After wavering and waffling and swaying with

[aintitfunny]

the breeze, I have decided I shall waffle no more. My political heart belongs in the Mfume for Senate camp. He is where I headed in the beginning and now I have finally made the commitment - he is who I shall back in this primary. I was at an event tonight where he spoke along with Martin O'Malley and Balt. Cty Exec. Jim Smith. It was great.

I like Smith. I already support O'Malley and I had been leaning Mfume but looking at Lichtman. I like Ben Cardin,he is a good man, but his vote for the Patriot Act really disturbed me. Mfume is taking no special interest money. He is literally working his campaign meeting the people directing his campaing at individual Marylanders one at a time. He is a workhorse. Mfume is savvy and serious and what he preaches I believe. He is impressive.

So whatever the argument, whatever the logic I shall go with my gut and my heart and vote for the person who is most representative of me, most representative of my outlook and what I want for my country. Should he get the candidacy I will work like hell to get him elected. If he does not win the candidacy I will wholeheartedly support the Democrat.

That is all.

[nickshepDEM]

1. Good for you, but remember to fall in line in the general election...

Senator Cardin -- Take it to the bank.

[Mutley]

3. I'd vote Cardin in a second.

He's been my rep for years now and he's just great.

[aintitfunny]

5. I will proudly support Cardin as the

candidate in the General Election. I think he is an honorable man.

[aintitfunny]

7. PS - I assume you will get behind

Mfume should he get the nod.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I'm not quite there yet ......

.... but I can say without a doubt I started where you did - Mfume.

I'm really still very much uncommitted.

I like Cardin and will happily vote for him if he gets the nom (which I suspect he will). I also like Lichtman but suspect he's never get out of single digits.

All that said, and assuming Steele really goes down hard, the best man for the state and for the country is, in fact, Mfume.

He has it all. He's smart and good looking. He's incredibly media savy and very telegenic. His name is as 'in-your-face' as Ombama, and has many of the same qualities (except he's way more liberal). He's a pure, old time liberal. He has national name recognition.

Yeah ..... I like Mfume.

[aintitfunny]

6. I will be donning the Mfume sticker today

as soon as I clean a spot on my pollen laden car rear window. I agree with your assessment and though I have concerns, I am pleased that I have heard nothing negative from either Cardin or Mfume regarding each other or other candidates in the race. That helps us all pull together behind whoever is the candidate in November.

[Baltimore]

11. African names

The names of Barack Obama and Kwesi Mfume are not at all comparable. The Illinois senator was christened Barack Obama--his father was a first-generation immigrant (temporarily) from Kenya. Kwesi Mfume changed his name from whatever it was originally, some English-sounding name, to something more picturesque and "ethnic," indicating, I guess, his rejection of his family's deracination. The only way Obama's name could be called "in your face" is that he didn't change it when he grew up. It would be kind of funny if he changed his name to something WASP-sounding
while Mfume was changing his name to sound African. A couple of guys with an identity problem? But Barack Obama did keep his 100% genuine name.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Point taken

(And I knew that about Mfume)

My point had much more to do with the impression left on the other side by the name.

But to put a finer point on it, it is not a reason, in and of itself, to support the guy.

[AnnieBW]

13. Besides

Kwesi sounds too much like "queasy".

I'd vote for either one of them. Both are capable. Unfortunately, I think that Steele's backers are salivating at the thought of trashing Mfume with the NAACP financial problems and his girlfriend on the payroll. Expect some Rovian swift-boating if Mfume gets the nod.

[yellowcanine]

4. I have my Cardin sticker on. Mfume has a little too much baggage, imo.

The flakiness factor worries me. This year Democrats need to put forward squeaky clean candidates to demonstrate the contrast with the scandal tainted Republicans. Nevertheless, I would support Mfume or any other of the announced Democratic candidates over Steele any day. Steele has no real experience that would suggest he could be a good U.S. Senator.

[aintitfunny]

8. That baggage has been raised as an issue before

and that is what sent me swaying first toward Cardin and then toward Lichtman, but I am back with Mfume, because I know he is honorable. I will happily and actively support Cardin as the nominee should it happen, but in the primary I am please to have finally made a decision.

[nealzonwheelz]

9. It's going to be

an interesting race, thus far it has been. Am I the only one that believes the O^ Senate race here is looking more and more the the deomocratic primary for president in 04, candidate wise? I mean Cardin seems like a Kerry to some, Mfume could be the Dean, Rales is besically Liberman(the closet repugblican), Van Sustren is besicall Mosley-braun, Lictman could be Kussinnich, of course in the scheme of things you cant really compare but I'm just looking at the race similarites in terms of how it's being played out.

[nickshepDEM]

10. Van Sustren dropped out a couple weeks ago.