Maryland Juice writers David Moon & Dan Furmansky are pleased to announce a major new milestone in the short history of this upstart progressive politics blog: we've now crossed the one million reads mark! We're celebrating the occasion by hosting a "one million views" party on Monday, November 18th from 6-8pm at the Paladar Latin Kitchen in Rockville, Maryland (near the White Flint red line Metro station). We'll be joined by a surprise line-up of elected officials and candidates who are willing to jump into the muck with Maryland Juice readers and take live questions from the audience. Details below:
YOU'RE INVITED: Please Join Maryland Juice hosts David Moon & Dan Furmansky for our first-ever reader party. We'll be providing tasty snacks, fun socializing with Maryland politicos, and unfiltered audience Q&A with elected officials and candidates for high profile offices. We'll provide details on the speakers line-up closer to the event.
Maryland Juice Unplugged : One Million Views Party
SPONSOR THE PARTY FOR A FREE AD ON MARYLAND JUICE: We are seeking sponsors to cover the food for this event. Event sponsorship costs $200 and includes a free ad on Maryland Juice for one month. We'll replace either our Norm Stone or Sam Arora ads with your on MarylandJuice.com. We reserve the right to refuse any ads. Please inquire at: david@marylandjuice.com.
Maryland has now completed its early voting period, and the Board of Elections now has turnout figures for all five days of early voting. Below we provide our quick and dirty analysis of the turnout data, and along the way we highlight a few interesting tidbits. The full data sheets are at the bottom of this post.
JUICE #1: DEMOCRATS TROUNCED REPUBLICANS IN EARLY VOTE TURNOUT - The most important fact from 2012 early voting in Maryland is that Democrats participated in early balloting at a far higher rate than Republicans:
430,573 voters or fully 11.65% of all eligible voters turned out for early voting this year. But within the early voting population, Democrats participated at a significantly higher rate than Republicans or independents. 13.94% of Democrats voted early, compared to only 9.31% of Republicans. See the early vote breakdown by party:
Democrat - 287,057 (13.94% of eligible Democrats)
Republican - 89,393 (9.31% of eligible Republicans)
Unaffiliated - 49,773 (8.09% of eligible independents)
Libertarian - 714 (6.34% of eligible Libertarians)
Green - 574 (6.59% of eligible Greens)
Americans Elect - 6 (4.58% of eligible Americans Elect members)
Other - 3,056 (7.59% of eligible members of other parties)
Below Maryland Juice provides a blend of news tidbits about the current election battles, starting with early vote news:
JUICE #1: NO EARLY VOTING TODAY (MONDAY) - In case you haven't already heard, Gov. Martin O'Malley has shut down early voting today, due to the Hurricane. He made the announcement in a recent storm update (excerpt below):
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: Since Thursday October 25, the entire state of Maryland has been under a state of emergency. Hurricane Sandy is fast approaching and forecasters predict that it will be a large, violent storm that could knock out power for a few days and cause significant damage. This is a serious, killer storm. It's important that everyone is vigilant.... Due to the storm, we are canceling early voting on Monday October 29, 2012.
Question 6 supporters at Baltimore City poll
JUICE #2: BALTIMORE CITY VIDEO // MARRIAGE EQUALITY VOLUNTEERS DOMINATE POLL COVERAGE
- A Maryland Juice reader (Hat tip: Lisa Polyak) sent us the following video footage of the last-minute campaigning at a Baltimore City early voting location.
The clip below was shot yesterday, the second day of Early Voting in Maryland, and it includes Maryland Juice's "Obama + Dream Act + Marriage Equality" lawnsign. (Note: video edited by Juice):
LISA POLYAK: I shot short video walking the line of folks waiting to get into the polling sign-in at the League for People With Disabilities polling station on Cold Spring Lane. Wait time estimated at 1.5-2 hours. Note the only folks staffing the voter line were YES on 6; NO on 7 and YES on 7. Fun shot at the end is someone who was walking the line (yesterday & today) with one of your Obama/Dream Act/Marriage Equality signs.
