Today’s Sun column addresses Dan Cox’s “constitutionally stupid” ideas about Trump and the FBI — specifically, Cox’s pledge, if elected governor, to “stand against” federal agents who — um, what? — try to execute a search warrant against a Cox ally? It’s not clear.
Obviously, this Republican candidate was so eager to get on the FBI Hate Wagon on Monday, after the search at Mar-a-Lago, he posted a declaration of resistance on Facebook, promising to “use the 9th and 10th Amendments, the Maryland Constitution and Declaration of Rights, the [Maryland State Police] and Maryland [National] Guard to stand against all rogue actions of this out of control tyrannical Biden administration with fierce tenacity.”
As the column states, this is ludicrous, especially for a guy who claims to be a “constitutional attorney.”
It sounded like crackpot thinking on its face, so why get into it? Why call law professors and ask their scholarly opinions of Cox’s foolish statement?
Cox and his running mate, Gordana Schifanelli, have a lot of extreme positions and, in blue Maryland, they sound even more out of step with the majority of voters. Though the Maryland GOP claims to be putting on a united front, the split that happened on primary election day is still there. The GOP of Larry Hogan wants nothing to do with the Trumpie Cox, or so we might surmise. It remains to be seen, however, whether Maryland Republicans who supported the Never-Trump Hogan will sit out the general election or fall in behind Cox-Schifanelli out of party loyalty.
And that’s why it’s important that we in the Maryland press pay attention and examine their positions, and not just dismiss them as crackpots with no chance of winning in November.
A letter I received last night from a reader named Fred Hoover summed this up:
While it may appear humorous to hear the latest crazy quote from Cox, as you pointed out, his ideas are divisive and dangerous.
Folks may think that Cox has no chance to win the governor’s office but having been an active partisan for the Dems in 1994, I remember the close final November tally. [Democrat Parris Glendening slipped past Republican Ellen Sauerbrey by fewer than 6,000 votes; Sauerbrey claimed voter fraud.] The general election in November might not be the Wes Moore blowout that folks expect.
If the race is close like 1994, Cox will not just go to court like Ellen did. It will be more like Trump in 2020 with baseless challenges to the election and the election process especially aimed at certain parts of the state. Instead of Wes Moore organizing a new administration, he will spend wasted hours responding to election fraud claims from Cox.
It is Wes Moore’s and the Dems’ job to win this race by a convincing margin. You serve an important role in calling out extreme, ludicrous and unconstitutional comments.”
Dan Rodricks 
Indeed.
Article I, Section 9 of the Maryland Constitution says:
“Every person elected, or appointed, to any office of profit or trust, under this Constitution, or under the Laws, made pursuant thereto, shall, before he enters upon the duties of such office, take and subscribe the following oath, or affirmation: I, ………., do swear, (or affirm, as the case may be,) that I will support the Constitution of the United States; and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland, and support the Constitution and Laws thereof; and that I will, to the best of my skill and judgment, diligently and faithfully, without partiality or prejudice, execute the office of ………., according to the Constitution and Laws of this State, (and, if a Governor, Senator, Member of the House of Delegates, or Judge,)….”
So, if Mr. Cox should get elected (God forbid!) would he take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States? Would he mean it? Would he follow it?
He sorely needs to be defeated in this election by the widest possible margin.
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It is so important to call out these ridiculous, extreme MAGA politicians at every level of politics! At the national level, we have learned that it is not enough to smuggly sit and chuckle at absurdities because we allowed the birth of the MAGA magnate himself. At the state level, we imperil life and liberty when voices of irrationality are not loudly called out for their lies. At the local level, bullies and self-interested idealogues must be checked every time. Democracy takes work. It takes effort. This is why it has been rare through the millennia. Thanks Dan, for continuing to raise the voice of the press to shed light on this. To ignore is to empower ignorance.
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I’m calling this race a toss-up. My in-laws say that Moore is another Obama: smooth talk and no experience. Cox talks directly, even if what he says is total horse hockey. Moore talks about a grand vision with no specifics.
Democrats bailed out on Townsend because of her condescending tone and Brown and Jealous because they offered no compelling reason to vote for them. Moore has to stop being a visionary and start acting tough.
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