Today’s Guest Column
As we approach the 40-day countdown to this state’s gubernatorial election, the most recently conducted nonpartisan polls give Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown a convincing 14-point lead over his Republican challenger, businessman and former Gov. Bob Ehrlich administration official Larry Hogan.
But the Brown camp has been running the 2014 campaign far more like a dogfight than the easy cruise to victory it will be. Has Brown been lying? Technically, no. But to the uninformed voter, Brown’s ability to stretch the truth like an Olympic gymnast and skew his own record is effective enough. One has to wonder how much Brown’s campaign style reflects how the future governor will operate in his next four years in Annapolis. Let’s take a look at some of Brown’s most misleading statements, which can all be found on his campaign website.
On July 8, Brown said, “With today’s announcement that Maryland has retained our AAA bond rating, we’re continuing to build a strong economy on the foundation of fiscal responsibility. Together, we’ve balanced our budget every year.” Brown’s statement here is not a lie. This state’s AAA bond rating is one to be proud of, and the state’s budget has been balanced during the entirety of the O’Malley-Brown administration. At this point, it would be appropriate to add the asterisk mark. The state operating budget has been balanced for the past eight years, but not because of any great fiscal hawkishness on Brown’s part.
In response to health care, Brown’s website states, “As the leader of Maryland’s efforts to improve health care and Co-Chair of the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council, Lt. Governor Brown has positioned Maryland as the national leader in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.” In this instance Brown comes a bit closer to lying. As many sources have pointed out, Brown’s handling of the health care rollout in this state was awful. Maryland’s implication of the Affordable Care Act has been ranked as low as 45th in the entire country, and Brown has received criticism even from Democrats such as state Reps. Chris Van Hollen and John Delaney.
Brown’s running mate, Keith Ulman, remarked: “Anthony is committed to providing universal Pre-K for every child in Maryland and he’s laid out a clear path to achieve it. Larry Hogan says we ‘can’t afford’ universal Pre-K, and instead wants a $300 million corporate giveaway. The difference is clear.”
Brown’s campaigning has also included baseless attacks on his opponent Larry Hogan. As the Hogan campaign has been quick to note, Brown’s allegation that Hogan supports a “$300 million corporate giveaway” doesn’t come from anything Hogan has said.
Hogan’s general claim on the campaign trail is to “reduce taxes,” which is admittedly a very vague promise. But the idea that he plans to give $300 million in tax breaks to companies comes from a piece of legislation sponsored by several Republican delegates in the 2014 legislative session in Annapolis, not from any policies proposed by Hogan. In this instance, Brown’s portrayal of a heartless Hogan who is in bed with big business is downright misleading.
In an era that is in desperate need of upright and authentic leaders, Brown’s campaigning is a sign that he is no such leader. While his deliberately misleading campaign won’t prevent him from reaching the governor’s mansion, let’s all keep in mind Brown’s tactics as he serves as our executive for the next four years.
Sam Wallace is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at sam.h.wallace@gmail.com.
