Josh's Kids vs. The Veteran

Fellow Historics:

As horse races go, it won't be a great one.

And the course, through County Council District Six, looks nothing like dear Epsom. With its frolicking horses near the village centre.

My favorite track.

Nevertheless, the race between Mayor Cohen's hand selected candidate Chris Trumbauer and the grizzled veteran Chuck Ferrar will certainly provide a modicum of entertainment. Through what appears to be a pretty hot & boring primary season.

Mr. Trumbauer was the Mayor's treasurer and is reputed to be an enviro. Little is know to have been actually accomplished by him in cleaning the Bay. Or anything else for that matter. But he looks the part.

Politics is 98% theatre, n'est-ce pas?

Backed by the duct-taped remains of Josh's campaign, including Kathy 'never lost a race until Zina' Nieberding and the young Mayor himself, Mr. Trumbauer's color glossies have already begun to hit mail boxes across the Historic Core.

So we expect a well worn play book to be repeated. Including voter ID, constant GOTV calls, timid door-to-door and yard sign deadlines.

Yawn.

Meanwhile Mayor Cohen has already tried some clumsy arm twisting on some of the Aldermen. Threatening, cajoling and trying to cut deals.

Hint to the Mayor: don't threaten someone unless you actually have the power to back it up.

In Lane Two, Mr. Ferrar is probably best known for being a purveyor of fine fermented and distilled spirits on Bay Ridge (or there abouts). He has street savvy that might do him well on the Council.

Mr. Ferrar already has lined up a diverse array of political supporters from Valerie Miller on the right to Michelle La Farge, Zina's Campaign Manager, on the left. In particular, African Americans are supportive of Mr. Ferrar. Including Zina Pierre herself and Carl Snowden.

In the middle somewhere is Citizen Moyer and her cohort of loyalists. Enraged by the sell out of environmental programs by young Mayor Cohen and the reputed enviro-hypocrisy of Mr. Trumbauer, they are quietly working for Mr. Ferrar. It does boggle one's mind: Miller, Moyer and Lafarge working for the same candidate.

Yet the young Mayor must surely know who is really on the ballot: he is.

By so actively supporting one candidate, Mayor Cohen has brought his own skin into the contest. This comes on the heels of the Mayor's perplexing very early public endorsement of Judd Legum for the House of Delegates. Before the primary, before the filing deadline. And before Mike Busch announced for re-election.

Now, by his own hand, he will further weaken himself, his Administration and Annapolis Democrats if Mr. Trumbauer loses.

Too bad. We would have wanted to blame another one on disgraced CAO Doug Smith.

Maybe next time.

King of George