JUICE #3: DEMS MAINTAIN EARLY VOTE ADVANTAGE ON DAY 2 // DEM WOMEN 45-65 DOMINATING TURNOUT
- Yesterday, we reported that the first day of early voting demonstrated greater enthusiasm from Democratic voters in Maryland. They turned out at nearly twice the rate as Republicans, and the latest report from the Board of Elections proves it wasn't a fluke. Dems turned out at nearly twice the rate of Republicans on the second day of early voting. Also of note is that Democratic women age 45-65 are turning out in far larger numbers than any other group (see page 5 of the full BOE report below). In fact, twice as many women fitting that profile turned out than the next highest group -- Democratic men age 45-65, who are in 2nd place. But first, here's the current total D & R turnout from the first two days of balloting:
Democrats91,185 (4.43%) vs. Republicans26,809 (2.79%)
JUICE #4: U.S. SENATE RACE BECOMES BATTLE FOR 2ND PLACE FOR MARYLAND GOP
- The Capital Gazette today quotes a politico who highlights the shabby state of the Maryland GOP. The article notes that Maryland's U.S. Senate battle between Ben Cardin, Rob Sobhani, and Dan Bongino has become a race for 2nd place (Hat tip: Maryland Reporter). Indeed, with Cardin so far ahead in the race, the Maryland GOP stands to lose a lot of face. Even still, Maryland Juice doubts that a trouncing this year will lead to much soul-searching by the Free State Republicans. See an excerpt from The Capital Gazette below:
CAPITAL GAZETTE: “...anybody who observes Maryland politics and isn’t partisan has to agree: Maryland’s Republican Party is a mess.” [Todd] Eberly, a political independent, said the GOP is simply too conservative for the bulk of Maryland voters, who do not consider “progressive” a dirty word. “You don’t run a candidate who would win in Texas, in Maryland,” Eberly said.... The real challenge for the GOP may be staying out of third place.
JUICE #5: CRAZY FULL PAGE ANTI-MARRIAGE EQUALITY AD IN BALTIMORE SUN
- A reader sent us the following photos of a full-page ad in yesterday's Baltimore Sun urging Christians to oppose marriage equality. They also provide us with choice quotes from the screed. See below. Notably, a majority of Christians support LGBT rights.
BALTIMORE SUN ANTI-MARRIAGE EQUALITY AD: "Gay marriage is Satan's unfinished business - a repeat scene, similar to the one recorded in the garden of Eden, where Satan tempted Eve, 'in the day you eat from the tree your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5).' In the leaglization of gay marriage, man is now like God, determining good and evil."
The closing tag line states:
This Treatise is Encouraged by the People of God at the Upper Cross Roads Baptist Church, Baldwin, MD (Dr. Robert A. Condict, Pastor)
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, 'STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH...BE ALERT AND SOBER' - VOTE "AGAINST" QUESTION 6.
JUICE #6: LAST CHANCE TO ADVERTISE ON MARYLAND JUICE BEFORE THE ELECTION // BID BEFORE 4 PM TODAY - Maryland Juice is offering a rare opportunity to advertise on our blog (we rarely do this). We are hosting an eBay auction for ad space that will appear on every page and article at MarylandJuice.com for the week of the November 6 election. But note that the auction ends today around 4 pm, and the current high bid right now is a measly $10! Bid now to snatch up a bargain.
MARYLAND AMONG TOP 5 "POWERHOUSE" STATES IN CHARLOTTE: Today Charlotte, North Carolina playedhost to the first day of proceedings at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Maryland Dems should have a few reasons to keep tabs on what's happening in Charlotte this week. After all, Politico rated Maryland among the top five "powerhouse" states at the DNC this year (excerpt below):
POLITICO: All 50 states are represented in Charlotte, but they’re not equal in relevance.... For a state with just 10 electoral votes, solidly Democratic Maryland packs a serious punch.
It’s not just the five speakers that Maryland will put forth on the convention stage. The delegation features two top former labor leaders ... and several top congressional Democrats....
The Democrat cutting the highest profile in the delegation, however, is Gov. Martin O’Malley, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association... And as a 2016 prospect, O’Malley is keeping an aggressive speaking schedule to other states’ breakfast meetings.
