On the Western Banks of the Shenandoah

Despite the statutory bar on his raising money during the General Assembly session that took up the better part of the last three month reporting period, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell has bested all but one of his potential gubernatorial opponents on the Democratic side, according to the WaPo.  

McDonnell raised $2.2 million during the past three months, meaning he has about $3.5 million cash on hand. Only Terry McAulliffe raised more than McDonnell at $4.2 million; additionally, though he raised almost $2.0 more, he spent most of that money and now has just $2.5 million cash on hand. Moran raised $800k in the same period with $825k in the bank, while Deeds pulled in just $600k with $1.2 million in the bank (alot by other standards, but c’mon—this is a gubernatorial race in a purple state, people). These numbers, combined with the fact that McDonnell has the highest favorables in the field and bested Deeds and McAuliffe outside of the Margin of Error in a recent Reasearch 2000 poll (sponsored by Daily Kos, no less) show that MCDonnell has all the momentum at this point. However, given their cockiness following last year’s Electoral College and congressional victories, Dems are going to throw everything they have at McDonnell. More on that later….

It’s the final in the seminal film about cynical politics, Michael Ritchie’s The Candidate. Produced and released during what could arguably be dubbed the most cynical of political periods in our nation’s history, the film starred Robert Redford as a candidate who started out with the grandest of ideals (albeit liberal ones) but was cyncially driven to become a shell of a candidate. At the very end of the film, utterly confused about what it means that he won while sacrificing his core values, he wonders just what it means to lead. 

This is the very same question that is now facing the Republican Party of Virginia with the ouster of Jeff Frederick. However, the outcome of this event need not be a cynical one. 

You likely noticed that I did not comment much on the events throughout the crisis of the last month. The reason for this is that I have friends on both sides and, as squishy as this may sound, can honestly see the arguments of each side. I was a supporter of Jeff’s last year at the convention. I honestly believed in his platform and his vision for the party. Honestly, I think that on many fronts he has made many massive improvements. RPV has opened up the battle on many fronts in new media, launching a text messaging service, getting on Facebook, and launching its own social network. I think that because RPVNetwork is based of Ning’s cookie cutter interface there is a far way to go to make it an effective tool for outside political action, but its a good start nevertheless. 

However, it was clear from the very beginning that there would be tension and the “old guard.” However, it is important to remember that when people speak of “party elites” managing a coup against the “people’s” leader, they seem to forget that the majority of the individuals on State Central are dually elected by the District conventions. Also, its important that these people came up through the grassroots–they may have risen to a position of leadership, but the grassroots needs leadership. The fundamental issue is reaffirming trust between the grassroots and State Central, which itself came from the grassroots. 

Indeed, even both Morton Blackwell and Kathy Hayden Terry were elected by the state convention (well, by those who bothered to stay after the chair’s race).  For those who object to the process, think about your own county organization. I don’t know how all the committee’s work, but I do that in Shenandoah the Committee has the right to remove the chairman through the process outlined in the State Party plan. Now, our committee doesn’t have as many members as most–precincts are allowed to elect one member for every 500 Republican votes cast in the last Presidential and Gubernatorial elections combined. Still, these individuals are dually elected by the Republican activists and voters who show up for our process. Don’t like it? Fight it. Elect new SCC members. Get a by-laws change. When these issues come up, bombard you SCC rep like nothing else. But this is the way it works–our dually elected individuals  have final accountability over our chairmen. Why? Can you really imagine attempting to gather everyone every time an accusation broke out over the chairmanship? 

But back to my original point about the “old guard.” The tension in the hall after the convention made it clear that there would never be a good, solid working relationship between the two factions. Were there some tricks and shadiness on both sides? Yes. As Jim Bowden, a man I deeply respect, said of yesterday’s morass:

There were no white hats in the room. None.

It really was a trainwreck. Even if one side planned it.

I’m troubled that more people weren’t bothered – enough – by what disturbed me so much about the process prior to today. Either I’m really spending my extra time in the wrong place or I’m precisely where I should be – and, frankly, I just don’t know right now.

At the end of the day trust between the Chairman, who has day to day control of the party, and the State Central Committee, which has final oversight and responsibility for the Chairman’s actions as well as their own, had eroded to the point of ineffectiveness. I won’t speak of the indvidual charges, although they did bring concern to my heart. 

