Dr. Politics – Game Day

By Dwight Patel, Candidate for State Senate, District 20

Okay, you have been at it since last spring, or even longer for some of you. Tomorrow is your final exam, you worked hard, and most of you guys did all the right things.  I was very impressed with the quality of our candidates, yard sign designs, palm cards and over-all campaign collateral.  

What to do: Remember that the polls open at 7 a.m.  You should have a list of polls you want to hit during the day.   When you go to the polls, shake hands with the voters who come to cast votes, but remember that since some voters don’t want to be bothered, be prepared for the fact that they may ignore you all together.  Hand out a few copies of the Team Hogan Sample Ballot. Spend 30 minutes or so at all the priority polls in the morning.  

During the day, make sure you have a command center that is taking calls. For most of you, it will be the MCGOP.  Let your senior voters know that if they contact Uber and click “Get to the Polls,” they’ll give you $10.00 off on your ride to the polls.  Lyft is offering 50% off on rides to the polls.

What you might want to do is send out an email blast to voters.  In this email, you should hit your main points and make your closing arguments on why you are the best candidate to go to Annapolis.  Don’t say “vote for me because I am not the incumbent” or “I am a Republican,” just make your case. Remember that the bulk of Maryland voters are not partisan hacks, and also, since this is Maryland, you’ll need Democrat votes to win.  You just can’t win on Republican votes alone.   So, make your best case and the rest of it is in the hands of the voters.

The Montgomery County GOP will be having a post-election party at Lahinch, 7747 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, MD 20854 from 8:00 pm to closing in Montgomery County.  The big celebration party with Governor Hogan will be at the Westin Hotel in Annapolis.

Again, remember that there will be a lot of angry Democrats out there, so if you or your volunteers feel threatened, don’t hesitate to call 911.  Don’t call MCGOP or MDGOP, call 911.  Also, contact the MDGOP and the Board of Elections if you see any voter fraud or fraudulent activity.

Best of luck to all of you who are running.