UPDATE: Marylanders for Marriage Equality Campaign Director Josh Levin released the following statement in response to the President’s remarks:
“We’re delighted -- as millions of Americans undoubtedly are -- with the news that our President supports civil marriage rights for all committed couples. He’s made history today, and he’s given same-sex couples and their children hope that they deserve and will someday be granted full protection under the law and the recognition that comes through marriage.
“His announcement is especially important to our coalition and to the thousands of couples and families in Maryland who are working to ensure the Civil Marriage Protection Act is upheld this November.
“The President’s words will no doubt inspire thousands more conversations around kitchen tables and in communities across our state. It’s a dialogue that is invaluable as Marylanders consider the issue of marriage equality. We are confident that those Marylanders who, like our President, have wrestled with the issue will come to understand as President Obama has, that marriage equality is rooted in basic fairness and strengthening all families.
“We are confident that the momentum in Maryland and our country will continue to build toward equality and we thank the President for so boldly leading us in that direction.”
Maryland Juice is pleased to announce that President Barack Obama has endorsed marriage equality in the United States of America. Unlike other party leaders, he apparently knows how to manage the Democratic brand, take appropriate risks and ultimately to do the right thing. Hat tip to the MoCo Young Democrats who had a press release ready to go. They are ready to fire up the youth vote to pass marriage equality in Maryland this November. See their statement below, and check out the video interview of Obama's breaking announcement at ABC News (transcript below):
President Obama: "I have to tell you that over the course of several
years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think
about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous
relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together,
when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who
are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now
that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit
themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that
for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I
think same sex couples should be able to get married.
PRESS RELEASE
Montgomery County Young Democrats Proud to Stand with President Obama as He Voices Full Support for Marriage Equality
“The Montgomery County Young Democrats are so proud to stand by President Obama as he announces his full support of marriage equality for gay and lesbian Americans. The election results in North Carolina yesterday showed that our country has a long way to go to move beyond our shameful history of discrimination and injustice. But we pledge to do everything we can to stand with our President, with LGBT families and allies in order to defend marriage equality for Marylanders at the polls this year,” said Montgomery County Young Democrats President Dave Kunes.
The organization partnered with the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Maryland and the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition this past year to build support and pass marriage equality legislation in the 2012 legislative session. Members phonebanked at the offices of Progressive Maryland & Delegate Heather Mizeur in the six months leading up to the bill’s passage.
“I'm pleased to hear that President Obama has shown his full support for marriage equality. It shows that he understands that full equality for all means supporting marriage equality.Marriage equality is the only way to offer legal protections to loving couples and families regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. As a gay Marylander, I sincerely hope that our hard-fought battle for marriage equality in this state spreads nationwide so that ALL Americans are able to marry the person they love,” said former MCYD board member Aris Kyriakopoulos.
With the legislation now facing a November referendum, the Young Democrats will continue to ramp up efforts to protect marriage equality this summer with more phonebanking, canvassing and other outreach efforts. Supporters who wish to get involved may signup at www.mcyd.org/defend-equality.
Maryland Juice has been checking in with politicos and scanning the news to get a sense of turnout for today's Presidential and Congressional Primaries. Every single source is indicating turnout today is exceptionally low across the board. Even the contested GOP Presidential Primary does not appear to be generating much interest. Two politicos who are looking at the statewide political scene had only this to say about turnout:
Source 1: "Just low everywhere."
Source 2: "As of 11 AM, Prince George's and Charles are outpacing every other jurisdiction in the State."
One source in Montgomery County's 8th Congressional District arrived at the morning polls and texted Maryland Juice the following message: "Turnout is extremely low. Perhaps historically so." Indeed, Maryland Juice previously reported that CD8 had the worst turnout in the state during early voting.
PATCH.COM REPORTS ON AM TURNOUT: Thanks to the small army of micro-bloggers at the Patch.com, I have been able to compile a snapshot of turnout numbers and anecdotes from around Maryland. Below see a few clips from the Patch army:
