Operation DINO - 2018

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  • Maryland DINO movement


    • Total voters
      210
    • Poll closed .

    Minuteman

    Member
    BANNED!!!
    Ok, lets go.

    Greetings fellow Patriots!

    It will be nearly 10 years in 2018 since I 'woke up' to the political quagmire that is Maryland politics. My tag line is now, and has always been 'Maryland, let's make it a better place.' I've come to realize virtually everything that makes Maryland not-so-great is politics. I'm not a political person, but I've discovered that some radical Democrats set out to ruin this state and they've nearly done it.


    Facts:
    -Maryland State Senate elections, 2018
    -Maryland House of Representatives elections, 2018
    -Maryland's state senators are elected to a four-year term that begins on the second Wednesday in January after the election.
    -Maryland's state representatives are elected to a four-year term that begins on the second Wednesday in January after the election.


    I'm creating this thread to help us as a group, focus on the 2018 election. I strongly feel that many of us, that have been disenfranchised, marginalized and largely ignored because we are conservatives, independents, libertarians, and even moderate liberals. Its the establishment politicians that have taken over and curated the Democrat Party (DP) in Maryland is our greatest enemy to making Maryland great again. It's the hardliners in the DP that has made such a mess of things, a combination of intimidators like Mike Miller (District 27), and people that know little or nothing about freedom, liberty, firearms, pure political creatures, like O'Malley, Brown and others that have chased off businesses, over taxed citizens, created welfare programs that have failed and created the largest number of 'entitled' welfare recipients ever in our states history. Baltimore was on the brink of failing, and Hogan is starting to make a dent, businesses are thinking about coming back, taxes are being scrutinized.

    I implore you to register as a Democrat, talk to your friends and neighbors, register your family to vote too. If a large number of us register as Democrats it will do several wonderful things:

    1) We will have the ability to vote in the Democrat primaries. In Maryland you can not vote in another parties primary only the party you are registered in. So when the Democrats are running against one another, we will be able to vote in mass for the better of the two. For many of us that are currently so out numbered, this may be the only meaningful vote we will have. We will be able to vote out some of the career politicians, the hardliners, by voting for their DP opponent during the primary. We can't get term limits right now, so this is the next best thing.

    2) We will help stop gerrymandering. Hogan is taking this on now, and the DP need him to lose so they can lock in gerrymandering again in 2020. Supporting Hogan's efforts to 'fix this' crooked practice of carving up the state to give the DP all the power is an outrage. Gerrymandering has been done for decades now in Maryland, and has marginalized the majority of the people in this state. Look at Mike Miller in District 27, he is supposed to represent the people in his district, but because of gerrymandering, they have carved out just enough of PG country to keep him in power. He will be 75 years old in 2018, and needs to not run again, or be voted out. The DP use data such as how people are registered when they carve up the state politically to gerrymander; when most of us register as Democrats it will make it harder for them to cheat us out of our vote.

    3rd-district-2.jpg



    3) We will have a stronger voice when reaching out to our DP representatives, and stronger influence with moderate democrats. When I used to email, write letters, call and try to visit my representatives to discuss issues like the right to self defense with them; I was largely ignored. But now if I call and say I'm a registered democrat in their district and I vote, I get a lot more attention. All of our representatives have their staff look you up and see if in fact you are registered and live in their district. When I speak up at community meetings, often with conservative values or ideas, and say I'm a democrat, I make the hardline DP folks very nervous, and a lot of moderate democrats love it, and feel liberated to say how they really feel about the issues.


    4) We will encourage more moderate democrats to run against establishment DP members. When moderate democrats, like the Libertarian Democrats, the Blue Dog Democrats, and many others realize that there is a strong DINO movement in Maryland they will run, and run hard against the crooked establishment Democrats. There have been a few instances of conservatives and independents running as democrats; all this is very healthy for our state. In private discussions with freshmen representatives, they will tell you how the DP, the established democrats that are bullying them into voting contrary to their conscious; they are threatened that they will not be assigned to the committees they want to be on, or that they will get no support for their district or reelection campaign. This is what happens when one party has all the power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We can break this vicious cycle with the DINO movement.

    There are other good reasons to become a DINO, we will explore those later in this thread.