But it’s done. 

One major problem throughout this process? Nobody has been talking about the next step. Clearly a large enough number of activists are upset over yesterday’s outcome that we have a major problem now with trust between the grassroots, which empowers the State Central Committee, and the SCC itself. The answer to this? One, it will be a long process of explaining that what happened needed to occur. And that, quite frankly, may never fully occur, but it needs to be tried. The next step is finding a chairman that empowers activists while maintaining trust with SCC. A major problem with the design of SCC is that County chairs do not have a seat at the table. Much of this may be due to the geography of the state–the far southwestern locales are closer to seven different state capitals than it is to Richmond. If we can figure out a way to bring county chairs to the table, then we may have a solution that prevents future coup attempts based on that erosion of trust between the three players (The chairman, the grassroots, and the SCC). That, however, is a discussion for a different time…..

For right now, we need to find someone that can reach out to the grassroots but also manage the party well, particularly with new media efforts. Right now, two names floating around are Sandra Liddy Bourne and Pat Mullins according to Too Conservative and the WaPo. Because of the pseudo ideological nature of this battle, Bourne is already suffering from rumors that she is pro-choice, or at the very least not “100% pro-life.” Also, I think Bourne suffers from issues related to her father. Do we really want a reminder of Watergate serving as our de facto leader? Pat Mullins seems to already be emerging as a consensus pick, as he has experience leading two committees in VERY different parts of the state (Fairfax in the early 90s and Louisa currently). He also fits squarely in the conservative camp according to those familiar with his work. However, the big question in my mind would be is he ready to pursue an aggressive new media strategy in addition to a massive fundraising push. 

Some are also pushing George Allen. Certainly he would be a fascinating choice and strongly supported amongst activists. However, there would be PR problems from Day One. 

Another interesting choice? Shaun Kenney. Very conservative, also has experience with two committees (although in similar parts of the state), young, and very connected to new media. However, his ability to travel and aggressively fundraise would also be questioned. The point is, there is a defecit of both leadership and trust, and we need to move quickly to resolve this question. I have no doubt in the ability of Mike Thomas to handle RPV’s affairs in the interim period. Only one look at his resume on Facebook shows that the man knows what he’s talking about. In addition, I have worked personally with the man. I served with him on the Rules Committee. Although I was on the opposite side of him, he quickly came up with a compromise that satisfied both camps on an issue I won’t mention. He is a fundamentally fair man, and he’s been in this position before. I pledge my support, and I hope that others, during this interim period, will do likewise. 

The biggest task: finding a chair who, hopefully, will reaffirm the trust between State Central and the grassroots. Most importantly, this individual can prevent a floor fight and the end of May. Can this person be found? It remains to be seen. But these are heady days not just for State Central, or the grassroots, or party strategists, or even us humble bloggers. We’re all in this together, and we need to afford each other at least a modicum of respect and recognition of our common cause of putting people into office who best represent our values. 

And that brings me to the whole problem of conservatives versus moderates. I could write a whole book on this issue, but for right now, I think Krystle over at CCC said it best: 

Look, I learned a valuable lesson from 2008, when I (like many) stood against John McCain’s selection by the Republican Party to be the Presidential nominee. I did not want to be active in this race. In fact, I threatened to sit home and not work on behalf of the ticket. However, it took a talk with a good friend, who I worked with in 2006 and 2007 on several successful (and some not so successful) campaigns, to realize that it was wrong not to help the party. Maybe, I was placing my own principles on the table for the sake of the party, or it could be something that Ronald Reagan once said, “I may not agree with someone 20% of the time, but if I do agree with someone 80% of the time, then they are not my enemy.” I did some grassroots work on behalf of McCain by phone banking, and even though, we were not victorious. The lesson I learned was that you need to view it in the Reagan perspective, but then advocate on behalf of principle.

She hit the nail exactly on the head. Staying at home this year will lead to the election of one of three men, the dangers of which we have already discussed. Two would be an utter disaster on Second Amendment rights. All three are terrible on labor and life. 

Look yourself in the mirror and ask–are you really willing to risk all your principles to play this zero sum game for one man? 

