The Weekly Standard’s Jonathan Last

The Weekly Standard’s Jonathan Last on some of the Democrats’ last-minute dirty tricks in Maryland and New Hampshire. In passing, Last notes that Maryland’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich picked an African-American running mate, Michael Steele. Years ago, Steele worked as a legal assistant at the law firm I was with. I didn’t work with him, but he was an exceedingly personable fellow with an impressive presence. Ehrlich presumably picked Steele in part to attract African-American voters. It hasn’t worked. The polls show with Ehrlich at 7% among blacks. But my theory is that Steele is an asset nonetheless. His presence on the ticket helps reinforce Ehrlich’s message that he is a “moderate” not a “right-winger.” In addition, I think Maryland swing voters may have been turned off when Townsend’s African-American supporters passed out oreo cookies, the racial slur that blacks sometimes use against one another, during a debate. In any event, last night, in what must have been just about the last Ehrlich television spot of the campaign, Michael Steele appeared solo urging Marylanders to support Bob Ehrlich.