Is Mfume's Senate run in trouble?

[kwassa]

The Post has run a number of articles about a brewing scandal from his days as President of the NAACP. To put in simply, a woman in his office brought a lawsuit that alleges that promotions within NAACP headquarters were based on sexual relationships with either Mfume or one of his older son. The truth of any of this is open to speculation, of course, but there has been an article every day, based on a confidential legal memo that was leaked.

[SaveElmer]

1. He ought to drop out...

It's gonna be a tough race. Republicans will probably put up Lt. Gov. Steele. Ben Cardin is a good candidate in the Sarbanes mold and the party ought to get behind him. Mfume is a good guy and I don't know whether or no these charges are true, but now is not the time to have to deal with it. Also, I have serious doubts as to whether he is really a viable candidate state wide.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I like Mfume and would support him for Senate ... that being said ....

... the current shitstorm won't help him one bit. But, we have yet to see if the story has a basis or if it has legs. If either turns out to be true (it has a basis, even if unproven, or it gets legs) it would be best that he drop out of the Senate race.

As to Steele ..... I don't really see him winning ..... but anything's possible since we're a fully unverifiable BBV state and he's one of the regime's houseboys.

[nickshepDEM]

3. Ehhh, I like Cardin, anyway. eom

[OnBackground]

4. Mfume commentary

Former Rep. Kweisi <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.mfume30apr30,1,7278178.story?coll=bal-home-headlines">Mfume</a> is already talking to voters across Maryland as Cardin gets started and Rep. Chris Van Hollen and others decide whether to enter the race:
<blockquote>Mfume entered the race on the first business day after Sarbanes said he would not run again. "That was a masterstroke of political strategy," said Thomas F. Schaller, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County who is supporting Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin in the primary, because it froze out other major African-American candidates such as congressmen Albert R. Wynn and Elijah E. Cummings and Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey.</blockquote>

The piece also mentions how he is dealing with the flap.

Both <a href="http://www.mfumeforsenate.com/">Mfume</a> and <a href="http://www.bencardin.com/">Cardin</a> now have basic sites up, though they are a bit bare bones.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Man, that's tough ....... I really like Mfume and would support him

... probably even over Cardin. Not to say I don't like Cardin. I do and will be very happy if he gets the nod. But Mfume is a chance to for Maryland to stand up and be counted. Mfume has the most national name recognition of any of the potential candidates on either side. The fact he's African American adds to the appeal for me. There's no doubt whatever in my mind that he'd be a great Senator for Maryland, a great representative for the Dem view, and would have pretty good media coverage (since, in addition to being a former congressman and former NAACP head, he's also a former radio and teevee host). He's media and that does nothing but help not only Maryland but all Dems.

Elijah Cummings is my congressman and I really like him, too (except for his being out in front on this whole steroids in sports distraction that Bush engineered .... I don't see the point in any of that carp, myself). All I know of Wynn is what I've seen on teevee. I know virtually nothing of Ivey except that he's African American (at least I think he is).

As to Cardin ... as I said above ..... I like him and will be very happy to see him get the nod and be Senator, but he's kinda ... I don't know .... ordinary ... in a nice way .... but ordinary.

With Mfume, there's so much more. I know some of it is snap and sizzle, but that ain't a bad thing.

Now let's just hope this potential lawsuit/sexual favoritism crap fades permanently away.

[aintitfunny]

7. I hate seeing this garbage

surface and have to question the timing, as one does most all things surrounding a political figure.

I just know that I have sort of already given my political heart to Mfume for the Senate race. Elijah Cummings is also my Congressman and Mfume was my Congressman before him. I have always been impressed by him.

I also respect and admire Ben Cardin. Of the two I have met Congressman Cardin and he is a great guy. I would be happy to have him as my Senator and should he win the GE I will be behind him completely and without reservation.

That being said, however, barring an un-winnable GE as a result of accusations and nastiness, I would prefer having Mfume. Partially for some of the reasons you put forth but primarily because he is a Black man of stature and recognition. All things being equal, I think we need him. With Mr. Erlich's flagging popularity it seems increasingly probable that Michael Steele will be the Republican candidate. That means the Republican Party would be nominating an African American before we do. I would find that at least embarrassing.

Besides running an inept campaign, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was outmaneuvered when she chose an old white guy to be her LT Gov. Please do not mistake me, he was a fine gentleman, but her selection was certainly no boon to her campaign. When Erlich announced Steele at his LG later, it was quite an event.

Let us be realistic and let us be fair. The African American community in Maryland is an important block of the Maryland Democratic Party. In the 2000 census African Americans were counted as 27+% of the Maryland population. We should not invite them to leave our party by being afraid to run Mfume. You know the Republicans will be playing this up, perhaps not overtly, but certainly they will use it against us. I am not saying we should run a less qualified candidate to appease our fellow Democrats. I am not suggesting that we run a Black candidate at all costs. I think, though, when we have a highly qualified, well known and distinguished candidate in Kwaisi Mfume. We should not count him out, especially this early in the game. I hope that these accusations are unfounded and I also hope that they are not politically motivated, but I have my doubts.

I frankly put forth this subject matter with trepidation, it is not my intent to offend, just the rantings of an opinionated middle-aged white woman.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. "I would find that at least embarrassing"

At **least** .... to say the least!

I suspect you ("a middle aged white woman") and I (a middle aged white man) could start an echo chamber. :)

The race issue is not insignificant. I would be appalled at our Maryland Dems if we were not the first to nominate a black man (or woman, for that matter) for serious statewide office. I am already more than a bit embarassed that the repugs beat us with Steele. There ought to be many heads a-hangin' low on our side.

Looking at the obvious 'possibles' for us - Mfume, Cummings, Wynn, and Ivey - it seems to me Mfume has it all. Not to take anything away from the others. But look at what you get:

Campaign experience
Legislative experience
Media savy and media experience
Executive and service experience (NAACP)
Good looking guy
Compelling life story (former gang member who is self made in many ways)

Were he not also a black man, he'd still be an attractive candidate. The fact that we're in Maryland - reliably Dem (so far), large black/minority population - makes him our best choice.

It is about damned time we demonstrate through action what we say we believe.

As to the "scandal" ..... I have no basis for saying this, but to me it has all the smell of Martin O'Malley's similar travail ..... and hence my suspicion it has the same root ...... someone on the other side. I mean, come on now ..... O'Malley's likely the stronger gov contender and Mfume (*particularly* if they run Steele) is the strongest Sen contender ..... as many say ..... do the math.

But even putting all of this aside, I just think Mfume is the better man for Senator ........ at this time, in this place. Nothing taken from Cardin ....... but I like Mfume just for who and what he is, irrespective of his race.

[aintitfunny]

9. Yes, Mfume is the better man

man...man..man (Echo)

[DaveinMD]

6. there is a ton of time left

Stuff will shake out. All this talk about campaigns being in trouble at this stage is all inside baseball.

[Frances]

10. I agree

I learned the hard way that a primary can be a good thing. I thought that it was good that KKT did not have a serious challenger in the Dem primary in 2002. I was wrong.

I do hope that the Dem contenders keep their focus on Ehrlich as the bad guy rather than each other. Kerry was helped a lot by the Dem primaries. It was the Swift Boat Liars who brought him down, not his Dem opponents.