It’s essential to know that Dan Cox — i.e., Republican Delegate Daniel L. Cox, a quintessential right-wing extremist and the GOP’s nominee to be governor of Maryland—is endorsed by Donald Trump and proud of it.
And it’s also important to know that ever since Cox’s primary victory in July, he’s backpedaled away from his long record as an extremist. He’s repudiated previous positions, rewritten his web page, and is straining to present himself as a moderate Republican. He’s even downplaying his Trump endorsement.
Cox now denies that in January 2021, he tweeted that Vice President Pence is a “traitor”; this tweet, however, has been thoroughly verified. His campaign website no longer boasts that he fought to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Or that Cox hired three buses to haul Trump supporters into D.C. to attack the Capitol on January 6.
The Washington Post reports that his web site has been scrubbed of “references to ‘a natural right’ to gun ownership and promises to ban transgender athletes in women’s sports and conduct an audit of the 2020 presidential election, which he has called ‘stolen.’”
Also, according to the Post, Cox has closed his account on the Gab social media platform and — tellingly — removed his approximately 1,000 posts from that site. Gab is associated with hate speech, racists, and white nationalists, ad nauseam.
Don’t be fooled by this middle-of-the-campaign flimflammery! Despite Candidate Cox’s reposturing, repositioning, restating, and rejiggering, the GOP’s gubernatorial hopeful remains — simply put — an authentic right-wing extremist. Cox can modify his malice as much as he likes, but it would be naive to think he’ll change his mind about anything.
Every Maryland voter urgently needs to understand that Candidate Cox:
- Denies that President Biden won the 2020 election and continues to parrot Trump’s baseless claims of voting fraud.
- Is solidly opposed to reproductive rights for women.
- Yearns to repeal Maryland’s sensible firearms-safety laws and make guns more available.
- Would outlaw most future pandemic-related public health measures.
- Supports extremist “Moms 4 Liberty”-type takeovers of local school boards.
- Avoids reporters’ requests for interviews and comments.
- Sees his candidacy as “a campaign between freedom and a socialist-communist politics” and swears that his opponent, Democrat Wes Moore, is a communist or a socialist.
- Extols his running mate, Gordana Schifanelli, another extremist with her own right-wing agenda and baggage.
- Insists that the Biden administration is “out-of-control” and “tyrannical.”
Even Maryland’s conservative incumbent governor, Republican Larry Hogan, has labeled Cox “a QAnon whack job” and is doing nothing to support his candidacy. Hogan says, “Cox is not, in my opinion, mentally stable. He wanted to hang my friend, Mike Pence, and took three busloads of people to the Capitol.”
If the prospect of a Trump clone as Maryland’s next governor horrifies you — as it should! — vote for Democrat Wes Moore and his running mate, Aruna Miller.
Gren Whitman
Rock Hall
Notes:
People Magazine
Maryland Matters
Frederick News-Post
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/24/gab-dan-cox-maryland-governor/
Bob Kopec says
Cox is just another Trump lapdog trying to slither away from his extremist right wing position. Not so fast!
Robert C Jones says
Good letter. Cox is unhinged and, like the knuckle dragging gun nuts who put out his lawn signs, he espouses violence against law abiding, decent, people. I am a Democrat (not a Socialist like the Wrong Right babbles) but I liked Hogan. We need another leader who represents all Marylanders, not just the violent, the threatening, and the deplorably ignorant.
William Keppen says
Maryland voters have proven that they can, and will, common sense, honest Republicans to high office. Cox fails those tests, in so many ways. Marylanders were not honored with a viable Republican candidate to follow in Hogen’s footsteps.
Kent A. Robertson, MD says
I have heard Mr Cox speak and have spoken to him. I found him to be a solid conservative who believes in the Constitutions of Maryland and the USA. That includes freedon of speech, and assembly, free exchange of ideas, and our second amendment right to bear arms.
He thinks our schools should be teaching our children to read, write, and do math, science, and learn the history of Maryland and the USA with all it’s glories and shortcomings. He thinks that our kids should learn their early social and sexual lessons at home and not be exposed to social engineering at preschool and elementary school.
He believes in personal responsibility, family, and being respectful of others.
He wants a comprehensive immigration policy that includes an end to illegal immigration.
He wants a government that is fiscally responsible.
He supports our police officers and wants a judicial system that is tough on crime and supports the victims of crime more than the criminals.
He wants an election apparatus that ensures free and fair elections that we can all trust.
If these are “extremist” views from an “unhinged” man, I guess I fall into that same category, along with tens of millions of our fellow citizens. These views are the basis upon which our founding fathers based the Constitution of our Republic. I don’t understand how anyone who loves the freedoms we enjoy as citizens can object to any of these views. “Progressive” ideas are the antithesis of what has made this country the envy of the world.