That’s all I can say right now. I look forward to a hearty discussion, and I hope that those who supported Jeff to the bitter end do not walk away for the table. We need you. We need everyone. As Bearing Drift said:

The point is that no one person or group of persons has a monopoly on what ideas or objectives are right for our Party. Indeed, that is the very purpose of a Party organization to begin with, to allow all ideas to be thrown into the pot, stirred around, and to allow the best ones to rise to the top. Sadly, that process seems to have been interrupted by bickering over who gets to do the stirring.

What is most damaging and destructive to our Party now is the unyielding certainty of each faction that they are right, that no one else can be right, and that everyone else is determined to exclude them from the process. As 6th District Chair Fred Anderson was quoted in the Roanoke Times saying after yesterday’s meeting, the issue is “In a word — trust.”

Terribly sorry, but I totally forgot that I put up Senator Mark Obenshain’s introduction of Bob McDonnell on YouTube. Here it is, and as Virginia Conservative said, Obenshain really bridges the gap between hardcore ideological conservatives and the more pragmatic conservatives such as McDonnell. 

I wasn’t the only one in Winchester for Bob McDonnell’s appearance. Drew Houff of The Winchester Star kicked off his article rather poetically by mentioning McDonnell’s 2004 kickoff, which McDonnell recalled in his speech:

Speaking from the steps of the Old Court House Civil War Museum, where George Washington began his successful campaign for the House of Burgesses in 1758, McDonnell said the experience gave him chills.

Until there are bloggers who are actually interested in prose, the print media will always have a place in my heart. But Houff also covered issues of greater importance:

“I also think this ought to be the best state for tourism and film production,” McDonnell said. “We’ve got natural beauty — we’ve got mountains, oceans, lakes and rivers, history, and rural vistas. And we ought to be able to bring all of that out-of-state money here to be able to create those kinds of jobs in Virginia. We can do a lot more to promote tourism.

“I also think it is important we make government work better,” he said. “We need a government that is more transparent, that’s more efficient, that’s more efficacious, that’s more frugal, and that’s more open to you.”

McDonnell said Virginia’s state government and its budget have each doubled in the past 10 years.

“We spend [nearly] $8 billion … of your tax money every two years in the budget, and the more you know about where it is going, the more you will be able to hold all of us accountable on how it is spent,” he said.

Also present: the more no-nonsense but always knowledgeable Garren Shipley of the Northern Virginia Daily:

Bob McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign launch came to the Northern Shenandoah Valley on Wednesday, and the theme was hard to miss.

Jobs, jobs, jobs.

The former state attorney general spoke to Winchester-area Republicans early Wednesday, promising at the northernmost stop in his rollout tour to make economic issues his top priority.

Bringing more jobs to the state and reviving the economy “will have the top claim on my time during my term as governor,” McDonnell said. Economic success begins with keeping the commonwealth’s business-friendly tax and environmental regulations intact, he said.

One core area for growth: the energy industry. 

Jobs from off-shore oil and natural gas production are also in 
McDonnell’s vision of Virginia’s future.

“This ought to be the state of choice for the energy industry,” he said. Coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power all stand to create jobs in the Old Dominion.

That’s one reason the state should cut “down on bureaucracy and the time it takes for permitting a clean coal-fired plant and new nuclear power plants.”

The last two (and longest) parts of McDonnell’s speech at his Winchester kick-off

McDonnell on the Current Economic Situation

The McDonnell Plan

1. Cut red tape and bueracracy to make this the most friendly state for small business in the nation
2. Promote the state for tourism and film production
3. Building Wallops Island into the best commercial spaceport in the nation
4. Make Virginia the most friendly state for retirees and veterans through favorable tax policies
5. Take advantage of the Commonwealth’s natural resources to become a leader for energy production

I got to the scene at about 7:30. A bit early but I made really good time both getting up and on I-81. People started to trickle in but by 8 the room was packed. The organizers chose a much bigger room with plenty of seats than at JMU but they still had to roll out extra tables and chairs. My count was about 80 people. 

