Past His Sell-By Date

You can accuse Comptroller William Donald Schaefer of being many things but not of being a dissembling politician. He would not even apologize for his offensive remarks about Korean Americans. You had to feel for his campaign aide who had drafted an apology that Schaefer would not sign though it is great fodder for his opponents. You never know quite know where Schaefer's mind will go these days. Even voters unsympathetic to immigration do not exactly quiver with fear at the waves of Korean immigrants taking advantage of the public school system. Oh, the horror.

Willie Don's penchent for making sexual and racial comments has turned him into a walking gaffe machine and cost him the support of most Democrats according to a new survey reported in the Baltimore Sun. Only 30% of Democrats still support Schaefer though he still leads Anne Arundel County Exec. Janet Owens, who is at 22%, and Montgomery Del. Peter Franchot at 11%. Owens probably leads Franchot largely due to the greater name recognition of a two-term county executive. While Franchot has been a vocal legislator, he is still probably little known outside of his legislative district.

Endorsements will prove crucial in the outcome of this race. If the enormously influential Washington Post and Baltimore Sun both break for the same candidate, Schaefer's long political career may mercifully come to close. If they split, it might allow Schaefer to win the Democratic nomination with only a minority of the vote. The willingness of state legislative and other local candidates to endorse and campaign for Owens or Franchot could also prove crucial to either campaign. The relative conservatism of Owens may prove a liability in attracting support with Democratic activists while Franchot's liberalism is likely an asset.

Schaefer additionally suffers because his formerly vaunted campaign machine has mostly retired even if he has not. Democratic activists will never forgive his bizarre and uninfluential endorsement of the first President Bush in 1988. Schaefer's latest pearls of wisdom have convinced others that the practical politician who dominated Baltimore politics for decades and endeared himself to Marylanders with his "Reach the Beach" program while governor is past his sell-by date.