Category Archives: Politics

Monday, May 7, 2012

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve written six articles having to do with the race between the one-term U.S. Senator from Maryland, Democrat Ben Cardin, and his challenger, newcomer Republican Dan Bongino. Both candidates are good, smart, competent, reasonable men. All things equal, making a decision between the two of them would be a toss-up. But all things are anything but.

Between the two candidates, the choice is simple. One of them, incumbent Senator Cardin has done nothing to warrant his reelection. The old adage still applies. If you’re not part of the solution, well then, you’re part of the problem. We need to give his opponent, Dan Bongino, an opportunity to do better.
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Saturday, May 5, 2012

This is the sixth article I’ve written recently about the race between Maryland’s first-term U.S. Senator Ben Cardin who is running for reelection against Republic newcomer Dan Bongino. If you’re interested, all the articles in this series begin like this one, with “Ben Cardin v. Dan Bongino.”

Senator Cardin’s Brain

It’s hard sometimes, when you’re writing a political piece, not to sound flip, but I’ll do my best. While I’ve been critical of Senator Cardin, it’s not because he’s not a good, smart, honest, hard-working man. I’m serious. I believe him to be all those things. My problem with his candidacy is that he’s done nothing in the past five plus years to warrant his reelection. By all indications, he’s done nothing to address, let alone actually help resolve, the major economic, fiscal and social problems our country is facing. Given the critical nature of these matters, it’s not enough to just show up.
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Friday, May 4, 2012

Hi. In four previous articles, the ones with titles beginning with “Ben Cardin v. Dan Bongino,” I’ve been making the point that Maryland’s incumbent U.S. Senator, Ben Cardin, who is running against political newcomer Dan Bongino, has failed to perform at a level that warrants his reelection. While Senator Cardin is a good, competent man, his long-term lack of productivity and failure to address our country’s highest priority problems are compelling reasons to vote him out, and Mr. Bongino in.

So, what exactly are these “highest priority problems” to which I keep referring? Are you kidding? Here’s my short list of what I think Congress should be working on like they were the second coming of the Manhattan Project, without the bomb part of course:
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Monday, April 30, 2012

Hi. This is my third in a series of posts I’ve been writing about Ben Cardin, one-term Democrat incumbent U.S. Senator from Maryland, who is running for reelection against Republican Dan Bongino, who has never held elective office. Links to the other two articles are at the bottom of this piece. Both candidates are good, honest, hardworking, competent people. That said, I’ve decided to vote for Mr. Bongino, the challenger, based on the failure of the incumbent, Mr. Cardin, to address the major problems we are facing with the focus, “all-in” enthusiasm, aggressiveness and effectiveness the timely resolution of these problems demands.

No question about it, there are political differences between Mr. Cardin and Mr. Bongino on meaningful, important issues. In fact, I don’t agree with everything either candidate believes, but I’m not going to let that bother me. In ordinary times, I would, but not now. I have a short list of really, really critical matters on which I want my Senator’s attention riveted until they’re resolved. Mr. Cardin has been Senator for the last five years, four months, and a Congressman for twenty years before that. Unfortunately, his efforts on my country’s and my family’s behalf have fallen short, way short, of what our national situation requires.
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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Hi. Yesterday I posted an article (Ben Cardin v. Dan Bongino: “Next Contestant”) which generated surprisingly strong traffic. My point was that, while Ben Cardin (Democrat), the one-term incumbent U.S. Senator running for reelection in Maryland, was more or less competent, he had failed to make any significant difference toward resolving the major issues of our time. I argued that he was ordinary in times which are anything but. That I hold him, and every Representative, Senator and the President, responsible for the failure of government to resolve our most pressing problems while they are in office. That it’s time to give the “next contestant,” who happens to be Republican challenger Dan Bongino, a political newcomer, a fresh mandate. Particularly when our country is in trouble, there’s got to be more to being in Congress than just showing up.

I know it’s hard to believe, but apparently not everyone appreciated the laser accurate insight I had to offer. (It happens even to the best of us.) Usually, I respond to comments with a comment, something clever and occasionally on point, but I thought this one was worth its own post. To quote the comment:

Fine but a circular argument. No one person can change our governmental process. Will Mr. Bongino stand up and scream for the betterment of Maryland citizens or are we just “passing the torch” to a new elected figurehead who will be powerless?

“Thank you,” whoever you are. It’s a good question which deserves a thoughtful answer.
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April 27, 2012

First of all, and perhaps most importantly, this piece has nothing to do with politics per se. I’m a registered Independent with a history of voting for candidates of both party affiliations. What this column is about is how I’m deciding for whom I’ll vote in November.

In Maryland, single term incumbent Democrat Senator Ben Cardin is running for reelection against Republican Dan Bongino who has never held elective office. For the sake of discussion, I’m going to stipulate that both are good men in all respects. I’m not going to dispute a single aspect of Senator Cardin’s voting history or argue with his positions on various economic and social issues. Nor am I going to challenge Mr. Bongino with respect to his politics.

The Incumbent

The Challenger

It’s not to say that candidate positions are irrelevant. Of course not. They are important, but only relatively speaking. We can argue about this or that policy particular until, as they say, the cows come home, or vote for the candidate who sounds or looks better, for the one with whom we feel more comfortable for some reason. That’s all fine and good were it not that the problems our country is facing – economic and otherwise – are so serious that we need to demand something more of our representatives in Congress, something much more than just showing up.
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