Cardin has a financial edge, however, having raised $5 million to Mfume's $760,000, and he plans to hit the expensive Washington, D.C., television airways before the primary. It's unlikely Mfume can follow suit, making it difficult to reach undecided suburban whites. Cardin may also benefit by being seen as more electable. "If you have two candidates, one black and one white, whites see the black candidate as more liberal," says David Bositis, of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "In Maryland, candidates don't want to be seen as too liberal on issues benefiting African-Americans. It's still a very segregated state."
If Cardin wins the primary, Steele has made no secret that he will vie for black votes with an economic empowerment message. "Dr. King's mission was getting a seat at the lunch counter," he says. "I talk about owning the diner." Last spring, a study by the Democratic National Committee found that as many as 44 percent of black Marylanders would consider supporting Steele. But Bositis notes that black Republican candidates have yet to prove they can win black votes. Steele recently admitted he compared running as a Republican to wearing a "scarlet letter."
And if Mfume wins the primary? Steele has a message ready, though it's aimed more at white voters who polls suggest will be less inclined to support a black activist like Mfume. "Voters have to ask who's going to better serve them." he says. "[Someone] who represents all the people, or just one particular race?"
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