    Here's what some are saying:

    - MD - Hogan probably doesn't last more than one term, at least I'd be surprised if he did. MD Dems will want to lock in another gerrymander in 2020 and need him out of the way to avoid a veto. Sarbanes or Van Hollen would be US Reps who I doubt run, but maybe Delaney? http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=202121.0

    - Maryland is so Democratic at the federal level that it would take a perfect storm to make the race competitive for Republicans. That would involve a divisive Democratic primary that results in a poor nominee, and a strong GOP nominee who is moderate enough to win a significant amount of crossover support. Is it possible that such a scenario will develop? Sure. http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/maryland-senate-democrats-retain-a-clear-edge/

    - "It isn't 'official' to political insiders until you see the candidate's name listed on Politics1." -- Governor Larry Hogan (2010) http://www.politics1.com/md.htm

    - Yet even with a voter registration advantage of almost 2-1, Democrats have struggled in gubernatorial elections going back to 1994. In that span, they’ve lost two and essentially tied in one, and the others have been too close for comfort even when they won. That’s partially explained by a national trend: Voter turnout, and especially turnout of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, is a lot higher in presidential years. But it’s also fair to say that Maryland Democratic leaders haven’t adequately built on whatever momentum there may have been coming out of presidential elections. http://www.centermaryland.org/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=1412


    Maryland has a historically low voter turn out during a non-presidential election year; 2018 will be that year.

    Even fewer voters vote in their party primaries than vote in the general election.

    2018 will be our year.

    Lets go!
     

    BeoBill

    Crank in the Third Row
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 3, 2013
    27,012
    南馬里蘭州鮑伊
    Great points. I'd like to address those who say "I don't vote because it doesn't matter."

    This time around, EVERY VOTE MATTERS!

    The upcoming elections for the Baltimore Mayor and Bab's successor are just two examples. The races are acrimonious and divisive. The Dem's voting blocs are fractured. Vicious character assassination is right around the corner. If you're fed up with the senseless antics of Cummings and Cardin and their ilk in Annapolis, and tired of being ignored, your vote will make a difference.

    Your vote will matter because the Democratic Party is splintered, and they are going for each other's throat. Send a message! Register D! Vote!

    Even if we lose we will have put the incumbents on notice. NO MORE MACHINE POLITICS! :mad54:

    Now, where did I put my meds?
     

    iH8DemLibz

    When All Else Fails.
    Apr 1, 2013
    25,396
    Libtardistan
    I stood outside the Timonium gun show several years ago wearing a hunter orange, DINO, t-shirt.

    Tried explaining DINO to folks and was handing out flyers.

    99% of the people I spoke with either couldn't or refused to comprehend what I was saying.

    I could have coated a million donuts with the amount of glaze that covered their eyes.

    If you can't get folks to listen about their gun rights at a gun show, I don't know how to get folks to listen.
     

    tsmith1499

    Poor C&R Collector
    Jan 10, 2012
    4,253
    Southern Mount Airy, Md.
    Unfortunately, for me, I live in Montgomery County and all of the Dems ran unopposed the last 2 elections. I am contemplating changing that scenario. I am looking at running for a Delegates seat in 2018. I hate that there are no other names on the ballot. It's just not American!!
     

    dogbone

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 14, 2011
    2,981
    GTT - Gone To Texas
    I did the DINO thing last election cycle, just so I could vote against Jim Brochin in both the primary and the general. For 2016, there are some powerful reasons to be able to vote in the Republican primary, so I may switch back to R. Fortunately, changing party affiliation in Maryland can be done quickly and easily, so DINO in 2018 is a distinct possibility.
     

    dogbone

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 14, 2011
    2,981
    GTT - Gone To Texas
    I stood outside the Timonium gun show several years ago wearing a hunter orange, DINO, t-shirt.

    Tried explaining DINO to folks and was handing out flyers.

    99% of the people I spoke with either couldn't or refused to comprehend what I was saying.

    I could have coated a million donuts with the amount of glaze that covered their eyes.

    If you can't get folks to listen about their gun rights at a gun show, I don't know how to get folks to listen.

    I hear you loud and clear. I couldn't count the number of people who intentionally turn their eyes away as they pass by the MSI table at a gun show. Thankfully, the few folks who do stop and talk make it worthwhile.

    And I love me some glazed donuts.
     

    Sharpeneddark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 20, 2013
    2,292
    Westminster
    Currently, I'm registered R. I'll be back to D before the 2018 primaries. I think the R side of the house needs voter clarity more so than the D side needs confusion, this cycle.
     

    robmints

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 20, 2011
    5,085
    Straight up republicans have held on to rural seats, elected 2 governors, and increased their numbers in the house and senate. State and national support (money, polling, groundwork by volunteers) is decided upon based on registration. If you register DINO you draw funds and time from an organization that has proven results.

    The dino theory that there are "good" democrats that are going to sway the tide or somehow scare the true left wing has never been outlined as to how this would work. You guys say, if we do this then that will happen, but when?where? If you unseat one of your bogeymen, the person who takes their place will be worse in almost every instance. When you elect a "good" democrat you give the far left wing (who controls MD) judicial appointments. Honestly, I think you are not only shooting yourselves in the foot, you are shooting every conservative and every supporter of the 2nd amendment in the foot.

    I'm not here to just rain on your thread, I hate to see registration taken from an organization that has proven results in the bluest of blue MD.
     

