O'Malley's Negative Attacks Flop

Despite Gov. O'Malley's fierce negative attacks, Republican challenger Bob Ehrlich has managed to maintain his lead in the Maryland governor's race.

Despite Governor O’Malley’s (D – MD) fierce campaign ads depicting opposing candidate Bob Ehrlich as a money hungry lobbyist for big oil and cigarette companies, Ehrlich has still managed to maintain a 1% lead in the polls.  While the lead is hardly impressive, it is incredibly significant for the Ehrlich camp, which has always tailed O’Malley in the polls, never surpassing him – even by the slightest margins.

In a state that’s suffering under a massive debt burden – whose only promising relief has come from private investors – incumbent O’Malley has not hesitated to portray himself as a fiscally responsible governor in spite of having to cut back on education spending and pension benefits while simultaneously raising taxes.

While painting himself as a fiscally responsible candidate throughout these tough economic times, O’Malley has also sought to paint Ehrlich as a “lobbyist representing oil companies,” solely interested in “[making] money, a lot of money”.

Ehrlich has responded to O’Malley by accusing the governor of “changing the subject” and “taking advantage of the catastrophe in Louisiana” in order to paint Ehrlich as being on the side of big oil.  According to the Republican candidate, “the 2010 gubernatorial election is about jobs. Job creation. Business reputation. Fiscal responsibility”; issues O’Malley has failed to address while condemning Ehrlich as a money-hungry oil tycoon and lauding himself as a fiscally savvy candidate.

Foreseeably – and fortunately, for Ehrlich – O’Malley’s attempts to attack him for his lucrative success while working for Baltimore’s Womble and Carlyle law firm have backfired, rendering the two candidates in an unpredictable, impassioned dead heat.  Ehrlich and his running mate, Kane, stand as a promising symbol of success in the face of a daunting financial crisis that has hit hard at Maryland jobs and workers.