expressed worry that Ehrlich’s loss Tuesday to Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley by twice the margin of his 2006 defeat would cement the party’s minority status here.
“Bob gave hope that we might actually move to a two-party system,” Ellen R. Sauerbrey, a two-time Republican gubernatorial nominee, said Wednesday. [Most of us in the Tea Party movement saw no hope from the beginning---ed] “That hope was a little diluted last night. …What I see ahead is a recognition that we have to build the party from the ground up.” [yes! and we said so yesterday, here---ed]
Ehrlich, who has dominated Maryland Republicans for a decade, said in the waning days of the campaign that he would be unlikely to run again for public office.
[....]
“I don’t know if we are going to see another [Republican governor of Maryland] in the next 40 years,” said Mary Kane, his running mate. “It is a shame.”
No Mary! not 40 years—but 4 years!
Ann Corcoran
Judy K. Warner
[...] Update November 4th: Sauerbrey says party needs to be rebuilt from ground up, here. [...]
By: To the MDGOP—you can’t win with squish! « Potomac Tea Party Report on November 4, 2010
at 7:12 am
You are spot-on, Ann. The rebuilding is underway! And the people involved think like winners!
By: cathy on November 4, 2010
at 9:29 am
[...] want to look like I am kicking a man when he is down with my two previous posts (here and here), I’ll post on a Bob Ehrlich fan for some [...]
By: NRO columnist: Bob Ehrlich for President « Potomac Tea Party Report on November 4, 2010
at 9:48 am
I’m willing to take on the challenge. I don’t take crap lying down and I don’t mince words.
2014 presents a unique opportunity, given some circumstances which will exist and others which might.
We already know MOM is moving on, since he can’t run for another term. So do you think Anthony Brown, Doug Gansler and Peter Franchot will patiently wait to see whether the Democrats will anoint them? Even if they succeed in moving the primary to June (as they tried to the last time there was no Democrat incumbent) there’s still plenty of time for these candidates and any others chomping at the bit for advancement to bloody each other.
However, the wild card is what happens in 2012. Should a Republican come into Washington and become serious about trimming the size of government, that will affect the economy in the Democratic strongholds around the Beltway. They may have to find greener pastures elsewhere.
Moreover, given the public’s disaffection with the hard Left, MOM is going to have to tack to the center in order to position himself for higher office in 2016. He’s already said he wouldn’t raise taxes in the next budget and he’s not going to be adding many large-scale programs anytime soon. A second MOM term may not be exceptionally radical, at least early on.
So the hard Left Takoma Park types might overplay their hand and nominate someone to the left of MOM…and since one or two of the other statewide officeholders may take a shot at Government House that opens up other areas.
We can let MOM try to move to the center, but remind voters we were already where he’s trying to go. Obviously it has to be through back channels since the mainstream media won’t give the GOP the time of day. This is where local parties and media come in…secure the perimeter first then work on the inner core.
By: Michael Swartz on November 4, 2010
at 12:49 pm
Michael, How do the pieces on the chess board move if MOM gets a better gig a couple of years in (as Maryland’s economy implodes, but before he gets the full blame)—-Barbara Mikulski retires before her term is up and MOM appoints himself to her seat?
In my view, Maryland is just a little behind the national curve. Once it becomes clear that Maryland is going the way of California, Republicans (if they get their acts together very very soon) will be in the catbird seat to swoop in across the board. Of course it is assumed that that did not happen in California this time because of the huge entitlement class there (including the immigrant dependents) and that may be our fate too, just a matter of when, if we don’t get it together.
By: acorcoran on November 4, 2010
at 2:41 pm
The problem with your Mikulski theory is that we’d have to (assuming current rules stay in place, of course) allow O’Malley to remain in the seat at the next General Election opportunity. If he resigned after the 2012 election to become Senator, he would be on the ballot in 2014 to finish a term just two years later, and that doesn’t seem a smart move.
I may be completely off base, but I think we just elected Babs to her last term. Truly the question is whether MOM will try for higher office in 2016 or 2020 and that naturally depends on what happens in 2012. Most politicians prefer to wait for an open seat and if Obama is knocked out by a Republican the odds of O’Malley winning in 2016 are longer than if he assumes a two-term Republican and goes in 2020 (after four years in the Senate to become comfortable with national issues.)
Basically an Obama win in 2012 means he would likely go in 2016 (or be a VP candidate) but if Obama loses MOM would try for the brass ring in 2020. I honestly don’t think the question is “if” but “when.”
I think we need to look at 2014 as our best shot. While the national climate was ripe in 2010, our problem was a lack of open seats (and assumption that the retread Ehrlich was our savior) – remember, all three statewide Democrats were just elected in 2006 so they were content to stay in place for now. In 2014 their patience runs out.
By: Michael Swartz on November 5, 2010
at 9:18 pm
[...] here in Maryland, to hear the losers among the Maryland Republican elite, we will be deep blue for 40 years. If the welfare states [...]
By: More state legislatures turn red (in the year of redistricting)! « Potomac Tea Party Report on November 5, 2010
at 8:42 am
[...] Voice throws out the same theory I did here (in comments to that post) the other day—that longtime Maryland seasoned Senator Barbara [...]
By: Here is that theory again—Mikulski could “gift” her seat to O’Malley « Potomac Tea Party Report on November 8, 2010
at 6:45 am
[...] Baltimore Sun recently that she expected Maryland would not have a Republican governor for 40 years, here. I guess one could ask, whose side are you on [...]
By: MDGOP to get new leadership—hurrah! « Potomac Tea Party Report on November 15, 2010
at 5:55 am