Political Animals

Deputy Pell: You got no right to be here. This is a political meeting.
Ward: Doesn't smell that way to me, Deputy.
Deputy Pell: It's a damn political meeting, Hoover Boy.
Ward: Oh, it looks like a political meeting, but smells more like Klan to me... with or without the Halloween costumes.

—Mississippi Burning (1988)

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Saturday night there was an event in Morrell Park that was billed as an "Olde Tyme Political Rally". The website of the Morrell Park/St. Paul's Improvement Association publicized it thus (and I reproduce it here, unedited):

"Come out to a Free old Tyme Politicial Rally and meet those that are running in the September Election. Find out their views, Who will support our projects Like The Rec Center, Indoor Pool, Pavillion,Bringing our School back to top status. This will be an important night for alll of Morrell Park. Know who supports us before you VOTE !!!!!"

Given the spelling and grammar above, I'm not so sure that "Olde Tyme" (which doesn't appear above but does, in other places) was spelled that way on purpose. Anyway. Since I still own property in the 10th, I'm naturally interested in what's going on down there, so I sent an email requesting two passes (it was a free but ticketed event), one for me and one for GF.

I didn't get a reply to my email, but admittedly I sent it kind of late. So, since I was in the neighborhood anyway, I figured I'd swing by. Either they'd let me in or they wouldn't. I wasn't going to take it personally either way. The guy at the door (Hi, S) took pity on me and gave me a ticket, noting that it's good to have friends in high places. Later on, the guy organizing the event apologized for not responding to my email.

As I got there, there was a group of people representing Terry Hickey, in addition to the candidate himself. They were stuck in the doorway; I was told later that Hickey was given a set of rules that he had to agree to before being granted entry (no flyers beyond a certain point, etc.). This was supposedly done for all of the political candidates who weren't endorsed by the association. Well...it's their party, they can make the rules, I guess.

After I got in, they were about ready to start, so I took a seat at a back table, alone. Hickey's table was next to me. In front of me was a table full of Ed Reisinger's supporters. Beyond that was a table with Reisinger's father and what looked like several of his fellow American Legionnaires. Reisinger himself perched at a point roughly between the two tables. Behind me, at the kitchen pass-through, some people stood, including a woman who was quite drunk. As people got up to speak, she'd mutter something at them that, if I could have deciphered it, would likely have been rather rude. I know at least one time the door guard walked over to her and had a word with her companion.

The purpose of the event was for the association to announce their endorsements for several Baltimore City election candidates, all of whom got up to address the crowd. Again, since the point was to give these folks a little bit of a forum and get their supporters pumped, it was no-harm, no-foul that Hickey, Sarbanes and (later) Jill Carter weren't given an opportunity to speak to the room. (I don't know if any other unendorsed candidates were there; I know I didn't see Donnie Fair.) This didn't stop them from doing some circulating when the formalities broke up and the food was served, and nobody gave them a hard time about it.

While the food was served (or, more accurately, when the buffet opened), the drunk woman got some food and plunked down next to me. Apparently she was peeved that this event was keeping her from doing something or other. "This is MY legion hall, not theirs," she said a couple of times. Then she complained about the small child who was at Reisinger's table. "Leave 'em at home, this is no place for little kids." If only she'd done the stereotypical thing and gone face-down in her food, my evening would have been complete. Of course, I wasn't really helping matters by replying, "Damn right" and such every time she spouted.

The door guard urged me to eat but I, not knowing they were serving food, had just eaten. I settled for some bottled water instead. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get one with the Sheila Dixon logo on it. Just plain ol' Deer Park water. Ah, well.

So in general, it was a pretty positive event (if a little on the self-congratulatory side) and everyone played nice. I'm frankly not especially clear on what was achieved, since there was a lot of "preaching to the choir" in this instance, but I guess sometimes folks need that bit of a boost.