Dr. Politics: The Art of Getting Over It
By Dwight Patel
We had our primaries in Maryland this past Tuesday, June 26, 2018. Although most of the candidates didn’t have a primary in Montgomery County, we did have a few and there were even more across the state. It sucks to lose, but we need to be a unified force and stand together with our nominees. Remember, the most important thing in 2018 is that we RE-ELECT GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN to an historic second term as a Republican governor of the Great State of Maryland and help ensure the success of the Drive for Five initiative by the MDGOP. This isn’t about YOU. You need to reach out – this goes for the winners too – all of you need to make an effort to reach out to your opponents’ supporters and make them feel welcome in your camp.
As many of you know, I supported Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Marco Rubio for president, and the fact that Sen. Rubio dropped out really sucked. Many of us Rubio folks went over to the Trump campaign, and some went to the Cruz campaign. Either way, we all ended up on Team Trump. There were a lot of nasty things said in the primary. However, when then-candidate Trump and his campaign staff welcomed us into their camp, they made us feel welcome. No, one took jabs at us for not being on the Trump Train from Day One. Winning candidates, you need to do the same, and in counties like Montgomery, I’d even welcome the supporters of loser Democrats’ campaigns, over to our side.
So, for candidates who lost, suck it up, embrace the parties’ nominees and tell your supporters to do the same. Don’t go around saying we will lose because the party voters didn’t pick you. That is next to the worst thing any losing candidate can say. It will definitely hurt us in the general election. I know I said that’s the second to worst; The worst is going over and helping the Democrat defeat our party’s nominees. IMHO if you do that, Sen. Thom Telis said it best, “… you are a RINO then…” I don’t care if you do it privately, or if you publicly support a Democrat. That is the worst thing any Republican can do.
So, you can in the privacy of your home throw darts at their picture, but when in public, support our party’s nominees. Don’t be so arrogant as to spread your opinion that the voters were WRONG.
State Senate Candidates
The Drive for Five is all about electing five new Republican state senators to the State House. Five new senators would give us the ability to sustain a gubernatorial veto. The state party has identified several Senate races. If your Senate race hasn’t been targeted by the MDGOP, don’t lose heart. You could be the 6th, or 7th new state senator. Bottom line, every senator who is running should be running to win. You never know when your opponent will be embroiled in controversy. You need to be able to take advantage of something like that if and when it occurs.
If you stand around and proclaim, “I am the Sacrificial Lamb” candidate, you won’t be able to take advantage of your opponent’s missteps.
You also never want to say something like that when you are in a group of Republicans. You never know which person in that group might be a donor to your campaign, and self-defeatist talk like that could cost you potential donors. So, stay positive, upbeat, and try to have fun!
House of Delegates Candidates
If you are running for the House of Delegates, the same advice goes for you. It doesn’t matter if your district is as blue as a dark Navy-blue Jacket or if you have look twice to see if it’s blue or black, or light blue, purple, pink, red, dark red, ruby red… you get my point. You too need give it your all.
And keep in mind that you never want to say that among Republicans, because you never know who in the group might be a donor to your campaign. A defeatist attitude could cost you potential donors. So, stay positive and upbeat, try to have fun. (I realize that I said the same thing when I was talking about State Senate candidates, but this is a very important point and worth saying twice.)
Final Thoughts
I can’t stress this enough: Unite behind the party’s nominee, pick yourself up and dust yourself off and get to work electing the Republican nominee. Continue hitting doors . . . This is prime time . . . Most Democrats don’t hit doors until September because they are all at Martha’s Vineyard for the summer. So, spend this time connecting with donors. Also try and go to the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake on July 18, 2018 in lovely Crisfield, Maryland. Here is the link if you’d like to buy tickets: (https://www.visitmaryland.org/event/j-millard-tawes-crab-and-clam-bake). As usual, feel free to contact me if you’d like to sit down and talk about your race. My email is [email protected]