Operation Counterweight is just taking shape for 2012. Redistricting has slowed down my process of identifying House races.
But in the Senate, I’m focused on Richard Mourdock’s primary challenge to Dick Lugar, and Barry Hinckley’s general election challenge to Sheldon Whitehouse.
As you know, the theory behind Operation Counterweight is that we have to move the Republicans in the House and Senate to conservative, and/or identify races which may not be receiving enough national attention and where we can make a difference.
In the Senate, we need not just to take back the Senate in the places people expect, but to pick up one or two seats that people don’t expect, so that if we do gain the majority, it’s not subject to Dems picking off one or two weak links.
Is it possible I have missed something?
There has been a fair amoung of buzz lately about Dan Bongino, who just won the Republican primary in Maryland with Tea Party support, defeating the establishment Republican candidate. He goes up against Ben Cardin.
Bongino is a former NYC policeman and Secret Service agent. Here’s a clip about his primary win.
They say he has no chance. Which is exactly what they said about Scott Brown on December 9, 2009.
Here’s a recent interview he had with Neil Cavuto in December:
So tell me about Dan Bongino.
Update: Some interesting background posts at Anthropocon, who prepared this video:
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Comments
Maryland is an even Bluer state than my California, but I think Cardin’s got the fight of his life on his hands. I’ve only know Bongino through what’s publicly available through his site and elsewhere, but he strikes me as formidable and impressive.
Dan is formidable. And while the press and others are saying the race is all but over, remember that Ben Cardin has been in public office for over 44 years and needs to go. Dan’s message is partly that this is not a fight between parties, it is a fight for ideas. Most people live as conservatives, don’t want the government running their lives, and don’t want redistribution of wealth. But, they don’t vote that way – they keep on voting for the same old, same old. Dan is fresh, young, smart, and accessible. He holds dual Master’s in economics and psychology. So, basically, he gets it!! We will show Maryland that we can take the State back from the one-party, socialist, corrupt state that it has become. GO DAN!!
Ditto, Phineas. There’s very little out there, but from what there is we can read some between the lines. The guy’s smart. He’s brave. He’s self-motivated. He’s apparently done it all himself. He’s got a good academic background. He’s pro-law and order. He’s an evangelical Christian. He’s got a lovely wife and two daughters. He’s well-spoken, optimistic and positive. He’s got an employment record that proves an ability to stick to the job at hand notwithstanding the difficulty, and to maintain high ethics. He’s got a platform we can agree with.
I’m impressed.
I could not agree more with the comments above. Ben Cardin is the reason the country is in the terrible shape it’s in, lifetime politicians. Dan is the Real Man, he understands what is going on in this country and is willing to do the hard work necessary for people to understand that this is not politics as usual. People want someone that knows where they are coming from, Dan gets that. He is an honest, do something guy who wants a better life for his children than is being left for them now. I for one will be supporting DAN in the state of Maryland and I suggest people do now what they haven’t done for years, educate yourself. Do what is right for our State and our Country, don’t just vote because it’s the party line to do so.
I can tell you about Maryland. Maryland is a one-party state, and there is a strong connection with California. The Democratic party in Maryland is inbred and serenely convinced that they are on the side of the angels. They are the ones who engaged in the black-face, racist campaign against Michael Steele, and they replaced their vetted, effective and efficient vote tallying system with a vulnerable touch-screen system after the Florida fiasco, over and against the advice of their consultants, at a cost of 92M.
They did a dry run on unconstitutional legislation during the Bush administration, and found that they could get away with it, because the citizenry is asleep, just as in California.
The funny thing about it is that Ben Cardin is probably a better Senator than they deserve.
I think you are right on the money. If Cardin is still breathing on election day, he will be re-elected; shoot, he’ll be reelected even if he’s dead. Although there are small pockets of conservatives in Maryland (eastern shore, western Maryland), they are very small in number. Baltimore and suburban DC control the state and they are very Democratic and very liberal. I moved out about 10 years ago partly because of this. Maryland is probably more liberal even than California, on balance.
Reading all of this from here in California I was optimistic until your comment, JayDick. Still, it will be interesting to see how this develops and if it seems that we should send some California dollars to Bongino.
There is def a California connection named PELOSI
Blue Blue Blue Moon…don’t know if it’s as blue or more blue than California, but Blue it is!