Most of Frederick and Clarke’s GOP stars were there: Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel, the master of ceremonies; Delegate Beverly Sherwood; Winchester Tea Party organizer Andrew Nicholson; Frederick County Treasurer Bill Orndorff; Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Shickle; Winchester City Tresaurer Mark Garber; former Delegate and former 3rd Congressional District nominee Winsome Sears; 10th District Congressional Chair Jim Rich; Winchester City GOP Chair Patricia Jackson; and Frederick County GOP Chair Bob Seale. 

As for media, Drew Houff was there from the Winchester Star, as well as my fave, Garren Shipley from the Northern Virginia Daily. Noticeably absent: a camera crew from TV 3 Winchester. This was particularly noticeable in light of the fact that their mother station in Harrisonburg covered yesterday’s rally. 

Bob gave his standard stump speech, but tweaked it a little bit for this audience. It’s really quite remarkable how the man can work anecdotes and events into his speeches. He mentioned the Apple Blossom Festival, as well as the fact that George Washington got his start in Winchester.

Applause lines:

• “And I believe those inalienable rights are so important that they apply to all people, born and unborn, and I will be a defender of innocent human life”
• “As your Governor, I will be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment”
• “As your Governor, as I was as your Attorney General, I will be a strong support of keeping your property from Kelo-type takings”
• “I’ll be the Governor who fights for charter schools and merit pay right here in Virginia”
• “I resigned as Attorney General because I didn’t think it was right to campaign on a taxpayer salary”
• “We need to have a strong right to work law”
• “I’m a strong supporter of drilling for oil and gas 50 miles off the coast of Virginia”
• “I think its so important, that in defending that right to work law…..that we stand up and oppose the federal card check law”

All in all, a great event. We’ll have Bob’s comments on the economy up later, but for now enjoy the videos below.

I’ve talked alot on this blog about how the candidates for Governor are taking very different tacks on the labor issue. On one hand, there’s Terry McAuliffe, who has coddled the unions, picking up two endorsements, and, along with the other candidates for Governor on the Dem side, walked the picket lines against a company that has just moved its corporate HQ to Virginia. 

On the other hand, you have Bob McDonnell, who has taken a very firm stance on keeping Virginia a right to work state. 

To ensure that new jobs continue to come to Virginia we must defend our pro-free enterprise, Right to Work Law, the cornerstone of our economic prosperity. But Right to Work is under attack in Congress with the job-killing Card Check legislation pushed by big national unions.

The job of the Governor is to put the people of Virginia and their job opportunities first. All three of my opponents recently stood in union picket lines in Northern Virginia and now will not oppose the job killing card check bill!

I will defend our Right to Work law; oppose Card Check and fight to keep Virginia the best place in America to do business! We can’t let big national unions turn Virginia into southern Michigan!

Note particularly that last line. As the nation debates Card Check legislation that would open up opportunities for shadowy cabals to impose unionization on threatened employees, Union proponents are beginning to get rowdy. From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review: 

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher — better known as Joe the Plumber — headlined a raucous rally against pro-union legislation Monday night where critics and supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act jeered one another.

Two Green Tree police officers broke up several arguments to prevent fights in the midst of a crowd of about 150 packed inside a Radisson ballroom. The crowd was divided about evenly between union members and opponents of the so-called “card check” bill. No one was arrested.

Wurzelbacher, in a flannel shirt, T-shirt and jeans, drew some of the loudest rebukes from union members, who booed and jeered him for not having a plumber’s license in his native Ohio.

Now I’m not the biggest fan of Joe the Plumber, but this is one issue that he can actually speak with some knowledge. However, it’s clear that union organizers are high jacking events and recognizing that people are opposing the increasing collectivization of America. Emotions are clearly running very high on this issue. 

If this is what we see when we’re discussing card check, what do you think the environment will be like if card check passes?

MSM coverage of yesterday’s kick-off in Harrisonburg is starting to trickle out. The Daily News Record published a fairly typical piece that hit all the high points of Bob’s platform, but one paragraph stood out:

McDonnell also made a pitch for the college-age vote on Tuesday, introducing the crowd to his texting system.

Democrats heavily recruited college students last fall to help them win the White House.

McDonnell said the texting tactic worked so well for President Obama that he was using it.

Leopold suggested McDonnell misunderstood Obama’s appeal.

“If you think,” Leopold said, “that college students made a decision based on who texted them most last year, then you are out of touch with college students.”

