Dirty Tricks in Politics

by Blair Lee of The Gazette

Sleazy, stupid, despicable, repulsive, underhanded, indefensible. I’m describing the 2010 Election Day robocalls to 112,000 black voters telling them to stay home because Democrat Martin O’Malley was safely re-elected.

The robocalls were launched by a Bob Ehrlich campaign consultant, Julius Henson, who was indicted last week for voter suppression. Also indicted was Paul Schurick, Ehrlich’s campaign manager.

If you can think of additional ways to condemn the robocalls (or, for that matter, the hiring of a bum like Henson) please add them and sign my name.

That said, let’s put this shameful episode in proper historic and political perspective.

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Democrats returned the favor in the 1998 gubernatorial election between Parris Glendening and Ellen Sauerbrey. With just weeks to go the race was neck-and-neck until Glendening hired attack ad specialist Bob Shrum, who smeared Sauerbrey by calling her a racist.

Targeted to blacks, Glendening’s TV ads sounded the alarm that “Sauerbrey voted against the 1992 Civil Rights Act.” Also, blacks were sent fliers with a picture of Sauerbrey on one side and, on the other, Alabama Sheriff “Bull” Conner spraying blacks with fire hoses. The flier warned, “She’ll Roll Back the Clock on Civil Rights.”