There is word on the street that Delegate Liz Bobo is considering backing a challenge to Councilperson Mary Kay Sigaty in the next Democratic primary. The chasm between these former Democratic allies has been widening since Mary Kay found her own voice on Columbia Town Center redevelopment. Now it appears that Liz is seriously considering putting her formidable political machine behind someone else.
In local politics, Liz is often considered “unbeatable.” She has held her delegate (District 12B) seat since 1994 and in the last election she ran unopposed.
Nobody is unbeatable. Just ask Barak Obama.
Liz was also beaten by a dark horse in her bid for a second term as County Executive in 1990. That was year that Chuck Ecker defeated her by a little over 200 votes. Chuck went on to serve two full terms. He now serves as Superintendent of the Carroll County School System.
The question is, in this day and age of a new energy in politics, is the Bobo machine still strong enough to have it’s way in District 4?
Perhaps we shall soon see.
The Gift of Human Kindness
6 hours ago
8 comments:
Don't do this. Tell us who.
"She has held her delegate (District 12B) seat since 1994 and in the last election she ran unopposed."
I won't say he put up much of a challenge, but Bobo did have a Republican challenger in her last election (2006) - Chris Feldwick. She won 75%-24%.
This is totally uncool. Tell us what you know.
Anon 1:20 PM & 3:39 PM,
All in good time...
-wb
Perhaps I should retread my thinking about Mary Kay. I discounted most of her positions because I thought she was Liz' rubber stamp. Perhaps Mary Kay has some real rubber to put on the road. Do you think Liz is still trying to find a job for her hubbie? If not CA, why not the County Council?
HH
Isn't it considered to be in very poor taste for a party to run a serious challenger against one of their own incumbents?
First, I'm happy to hear there may be a bit more heat and energy in an upcoming council election.
What I'd add to your bit-o-word-on-da-street news, Dennis, is that it's quite likely that Del Bobo's reign is over, and significantly more so than she could ever know. And I offer that it's less about her actual record and more about what you point to: a new political climate.
As I see and understand things, there are deep cultural shifts that occur every 20-22 years. And a shift is a shift in direction, not a slight turn to the right or left. The cultural shifts also happen in an alternating pattern of dominant-recessive, dominant-recessive, so most folk are less aware of the clocking of the shifts because every other shift is recessive. (Read: most only notice the shifts every 40-44 years.)
Well, the one we're in now is a dominant one, in the language and circles in which I speak. It is the shift into Society's Winter. All the petty whatever, posturing and values-based (i.e. "single issue voter) stuff becomes not only obsolete but dangerous to the good of the public will. And that's the point, the past 20 years were an era (Society's Fall and harvest time) when personal expression trumped public will.
Ixnay on that. No more.
Prepare for 15-20 years of public and personal values of increasing contraction wherein personal needs no longer usurp public need.
This may or may not resonate as connected to Del Bobo. But jump with me a moment into a higher conversation. It's the cultural shift that's the issue here. And Del Bobo -- and any other politician, business person, individual or whatever --regardless of past experiences, sense of power or ability to be successful in public life, is now officially in a new game.
No one can swim against a rip tide and survive. No one.
Gotta go with the current to be successful. And that requires a leap of faith to believe that allowing a vast and frightening ocean to carry you further from the shores of safety is a better strategy -- nay, the only strategy -- when facing a riptide, cultural or literal.
Based on Mary Kay's abysmal 180 on positions, somebody could easily replace her.
But would make much more sense if you thought someone was targeting a run against Guzzone/Pendergrass/Turner.
Take a look at legislation they're proposing.
I agree, things are changing for the better. But I think some would prefer rebellion for rebellion's sake rather than change based on reason with the goal of better ethics, better representation, better information and better broad-based involvement.
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