A Sign of the Apocalypse

It is official today as noted here that Don Dwyer (R-31) has defeated Joan Cadden to complete the Republican sweep of District 31.

As noted weeks ago here, the challenge made by Cadden never had much of a chance and should have been abandoned earlier. Since the race was so close, however, we taxpayers get to pay the bill for this pointless exercise.

None of this is suprising, however. The shocking part of the article is the declaration by Del. Dwyer that he will be "kinder and gentler" and try to work better with his colleagues. This from the same guy a couple of weeks ago who warned that if he was re-elected "Katy bar the door."

If the hardest of hardcore conservatives can begin speaking the mush of bipartisanship and cooperation with a leadership he himself has demonized for years, what is going on with our Republican members of the House of Delegates? No doubt Don could always have been more subtle and picked his battles a little better but now, flush with victory, he is sounding more like a relieved incumbent wanting to never have another close race rather than the zealot who wanted to speak the truth regardless of the outcome. No good can come from this, can it?

On the campaign trail, Don would say "No one can do what I do and get reelected" Now that he has been proven wrong, he appears willing to give up what "he does".

I will wager that this statment is just Don getting caught up in the air of conciliation within the caucus and it will not last. Because if Don Dwyer can be a wishy washy Republican looking to "work with the other side" with full complicity in "how things are done in Annapolis" (read giving into the liberal Democrats) how can we ever change the culture in the General Assembly and give conservatives a reason to get excited again.