Would Mfume have won in '06 against Steele?

[liberalpragmatist]

I recently saw Mfume speak on television and I remembered his '06 Senate campaign in which he narrowly lost the primary to now-Sen. Ben Cardin. At the time, I remember a lot of concern that Mfume would lose to Steele but Cardin could win.

I like Ben Cardin. Still - as a non-Maryland resident, I must admit - I kind of wish Mfume had been picked. Despite some of his personal foibles, he was a good congressman and a very good leader of the NAACP. And while Cardin is very solid, it sits wrong with me that there is virtually no African-American representation in the Senate, save Roland Burris. It's always good to get different perspectives and to have people from a variety of walks of life. Mfume would have come from a very different background than most of the Senate.

OTOH, maybe we'd be stuck with Sen. Michael Steele. That's why I'm asking the Maryland DU'ers: do you think Mfume could have won against Steele? And even if he had won, would it have taken up resources that helped Democrats win in places like Montana, Missouri and Virginia?

[Faygo Kid]

1. Hell, yes. I would have voted for him in a heartbeat.

Cardin isn't bad, but I've had some problems with him. Mfume would have shaken things up a bit more, although he's pretty establishment, too.

What a jackass Steele is, though. It's OK; he's not "pure" enough for the GOP these days, so he's finished.

[madinmaryland]

2. I think he would have been able to beat Steele, but maybe not as easily as Cardin did.

The Goopers would have used the NAACP boogeyman to scare white democrats, the typical rovian strategy. Though considering the inept campaign that Steele ran, I don't think it would have made much of a difference who ran.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. He was my guy in 06

(I am VERY happy with Cardin - we had an embarrassment of riches in the 06 Dem primary here)

Keep in mind .... he lost to Cardin - well known and well funded - with a huge financial disadvantage. Were he to have beaten Cardin in the primary, he would have been even stronger than Cardin, in my view. Cardin would have backed him and Cardin's support and party money would have gone to Mfume.

The whole "Cardin would have been stronger" theme was about race. The Maryland Dems were looking for crossovers and a high independent turnout and the fear is they would not have voted for a black man.

Maryland went for Obama at pretty much the same rate they'd have gone for Mfume.

Again .... I'm very happy with Carin, but as good as he is, Mfume would have been better. First, he's even more liberal than the liberal Cardin. A real media star and the interview every talking head show would want week after week. Plus he is a media person himself and knows how to work a camera.

[CBHagman]

4. I voted for him in the primary...

...and I would like to see more diversity in the House and the Senate.

That said, I heard Ben Cardin speak in '06 and was duly impressed by how he fired up the crowd.

Frankly I haven't the least desire to worry about what might have been in '06. The thing to do now is to run good candidates, effective candidates, win elections, and then prove effective at legislating.

I write this after having heard NPR's report on one of Ben Cardin's town hall meetings and having written him an e-mail on the subject of health care reform.