Sequestration, Papal Retirement and the Best of Maryland Local Voices

Here are the best of this week's Local Voices posts from Maryland Patch sites.

Here are some of the best Local Voices posts in the past week from around Maryland's Patch sites. Remember, if you have something on your mind, it's quick and easy to join the conversation. Just click "Start a Blog" under the top story on our front page. Sequestration: We Have a Choice: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin talks about the impact budget cuts mandated by sequestration will have on Maryland. Gratia Benedictus XVI: In Montgomery County, a reader wonders what the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI will be. Benedict stepped down from the papacy on Thursday. Starting School Later Does Not Have to Cost More: A Howard County dad points out other jurisdictions that have later start times for schools. Marks Changes Position On County Cars for …

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Early Voting Surpasses 2010 Election

Most counties in Maryland show a spike in early voting turnout in 2012 while Anne Arundel and Worcester Counties show decreases.

Turnout for early voting this year has already exceeded that of 2010 in 22 of 24 jurisdictions in the state. And while two counties report declines in the overall percentages one Eastern Shore county reports close to a 20 percent turnout. But the exact meaning of the higher turnout is hard to immediately discern, according to one local elections analyst. Residents across the state have the opportunity to cast votes for President, U.S. Senate, eight congressional races and seven statewide ballot questions including congressional redistricting, the Maryland DREAM Act, same-sex marriage and expanded gambling. Source: State Board of Elections In four counties—Caroline, Howard, Kent and Somerset—the early voting turnout over the first six days …

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Blue State Politics: Gaffe Riot

Can a presidential candidate ever talk "off the record?" We want to know what Maryland thinks.

  To hear pundits tell it, the U.S. presidency can fall through a candidate's hands at the slip of a tongue. The latest development in the 2012 presidential race is a video in which GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is seen telling supporters that 47 percent of the American people are dependent on government, see themselves as victims and need to take responsibility for their lives. That was soon followed by the emergence of a 1998 audio tape in which Barack Obama talked about his support of redistribution of wealth. The two tapes seem to sum up key debate points in this election. Or do they? Can single moments caught on tape make or break an election? The New York Times did a fascinating wrapup of famous national election verbal slip…

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Amy Leahy

12:49 pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012

I wouldn't say you are nitpicking, Brian Lomax, as much as you are hiding your head in the sand. Combine Obama's comments about redistributing wealth with the video that has more recently surfaced of a speech he gave before university students and yes, I'd say it's pretty clear where he stands. This is socialism straight up. And, no, we don't all believe in redistributing wealth. Just like I don'…   more ›

Blue State Politics: Are You Better Off?

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are asking constituents whether voters are better off now than they were four years ago. We want to know what Maryland thinks.

  It’s a seemingly simple question being asked across the land by Democrats and Republicans alike: Are you better off than you were four years ago? The answer is likely to have a big impact when people go to the polls in November for national and local elections. It was a question that Ronald Reagan first asked to great effect in his debate with Jimmy Carter in 1980. (Check out the second clip in the accompanying YouTube video.) Then, as now, the economy was struggling and a Democrat was seeking re-election. We want to know what Maryland thinks. Are you better off than you were four years ago? What has changed to make your answer true for you? Let us know in the comments section.

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Frank

5:11 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Silly old white bigot lecturing African-Americans on what their interests are supposed to be.   more ›

Congressional Hopeful Delaney Makes Rounds

Constituents in the sixth district will have an opportunity to hear and address first-time Congressional candidate John Delaney in Rockville Monday.

  Democrat John Delaney, candidate for Maryland's 6th Congressional District this fall, will host a town hall in Rockville Monday, according to Justice for Students in America. The political coalition has organized the event. View the video invitation on the right. Constituents are invited to hear and address Delaney from 7-9 p.m. at the Technical Center at Montgomery College in room 136. (See flyer here.) Delaney will also attend a "Congress Tea and Coffee" event at a constituent's home at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Montgomery Village, according to his website.  Delaney hopes to defeat incumbent Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, a rare battle that could turn the GOP seat blue. He outspent his primary opponent, state Sen. Rob Garagiola, 3-1 …

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Patch Politics Live Blog

Join us at 2 p.m. Friday for a live blog with David Moon, the blogger behind Maryland Juice.

Patch Politics Live Blog

Join us at 2 p.m. Friday for a live blog with David Moon, the blogger behind Maryland Juice.

The special session. Ike Leggett's future. Doug Duncan's future. Presidential politics. Gubernatorial politics. It's an exciting time for Maryland. Join us at 2 p.m. Friday where Patch editors and Maryland Juice's David Moon discuss Free State politics. What topics should we cover? Let us know in the comments ...

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