Gov. Ehrlich Chooses Running Mate

WTOP on-line ^ | June 28, 2006 | no byline

[sitetest]

WASHINGTON -- Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich has chosen a running mate, WTOP Political Analyst Mark Plotkin has learned.

Ehrlich will choose Kristen Cox, the current Secretary of the Department of Disabilities, as his lieutenant governor. Cox, who is almost completely blind, will be named by the governor in Annapolis on Thursday.

Cox, 36, served in the Bush administration in the Department of Education in 2001. She lives in Towson with her husband and two sons.

Incumbent Lt. Governor Michael Steele is currently running for U.S. Senate.

Ehrlich and Cox will face Democrats Martin O'Malley and Anthony Brown in the November election.

[Vision]

LOL, I think you're a lunatic.

In your previous posts, I don't see you making a real effort to make yourself clear. In that it had become an issue for other posters, it would have been nice if you'd have made that effort

In this I am completely guilty. There are only a few Freepers whose opinions I care about.



I can't help myself

Well, you may believe that disabled folks are generally incompetent

You may find this shocking. I believe the disabled, are disabled. And that is why we call them disabled. Which is why they get help in society. Sometimes I find it useful in situations like this to consult a dictionary...

Main Entry: dis·able
Pronunciation: di-'sA-b&l, di-'zA-
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): dis·abled; dis·abling /-b(&-)li[ng]/
1 : to deprive of legal right, qualification, or capacity
2 : to make incapable or ineffective; especially : to deprive of physical, moral, or intellectual strength
synonym see WEAKEN
- dis·able·ment /-b&l-m&nt/ noun

And while they can do whatever they want, they will probably have to work harder to overcome their handicap. Which is why their success stories are so inspirational. And from looking at Cox's record with only a record of working in the disabled field, she seems the wrong choice, and a PC choice from a RINO leaning governor.

[Vision]

Please feel free to contact the moderators, then your shrink.

[MinorityRepublican]

I think if you read carefully, Vision isn't suggesting that folks with disabilities are incompetent at life. Rather, I believe he's suggesting that the politics of a blind candidate just don't work. That isn't necessarily a judgment on the competence or capability of Ms. Cox, or of blind folks, or of disabled folks generally.

IMHO, Vision made himself a target in this thread by this statement below.

Maybe, but don't ya think it'd be a little strange if your governor couldn't see? Wouldn't being able to do things like read bills and survey damage be important? And of all the people Ehrlich could have picked, why her? He's in an extremely tough reelection race and he picks a blind running mate?

And all we were doing is to address those points made above.

This thread made me realize that people like Vision cannot look past beyond physical limitations of a human being. That's why FDR was correct in not allowing himself to be seen in a wheelchair when he was the President.

[sitetest]

Dear dmw,

"His comment to Minority Republican calling him 'mentally challenged' says a lot about this character."

I didn't directly comment on Vision's character (although I suppose I did indirectly exclude him from membership in the set of gentlemen).

His posts have been vague, open to misinterpretation, and quite snippy. Although he's a fellow Marylander, at this point, I don't think I'm going to invite him over for a beer. However, I can be easily charmed. ;-)

Nonetheless, I don't see how he explicitly ran down the competency of disabled people. I think many of his remarks are open to that interpretation, but it isn't at all explicit.

Truthfully, to me, a better read is that he believes merely that disabled people will find it more difficult to be elected to public office because of prejudice against disabled people.

I think that once may have been the case, but I personally think that Vision is in factual error here. In fact, I think that there's a pretty large segment of the population, mostly with mush for brains, to whom this sort of circumstance is actually appealing. "Oh, we should vote for him, he's overcome so much!"

But bottom line, I don't think that his view - disabled people will find it more difficult to win election to public office - is prejudiced or offensive. Just wrong.

And I don't see that he's explicitly stated that disabled persons are generally incompetent; in his latest posts, the underlying assumption is that he doesn't believe that disabled persons are generally incompetent.

I will continue to believe that he doesn't harbor such prejudices.


sitetest

[MinorityRepublican]

Truthfully, to me, a better read is that he believes merely that disabled people will find it more difficult to be elected to public office because of prejudice against disabled people.

That is an acceptable statement. So why didn't Vision say that the second time around?

Instead he called me mentally challenged.

[sitetest]

Dear Vision,

"LOL, I think you're a lunatic."

Flattery will get you nowhere! ;-)

Seriously, though, the comment doesn't exactly add to your argument.

"In this I am completely guilty."

Okay.

"There are only a few Freepers whose opinions I care about."

Hmmm... Based on how you express yourself, it's likely that the complement is true, and with considerable justice.

"You may find this shocking. I believe the disabled, are disabled."

Indeed. But disability doesn't mean incompetence.

"And from looking at Cox's record with only a record of working in the disabled field, she seems the wrong choice, and a PC choice from a RINO leaning governor."

