And now, the Nose would like to interrupt the
Schaefer-for-mayor hype for a political service reminder. Octogenarian bachelor
William Donald Schaefer, currently
Comptroller of Maryland, will ever and always be an
unconfirmed candidate for Mayor of Baltimore for as long as he breathes, and whether he wants to be or not.
The former governor was barely out of the State House in 1995 when his supporters raised the trial balloon of a Schaefer mayoral candidacy--as a Republican, to take on the winner of the two-way Democratic primary between incumbent Kurt L. Schmoke and then-City Council President Mary Pat Clarke. Nothing came of it.
And in 1999, when everybody and his brother was urging everybody and his sister to run for mayor--ultimately, the Democratic field numbered 17--the Schaefer factor was in play right up until the evening of the filing deadline. Schaefer showed up at the elections board that night amidst much fanfare, and then announced he wouldn't be throwing his hat in the ring. Even though he had said as much earlier, no one really believed him until the deadline passed.
Now it's 2003, and the idea of a Schaefer bid is once again making the rounds--this time against poster-boy incumbent Martin O'Malley. The Nose isn't holding our breath, and we're not saying it won't happen either. We're just pointing out that the Schaefer-for-mayor phenomenon is déjà vu all over again, and so far it hasn't led to an actual candidacy.
Please return to your regularly scheduled spasm of Schaefer spin.