Um, pardon me Mr. Leopold, but did we attend the same rally? At the rally I attended Mr. McDonnell only spent about 4 minutes talking about his text messaging program. During the rest of the speech he laid out a comprehensive program to ensure a healthy future for young Virginians. Yes, the McDonnell team recognizes the power of texting, but they also realize that their must be a coherent theme behind their messages. The McDonnell campaign is pushing hard on plans to ensure a bright future for the next generation by ensuring top students get into our top colleges and encouraging innovation and industry. 

Methinks that Mr. Leopold needs a refresher course in the difference between tactics and strategy.

Here’s a collection of photos from the Harrisonburg rally for Bob McDonnell yesterday. I hope to have video up later today, along with photos and video from the Winchester event. 

26th District Delegate Matt Lohr, with 26th District Senator Mark Obenshain in the background

The crowd going wild shortly after Bob’s arrival
In the red sweater waving her sign: RWSC Chair Sue Hughes 

The crowd of 80 or so people spilled out in the hallway

I told you I had a really good spot ’til I got sick

Bob consulting with his Youth Coordinator and daughter, Cailin

Two of Bob’s daughters
Far left in red shirt: JMU Junior and Cheerleader Rachel McDonnell
Far right in black and white: McDonnell Youth Coordinator Cailin McDonnell

Bob instructing the crowd to text VA to 46262 (“GOBOB”)

After a little bit of a mix-up getting to Taylor Hall, I managed to make it to the rally shortly before former Attorney General Bob McDonnell arrived. However, by that time the room was PACKED and every chair was taken. I counted about 70 heads, including 8 or so College Democrats. Bob acknowledged their presence, and they were in turn respectful. He joked that he hoped to peel some of them off in his 15 minute speech (which actually played out for about 25 minutes, given the intimate nature of the venue). 

Given that it was a Tuesday afternoon shortly before most people got off work, it was primarily a young crowd. Indeed, it was one of the youngest crowds I’ve ever seen at a political event. It was a real testament to the organization of the JMU CRs, of which one of Bob McDonnell’s daughters is a member. The invocation, which was delivered by a member of the CRs whose name I regretfully cannot recall, was absolutely wonderful and touched on many of the spiritual themes we need to remember as we fight this race. They staffed the HQ in Harrisonburg around the clock last fall, and I hope they’ll do the same this coming year. 

I did see Shenandoah County Republican Women Chair Sue Hughes, as well as noted Valley activist Suzanne Curran. Also on hand were Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Matt Lohr. You could tell the sort of rapport the two men have built up with the CRS over the last few years. Luis Padilla was there as well, who some may remember from his stand for his first amendment rights during the gay marriage referendum in 2006. Noticeably absent: The SWAC crew. Why? This was the closest rally for them (well, that or Charlottesville). Many of them are standing behind Jeff Frederick. However, I would be interested in knowing if any of them (or any other public Jeff supporters) attended the rally. 

Bob’s speech echoed many of the themes that he has been pushing during his kick-off. However, since the audience was mostly college age, he talked a great deal about jobs and college opportunities. I’m hearing the case was the same at UVA. Also of note: Two of Bob’s daughters were there: Cailin, the youth co-ordinator for the campaign, and Rachel, a junior and cheerleader at JMU. He talked about his texting effort, and many people actually whipped out their phones. Early on in his speech he talked about the main thrust of his campaign: bringing people together to improve the quality of life in Virginia and bolstering Virginia’s economy with well paying, stable jobs. Or to put it the campaign’s way: Bob’s for Jobs!

Now, here’s the disappointing part. I was not able to get a seat, and the room was extremely warm. I unfortunately don’t have the sort of stamina I used to in these situations, and I almost got ill in the room. Since I figured our Republican candidate didn’t need a supporter throwing up next to him on the 11 o’clock news, I left the room. I only got about 11 minutes of video, mostly Mark Obenshain’s introduction which I will post later. So sorry about that, but I will try to get as best as I can tomorrow morning in Winchester to get a complete video account. 

All in all, a great event, and definitely a good move to introduce Bob to our next generation of young Virginian leaders. McDonnell is clearly making a play for the youth vote through his message and use of technology.