I'm willing to learn more about her background, but at this point, I tend to agree. She apparently finished school in 1995. From 1998 to 2001, she worked as a lobbyist for the disabled. From 2001 to 2003, she worked as a federal government appointee on disabled issues. From 2003 on, she's been the governor's top disability person in Maryland.

At this point, it appears to me that she was nominated by the governor because she's a "twofer," and that there may not be much substance behind that.


sitetest

[MinorityRepublican]

I'm willing to learn more about her background, but at this point, I tend to agree. She apparently finished school in 1995. From 1998 to 2001, she worked as a lobbyist for the disabled. From 2001 to 2003, she worked as a federal government appointee on disabled issues. From 2003 on, she's been the governor's top disability person in Maryland.

In my book, it's okay to criticize the Governor for his choice because Kristina Cox is inexperienced and she doesn't bring much to the campaign.

But saying that she is unqualified because she can't see is just preposterous, IMHO.

[sitetest]

Dear MinorityRepublican,

"IMHO, Vision made himself a target in this thread by this statement below."

"'Maybe, but don't ya think it'd be a little strange if your governor couldn't see? Wouldn't being able to do things like read bills and survey damage be important? And of all the people Ehrlich could have picked, why her? He's in an extremely tough reelection race and he picks a blind running mate?'"

I golf (badly). Everyone gets a mulligan.

;-)

Seriously, I'm not sure that really demonstrates prejudice. Along with Vision's other substantive comments, it suggests lack of knowledge, lack of analytical prowess, but not prejudice.

Maybe he didn't know about braille, and devices that can read written documents aloud for the blind, and personal assistants who know how to read who can read to persons who are blind.

LOL.


sitetest

[Old Professer]

Sympathy vote, high among women voters.

[Vision]

But bottom line, I don't think that his view - disabled people will find it more difficult to win election to public office - is prejudiced or offensive. Just wrong

Believe anything you want. But the facts are there has NEVER been a blind governor. Congressman, Senators, ok. But a governor is not a red tape job. It seems obvious that the first blind governor will have to work really hard to overcome the realities of the job. And Cox- while young- has only had experience in(for lack of a better phrase) a touchy feely bureaucracy, and is ill prepared to push a conservative agenda through the knife fighting of Maryland politics. IMO, in this move Ehrlich has not only shown how weak of a candidate he is, but has destoryed the best conservative momentum my state has had in 40 years. And yes, I'm pissed as HELL.

[Vision]

"'Maybe, but don't ya think it'd be a little strange if your governor couldn't see? Wouldn't being able to do things like read bills and survey damage be important?

I completely stand by this. A picture is worth a thousand words? Vision is the most important sense in some cases, like surveying vast destruction, and while you can govern without it, it is a handicap.

[sitetest]

Dear Vision,

"It seems obvious that the first blind governor will have to work really hard to overcome the realities of the job."

I just don't see it as being a problem. I've personally worked with blind folks, and other than having to have physical assistance of some sort to get around the whole not-seeing part, I haven't found them unable to do any kind of abstract, intellectual, or leadership type of job.

I'd rather not ride shotgun when they're driving, or have them hit the nail with the hammer while I'm holding the nail, but my own personal experience leads me to believe that it shouldn't be too tough to overcome this disability to serve in any executive position where physical labor isn't at issue.

"And Cox- while young- has only had experience in(for lack of a better phrase) a touchy feely bureaucracy, and is ill prepared to push a conservative agenda through the knife fighting of Maryland politics."

Like I said before, I'm willing to hear more, but at this point, I think this is largely true. Although unrelated to her disability.

"IMO, in this move Ehrlich has not only shown how weak of a candidate he is, but has destoryed the best conservative momentum my state has had in 40 years. And yes, I'm pissed as HELL."

Well, I think he destroyed the conservative momentum earlier... when he revealed himself as an outright liberal.

But that's just me.


sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear Vision,

"I completely stand by this."

Well, only one mulligan per customer. Sorry.

Although your screen name is "Vision," and I assume that your eyes work pretty well, you seem to be blind to the reality of what folks can, and frequently, do.


sitetest

[wallcrawlr]

[dmw]

You believe what you want Sitetest, I am not going to try to convince you otherwise. I think Vision's latest post to you only confirms what me and some others on this thread have come to believe about Vision. If you still believe he doesn't harbor prejudices after everything he has written, including his recent post to you; well you are not only a very nice person--you appear to be quite gullible as well. And please don't take this as being offensive or sarcasic--that's just how you appear to be to me. I guess you just don't see what most others see in reading his posts. Overlooking an offense is noble, but denying reality is dishonest. As nice as you appear to be, I assume you are overlooking the offense and not denying the reality. Regardless, everyone has to come to their own conclusions about Vision's posts.

[Vision]

I've got reality on my side.

[Vision]

[sitetest]

Dear dmw,

Well, his last couple of posts have been more revealing.

And disappointing.

Oh well.


sitetest

[dmw]

[Vision]