Obenshain was a senior adviser to the Gillespie campaign; he and Ed will decide privately who will run in 2017. The competition will come from former Lt Gov Bill Bolling, a card-carryiing member of the GOP-e who bailed when he didn’t get the Republican nomination for governor in 2013.
The real scandal in Virginia politics is perpetual candidate Robert Sarvis; always enters the most important race, has just enough money to siphon off the votes needed to deny the GOP a victory. How does Sarvis support himself as a professional candidate? Can’t prove it, but there has to be money flowing to him from the Dims. In 2013, some of his biggest donors were Democrats, and I think the effort is clearly organized and systemic.
The solution is easy: the GOP needs to find their own “Sarvis,” and give him or her the resources to win. Then, with Sarvis out of the way, the GOP libertarian can withdraw from the race and throw his support to the Republican candidate. Another option is to quietly field a Green Party candidate who can run to the left of the Dims and siphon off votes from that end of the political spectrum.
Beat the Dims at their own game.
The reason VA took back part of the district of Columbia was that the folks in Alexandria wanted the slave trade. I think as part of reparations, it is only fair that we give that part of Virginia back to the federal government.
People aren’t forced to vote for Sarvis. The Cuccinelli-McAwful exit polls showed that the Sarvis vote would have been split about equally between Dems and Reps had he not been in the race.
Simpler solution..
The pub majority in Richmond needs to go with 50% or a run off like GA or LA.
The VA Party needs to hold closed, voted primaries for candidates...this, Obershain & Gillespie will get together to see who runs for gov for the pubs is a little too insider ball game for my liking.....