Will Mfume Matter?
Democratic Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume held a news conference yesterday to discuss his affair with a former staffer at the NAACP. The news conference was curious in its quick timing, and because Mfume himself said just two weeks ago that he would at no point address the then unsubstantiated allegations.
The timing makes one wonder whether or not Mfume will really matter in the upcoming Democratic Senate primary. Just last month, Tom Dennison from the Montgomery Gazette wrote a story indicating that Democrats were not taking the Mfume Candidacy seriously, deciding to line their support up behind Congressman Ben Cardin. Cardin is perceived to have a better chance of retaining the seat for the Democrats against the likely Republican standard-bearer, Lt. Governor Michael Steele.
Should Mfume matter in a Democratic primary? Absolutely. He has an interesting personal story. He has been a City Councilman, a Congressman, and the President of the national NAACP. He has the bona fides to be a serious contender. But will Democratic insiders and primary voters look past the personal problems from his past? It is hard to say this far out from Election Day.
Mfume will have an effect on the primary, regardless of who else enters the race, if only because of the demographics of Democratic Primary Voters. But Mfume has a pretty long road to haul if he is going to be a serious contender to win the nomination.
On top of that, either Cardin or Mfume will have a tough tough battle against the Lt. Governor. We are fortunate that Marylanders are finally ready, after electing a Republican Governor, to consider returning a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since Senator Mac Mathias retired in 1987.
The timing makes one wonder whether or not Mfume will really matter in the upcoming Democratic Senate primary. Just last month, Tom Dennison from the Montgomery Gazette wrote a story indicating that Democrats were not taking the Mfume Candidacy seriously, deciding to line their support up behind Congressman Ben Cardin. Cardin is perceived to have a better chance of retaining the seat for the Democrats against the likely Republican standard-bearer, Lt. Governor Michael Steele.
Should Mfume matter in a Democratic primary? Absolutely. He has an interesting personal story. He has been a City Councilman, a Congressman, and the President of the national NAACP. He has the bona fides to be a serious contender. But will Democratic insiders and primary voters look past the personal problems from his past? It is hard to say this far out from Election Day.
Mfume will have an effect on the primary, regardless of who else enters the race, if only because of the demographics of Democratic Primary Voters. But Mfume has a pretty long road to haul if he is going to be a serious contender to win the nomination.
On top of that, either Cardin or Mfume will have a tough tough battle against the Lt. Governor. We are fortunate that Marylanders are finally ready, after electing a Republican Governor, to consider returning a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since Senator Mac Mathias retired in 1987.
posted by Brian Griffiths at 7:33 PM
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