Delores Kelley Throws Down the Race Card

Delores Kelley, the Baltimore County state delegate whose district covers the economically impoverished Randallstown, has been throwing out the race card lately. You'll remember back in May when I criticized her for running a stale-dated website. Now that website doesn't even exist. Is this the power of Eludius? Am I becoming a mover and shaker of the Maryland General Assembly's least effective members?

Anyway, Delegate Kelley was recently criticizing Democratic Baltimore County Executive candidate Joe Bartenfelder. She said that Bartenfelder, a farmer, donated a bushel of collard greens that were used as a donation to a food bank. Baltimore County Councilman Ken Oliver, who is black, said that Bartenfelder offered them during a meeting at Delegate Kelley's house and that everyone took some. She disagrees with the story.

Delegate Kelley said Bartenfelder's actions were offensive and stereotypical. Stereotypical of what? White people? Politicians? Racists? Oliver, meanwhile, as explained in the article, said no one else found it offensive.

And why was this brought up a week before the primary and not two years ago when it happened? Is she doing this to help Kevin Kamenentz in his bid for Baltimore County Executive?

In the last part of the article by Bryan Sears, it states: "Asked if she thought this was a campaign issue, she said: “I don’t know. I guess it depends on what point you’re trying to make.”"

So, is she saying that her point of view is that she doesn't like Bartenfelder and wants him to lose? Or that she herself is a racist? Or is she saying that she's been an ineffective state delegate for years and is now trying to play the race card, which is always effective in getting attention? Is she saying that she is trying to deflect attention away from the fact that her district is nearly in financial ruin?

There are so many open questions on this. And if Delegate Delores Kelley's website were up and running still, I would certainly pose the questions to her. But unfortunately, she neglected her website just like she seems to have neglected Randallstown and now we cannot reach her that way.