Submitted by Russ Smith, Nov 6, 2006 05:56

Mr. Gerstein's article was a good overview of midterm elections as of when he wrote it. However, he's missing a potential fascinating storyline in the Maryland elections where incumbent Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Senate candidate Michael Steele, both Republicans, are staving off a bad national GOP environment--in a very Democratic state no less--and may both win. Mr. Gerstein does devote a sentence to the Senate race, but it's a throwaway; Steele is breathing down Rep. Ben Cardin's neck, and most of the movement has come from Steele's domination of Cardin on Meet the Press a week ago and the desire of many Marylanders to finally have a black senator, even if he's a Republican. President Bush is loathed in this state--so much so that I confine my conversation to immediate neighbors to sports and kids--but Gov. Erhlich has kept his approval ratings over 50% and, after trailing Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley for most of the campaign is now in a dead heat. If Ehrlich does win, he'll be an attrace vice presidential candidate for any GOP standard bearer two years from now, particularly John McCain. My main point is that if the GOP is doing well in Maryland, just next to Washington, where all the media Democratic enablers preach from, it may be that the GOP gloominess in other parts of the country has been hyped.

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