…is that the brands of both political parties are badly tarnished. The damage that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement have done to the Republican Party is exceedingly well-documented. What has not been sufficiently discussed, for reasons I can only guess, is the unforgivable failure of the Democratic Party to capitalize on GOP disarray. Since you raised District 37, let’s do a comparative look at voter registration figures in those nine counties between January (when Trump took office) through the end of June
What this tells me is that Trump has given the Democrats the necessary ingredients for a blue wave on a gilded platter and that the Democrats have, at least thus far, refused to accept it. How in the world aren’t we growing in one of the poorest regions of the state at a time when Trump’s policies are dismantling the social safety net for the most vulnerable Americans? How are we not making gains in the state’s agricultural bread basket at a time when Trump’s tariffs disproportionately impact the American farmer that depends upon overseas markets for grain, poultry, beef and soybeans?
What we are seeing is the continued expansion of the unaffiliated voter base at a time when people are losing trust in civic and political institutions across the spectrum. And so far as I can see, neither party – in their zeal to mollify their respective bases – is speaking to their concerns. I think we are heading into a highly volatile election cycle in which success will go to those candidates with the brains and guts to deviate from their partisan talking points, and instead speak to local issues in a way that resonates with local communities.
We see the exact same trends in other politically dynamic jurisdictions across the state – Anne Arundel, Harford, Frederick. Democrats and Republicans both shedding voters, while the unaffiliated rolls continue to swell.
Len N. Foxwell
Principal, Tred Avon Strategies;.
Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University.
Director, HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge.
Len.foxwell@tredavonstrategies.com
410.202.6694
www.tredavonstrategies.com
N.B. I asked Len for comments for an article that I was writing. Instead of a few quotes he gave me this which is a stand alone article. Keep in mind as a Political Strategist Foxwell is one of the very few people who has won contested races in every county in Maryland except Garrett.
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