Tuesday was the primary and going into it I found it extremely hard to come up with candidate info, whether Senate or Congressman. Worse, the Dem Legislature redistricted [In favor of course of more dems]
I caught Bongino on Fox&Friends somewhere in the last year and was favorably impressed.
The state GOP was substantially behind ‘The Other Guy” who has an ex NSA background.
A year to six months ago “Electibility’ arguments just irritated, now I see them as “Get as close as we can to the Dem candidate with a GOP label”, which is self-defeating in the long run as well as the short run.
Bongino is @dbongino on twitter.
Bomgino is http://www.facebook.com/#!/bonginoforsenate on facebook.
Bongino website is http://www.bongino.com/
http://freestaterblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/garagiola-loss-and-turmoil-in-maryland.html?spref=fb&m=1
Lots more I could say….
I meet Dan Bongino last fall and spent four hours with him at the Potomac Day parade. I was impressed by his intelligence and passion, but mostly by how authentic and humble he is. I hope the Democrats continue to underestimate Dan because they’re in for the shock of their lives. Dan will reawaken Marylanders who recognize we can do so much better than Ben (wow those 6 years went by fast) Cardin.
Maryland is a putrid state with the Federal government worker rich Montgomerey County and the miserable ghetto of Baltimore County continuing to elect Democrats no matter what they do. Last election a fine American, with similar background of Bongino named Charles Lollar took on Steny Hoyer. It was futile. Baltimore Maryland was after all the spawning ground of Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi, her daddy was the mayor and “rumored” to be mafia. She learned all of her dirty tricks at his knee. Now Martin O”Malley is being groomed for the National Stage, look for him to run for POTUS in the near future. When you cross the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore it is more Conservative, Bongono has a chance there except that it has also become heavily minority. Mayrland SUCKS.
I voted for Bongino in the primary. I knew nothing about the candidates and the night before check for websites. Mr Bongino had all the right positions as far I was concerned. Many of his rivals were against fracking in MD. Once I got to that part I would exit the site and check the next candidate. I am not a single issue voter but in the primary I want the candidate that most reflects my own positions.
When I voted there was one person politely there and he was a supporter on Mr Bongino. I spoke with him after I voted and he also supported Faith Louden in the 4 th district for the House seat.
I am happy that both candidates won their primary.
Maryland has a habit of crazy GOP candidates running that are not a serious choice. This time at least we had a decent candidate to vote for.
Professor, glad to see you got my tweet about Dan Bongino. Cardin’s in for a fight. There are more of us Md conservatives than you’d think, and we need someone to fight for, being as exactly as entheuiastic about Mittens as you’d imagine. Md. is a blue state, but it’s also deeply schizophrenic. There are 24 county equivellents in the state (Baltimore is an independent city), and exactly 4 of them(Baltimore city and county, Montgomery and PG counties) are as deep, solid blue as anywhere in the US. Howard County swings back and forth. The rest of the state is pretty solidly red. Unfortunately, the bulk of the population lives in those 4 counties. Just for gerrymander giggles, look at the dog’s breakfast that is Maryland’s congressional districts. Except for 1, they all slice deeply enough into those 4 counties to ensure that they vote D most of the time. Statewide, however, for Senate….Bondingo’s got a puncher’s chance. We’ll take it.
Bondingo? What kind of auto correct is that? Sounds like a porn film about black super spies. Sheesh.
[…] Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: So tell me about Dan Bongino […]
AND THEN GOD CREATED MARYLAND
(Even non-Marylanders should love this one.)
God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day.
He inquired, “Where have you been?”
God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, “Look, Michael. Look what I’ve made.”
Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, “What is it?”
“It’s a planet,” replied God, and I’ve put life on it.. I’m going to call it Earth and it’s going to be a place to test Balance.”
“Balance?” inquired Michael, “I’m still confused.”
God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth.
“For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor.
Over here I’ve placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people.
“Balance in all things.” God continued pointing to different countries.
“This one will be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice.”
The Archangel , impressed by God’s work, then pointed to a land area and said, “What’s that one?”
“That’s Maryland , the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams,
lakes, forests, hills, the ocean and plains.
The people from Maryland are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous,
and they are going to travel the world.
They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, carriers of peace, and producers of good things”
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, “But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance.”
God smiled, “Yes, Right next to Maryland is Washington , D.C. Wait till you see the idiots I put there..”