    Mr H

    Banana'd
    DiNO is a tough concept to many, yes...

    But in MD, in a closed primary system, it's a tool to effect change on a [mostly] local level.

    In 2014, while the low participation made the effort less effective than it could have been, there was attention gained and jimmies were rustled.

    DiNO should reflect and build on the disaffected mood in the state, and in 2014 several seats changed parties... in some cases because of the attention brought by the movement.

    I maintain my D registration proudly (and often to the confusion of the AACo Republican leaders I talk to--and stump for--on occasion), and make a point of it when I communicate with the problem Ds. I chuckled when I found out that a number of them are planning to retire because of the pressure (and one in particular may be my fault).

    It's worth a go, folks... if only to make waves and get the private satisfaction of voting against the bad ones twice.
     

    Mr H

    Banana'd
    {

    Straight up republicans have held on to rural seats, elected 2 governors, and increased their numbers in the house and senate. State and national support (money, polling, groundwork by volunteers) is decided upon based on registration. If you register DINO you draw funds and time from an organization that has proven results.

    The dino theory that there are "good" democrats that are going to sway the tide or somehow scare the true left wing has never been outlined as to how this would work. You guys say, if we do this then that will happen, but when?where? If you unseat one of your bogeymen, the person who takes their place will be worse in almost every instance. When you elect a "good" democrat you give the far left wing (who controls MD) judicial appointments. Honestly, I think you are not only shooting yourselves in the foot, you are shooting every conservative and every supporter of the 2nd amendment in the foot.

    I'm not here to just rain on your thread, I hate to see registration taken from an organization that has proven results in the bluest of blue MD.

    The bold, above is a common misconception regarding the original idea of DiNO...

    To vote in 'better' dems isn't the goal. The goal was to vote in the primaries for the D with the least chance to be elected in the general. There are some other nuances to it, but that was the original thrust of it.

    It's almost purely a primary tool, conceived to be most effective at the more local levels, but I also find it effective in getting the attention of people who assume that because you're conservative you're an R, or that because you're a D you're Liberal.
     

    rambling_one

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    6,714
    Bowie, MD
    I did the DINO thing last election cycle, just so I could vote against Jim Brochin in both the primary and the general. For 2016, there are some powerful reasons to be able to vote in the Republican primary, so I may switch back to R. Fortunately, changing party affiliation in Maryland can be done quickly and easily, so DINO in 2018 is a distinct possibility.

    I've been a DINO since its inception here, but recently switched to Republican for the very reason you state, dogbone. Come November I'm back in the only game in town. Believe me, it helps when you tell a representative "I am a Democrat" but do not support this or that effort they're putting forth.
     

    rambling_one

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    6,714
    Bowie, MD
    Straight up republicans have held on to rural seats, elected 2 governors, and increased their numbers in the house and senate. State and national support (money, polling, groundwork by volunteers) is decided upon based on registration. If you register DINO you draw funds and time from an organization that has proven results.

    The dino theory that there are "good" democrats that are going to sway the tide or somehow scare the true left wing has never been outlined as to how this would work. You guys say, if we do this then that will happen, but when?where? If you unseat one of your bogeymen, the person who takes their place will be worse in almost every instance. When you elect a "good" democrat you give the far left wing (who controls MD) judicial appointments. Honestly, I think you are not only shooting yourselves in the foot, you are shooting every conservative and every supporter of the 2nd amendment in the foot.

    I'm not here to just rain on your thread, I hate to see registration taken from an organization that has proven results in the bluest of blue MD.

    And, I hate to burst that bubble but at least here in PG county there hasn't been a viable R to run for office in I don't remember when.
     

    Alphabrew

    Binary male Lesbian
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 27, 2013
    40,717
    Woodbine
    I first heard about the DINO concept from Lou45 and FFBWMD while at Lou's shop. I switched from Libertarian that day, I enjoyed voting against Anthony Brown twice (once in the primary and again in the general).
     

    Minuteman

    Member
    BANNED!!!
    Unfortunately, for me, I live in Montgomery County and all of the Dems ran unopposed the last 2 elections. I am contemplating changing that scenario. I am looking at running for a Delegates seat in 2018. I hate that there are no other names on the ballot. It's just not American!!

    Understood, if there is no one running against the incumbent in the democrat primary, then that aspect of being a DINO doesn't matter. If you or anyone will just run against them it forces the incumbent to spend time and money to run against their democrat challenger; money they won't have for the general election against a republican or independent.

    What does it cost to get on the ballot? A good friend of mine unsuccessfully ran for Sheriff in his county several years ago; he told me the hardest and most expensive part was having signs made and putting them in. But running as a DINO, just to be opposition to an establishment democrat, you might now want to do the big signs, just some of the small ones.

    I hope you run!
     

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