County Democrats Urged to ‘Make it in America’

It’s a challenging time in politics for Democrats, but the rallying cry was loud and clear at Thursday’s Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner: give people hope that they can “Make it in America.”

The theme, shared by U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, meant not only should Democrats have a psychology of success, but Americans also should focus on making goods in the country. Hoyer serves as the minority whip for the House of Representatives, the second-highest ranking Democrat after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

“We need to manufacture it in America, and grow in it in America and we’re going to sell it across the world,” he said to a room of about 400 local Democrats at in Glen Burnie. Hoyer, a Mechanicsville resident, represents parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties as well as Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties.

“We’re going to give people hope that they're going to make it in America,” Hoyer said, adding that in order to do that, the country must make investments. “We need to make an investment in our kids and our workers to make sure that they make it … It’s not spending, it’s investing and there will be a return.”

Stephen W. Thibodeau, chairman of the Anne Arundel County Democratic Party, said the party suffered some losses in the 2010 elections, but urged his colleagues to look forward and not back.

“We must re-elect Barack Obama, we must re-elect our senator, Ben Cardin, and we must take back the 1st district of Maryland,” he said, referring to Frank Kratovil, who lost to Andy Harris, a Republican, last fall after serving one term in Congress. The 1st district includes parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City, as well as counties on the Eastern Shore.

“[Americans] were mad and fearful in 2010. They were angry and they reached out and struck out almost all of the incumbents that were in marginal districts,” Hoyer said. “We have an opportunity to take back the House and we need to take back the House because the Senate is at risk.”

Many in attendance noted that the turnout was higher than any other event they’d seen in a non-election year. Thibodeau said in 2010, they sold 420 tickets and Thursday’s event saw about 400 tickets sold in advance.

“Democrats of Anne Arundel County are energized and ready to go, or as Obama would say ‘fired up, and ready to go,’” Hoyer said in a call-and-response with the crowd.

Thibodeau said he was thrilled with the turnout and felt optimistic about going into the 2012 election year with a message of compassion for what he called the “other 98 percent” of the population.

Republican leadership practices “reverse Robin Hood. They take from the other 98 percent and give to the wealthiest 2 percent,” he said, urging the Democrats in the room to remember the party’s roots.

“We will fight for … the other 98 percent,” he said. “We will stand for our teachers and police and firefighters and fight for them and do so with pride.”

Thibodeau said the Democratic Party was the party of compassion.

“I feel great because there’s a group of people who understand that message in this county. And I’m sure that the same thing is happening in other counties [across America],” he said.