Grasmick for LG?

[OnBackground]

On today's <a href="http://wamu.org/programs/kn/">Kojo Nnamdi Show</a>, Paul Schurick, the governor's press secretary, had at least one very positive comment about Nancy Grasmick, the state superintendent of schools. Wonder if she's on Ehrlich's short list for LG? After all, Grasmick's got money, picking a woman and a Democrat would be a strategic choice in a climate where he has to expand his base, and it would give Ehrlich's ticket a good angle to attack O'Malley on schools.

The panelists also discussed that the governor invited Doug Duncan for the announcement of the route for the ICC. While they got on the subject of whether Ehrlich's people orchestrate the crowds and suppress dissent, another thing occurred to me. Obviously with the ICC running through Montgomery County, inviting the MoCo executive seems reasonable, but might that not be the only reason? Do you think it was an effort to buoy Duncan so that he would continue to bloody O'Malley?

[USAcitizen]

1. Grasmick is a democrat in name only

Ehrlich has her in his pocket. She being his running mate will only hurt Maryland (being if they win)

[aintitfunny]

2. Erlich would definately prefer to run against

Duncan then O'Malley and he will do whatever he needs to in order to achieve that matchup. I have also heard that Grasmick may be and LG candidate.

[DaveinMD]

3. Duncan

was for the ICC before Ehrlich knew what it was. Doug is a very loyal Democrat. The ICC is Doug's crusade.

Grasmick is a disloyal Dem who was almost LG last time.

[OnBackground]

4. responding

My point wasn't to speculate about Duncan's loyalty in this post, but just to suggest a strategic reason for asking Duncan to join him beyond the official reason that he had been an ICC proponent.

And as for Grasmick, I'm not getting into whether she's a good Dem or not, just into the question of whether she might be under consideration as someone who could help Ehrlich capture a new base of votes -- wavering Dems and a broader slice of the womens vote.

The Post reports this morning that Glenn Ivey and Martin O'Malley are saying (in response to another article) that Ivey hasn't (yet) been chosen as O'Malley's LG partner. Not really news, since neither ruled out that it could happen, just that it hadn't happened.

[mdguss]

5. Ehrlich would beat O'Malley:

See the window in the Republican headquarters--and there is a ton of stuff they could use in the future. As long as he stays away from the stupid personal stuff, Ehrlich will beat O'Malley.

I'm not going to do their work for them and attack a fellow Democrat, but I will say that Ehrlich wants to run against (and beat) O'Malley and settle their grudge match for good. Unfortunately, I think he might be successful in that mission.

[DaveinMD]

6. O'Malley or Duncan

will beat Ehrlich if they run a good campaign.

[aintitfunny]

7. O'Malley can and will win against Erlich

I don't care what is in the Republican Headquarters window. That is BS. I think Erlich would much rather run against anyone other than O'Malley. I have yet to investigate Duncan much, but hope to meet and hear him this fall. At this point I think he is a weaker candidate than O'Malley, but that is most likely just lack of familiarity. If he is the nominee, I believe he will take back the Gov. Mansion as well. It will be close, but Erlich has spent all the political capital and his honeymoon with the electorate is over.