Politicians

I read with interest Blaine Taylor's letter about the voter turnout in the primary in last week's edition of the Towson Times ("Dems take notice: GOP turnout shows support for that party's team," April 11) because I had a conversation with a gentleman who told me he hadn't voted since he was a Democrat — and the primary was only for Republicans. What we need to do is better educate the public so that more will vote and they won't just vote for familiar names. That way, maybe some new candidates like Blaine Taylor will be voted in, and maybe even some Republicans, so our state won't be so one-sided.

The Sun says it's time for the Occupy Wall Street movement to grow up ("Time to grow up," Nov. 17), urging the protesters to "develop goals beyond camping in public. " It would be instructive to ask The Sun, where is the outrage, the righteous indignation at the violence of the police to unarmed citizens? Besides adopting an unnecessary tone of condescending sarcasm, The Sun misses the point. Instead of focusing on the logistical problems city officials have to contend with, it's time to ask politicians and city officials what they have done to enact the fundamental reforms the protesters have been advocating for the last two months - jobs with a living wage, single-payer health care for all, an end to murderous, wasteful wars, and an end to the influence of money in the political process.

Thanks to political anomalies like Sen. Bobby Zirkin who put their constituents above party politics, there is at least a glimmer of hope that Maryland citizens may not have to pay higher taxes this year to balance the state's budget ("Bobby Zirkin: secret Republican?" March 21). Senator Zirkin not only superbly represents his Baltimore County constituents in District 11, his political actions are helping all of Maryland's citizens. The question is, will enough other delegates have the stomach to challenge the tax-them-to-death policies of the governor and the state's Democratic Party?

For one day at least, at a church in Dundalk, politician was not a dirty word. For the sixth straight year, Calvary Baptist Church paid tribute to the work of elected officials and political candidates along with police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers. The headliner for the event was former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican who is seeking to take his old job back from Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley — a no-show. He was joined by county-level politicians, Republicans and Democrats, both officeholders and those who aspire to be, in accepting the thanks of a grateful congregation.

An Internet search is inconclusive as to where the phrase "no skin in the game" originated. Some ascribe it to the late columnist William Safire, others to investor Warren Buffett. Politicians often use the phrase to justify policies to their liking. It can also be applied to the latest in a long list of their outrageous behaviors, as well as to those of President Barack Obama. Like an increasing number of politicians, the president has never served in the military, nor has he ever run a business.

When it comes to politics, I no longer have any respect for our elected officials. I will not vote for an incumbent. First, there were guidelines as to how many casinos would be available for bidding. Maryland Live abided by the rules and gave the state a class operation. Now, a new casino opportunity is being touted forPrince George's County("A home run for the state," June 15). Gee, I wonder if Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has anything to do with it? Will he benefit under the table?

Whether debating health care, national security, or creationism, many politicians, commentators, and media personalities exhibit what psychologists call "cognitive errors." These errors include over-generalization, dichotomous (all-or-none) thinking, selective abstraction (i.e., taking a detail and only dwelling on it while ignoring the larger context), maximization (e.g., of an opponent's weaknesses) and minimization (e.g., of an adversary's strengths). Such errors are not unique to liberals or conservatives -- they are prevalent across the political spectrum.

Americans may not be "mad as hell," as they were once portrayed in the movie "Network," but they're not particularly happy either. If the public mood seems exceedingly skittish and irritable these days, we now have a poll to paint the picture in neat percentages. Neat, perhaps, for the pollsters but a puzzle for politicians.Maryland is a good example. Del. Ellen Sauerbrey's stunning upset of Rep. Helen D. Bentley in the Republican gubernatorial primary suggests that voters are tired of familiar faces and want dramatic change in government.

Recently, in a deviation from Standard Journalism Procedure, I've been talking with members of the public. We journalists generally avoid members of the public because they always tell us that we get everything wrong, although in fact what they're usually talking about is insignificant errors such as identifying James Baker as "the governor of Connecticut," when he is technically the mayor of Connecticut.So usually we journalists prefer to obtain our information about the public by watching it walk past our cafeteria windows.

Henry Cisneros, ex-mayor of San Antonio, the Hispanic superstar who crashed and burned, is coming to Baltimore for a commencement speech today. But I don't need to go. I see him in my bathroom every morning.An explanation may be in order. I was a reporter in San Antonio from 1983 to 1989. At a time when the whole city seemed to be buzzing about his rumored infidelities, the mayor appeared in one of Esquire's "Women We Love" issues, extolling the virtues of his wife. It was hard to decide if his audacity was appalling or admirable.