(required posting for any Schapiro link)
Posted on 05/02/2005 6:32:26 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands
Weekly wrap-up of Virginia Campaign New. Post 'em if you got em...
April 11, 2005 Thread I
April 18, 2005 Thread II
April 25, 2005 Thread III
Thanks to FReeper Flora McDonald for our thread graphics:
From Sunday
Kaine gets a head start on mind games
by Jeff Schapiro
The path to the Virginia governorship runs through a candidate's psyche.
Just ask Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the presumed Democratic nominee.
Road Shows
Editorial
Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine are running for Governor, not Transportation Commissioner -- thank goodness.
Both candidates have rolled out their transportation packages, such as they are. Kilgore's has more substance, but that isn't saying much, because it would be hard to have less substance than the Kaine plan. That plan consists of demanding "accountability for our transportation expenditures," "locking up" the transportation trust fund, and improving state-local coordination. None of these ideas is objectionable -- and none of them would do anything to address the growing gap between transportation needs and available funds.
Author attends annual shad planking
by Tyler Whitley
It wasn't the tasty shad that brought Stuart Rothenberg to the piney woods of Southside Virginia 12 days ago.
Kilgore ad blasts Kaine as 'liberal'
Radio spot cites his stands on taxes and death penalty; Democrat calls ad inaccurate
by Jeff Schapiro
Jerry W. Kilgore, the Republican candidate for governor, is on the radio with the first attack ad of the campaign, blasting Democrat Timothy M. Kaine as a "liberal who is trying to hide it."
Monday pingages.
I'm on dial-up and so am still reading the RTD.
I must say I was favorably impressed with the young young men from the Kilgore Campaign who attended Saturday's 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Accomac Cty. Rep. Women. They were from the Hampton Roads. They were clean cut, mid 20s, well spoken, and knowlegeable. If they are an indication of the caliber of folks Kilgore surrounds himself, he's a ssure winner!!!!
I'm hoping I'll be able to get to the reception he is having here on the Shore on Wednesday.
I know little of the AG's race, but was found Bob McDonnell to be a very credible candidate.............he is also VERY easy on the eys ;)
Bob McDonnell's a good guy. I'd be happy to see him as AG. I'm supporting Steve Baril because he's also a good guy and a great candidate and I've worked with him personally.
Link to Sunday's Meet the Press
excerpt...
SEN. ALLEN: Let's assume that cutting the benefits--let's assume--at least I have him here engaged, Tim. Now--which we can't get from other Democrats. All right, let's assume that we're going to have to figure out the basic facts here as to when it becomes insolvent or when the revenues coming in do not match.
SEN. DODD: It's not insolvent at any point even after 2042. Some say 2050.
SEN. ALLEN: The reality is at that some point, whether it's 2017, 2018 or you may think it's 2041, that the number of people working and the revenues coming in from Social Security taxes will not be sufficient to pay those who are on retirement. And we all know that the fastest growing age group are those over age 80. Now, at some point--and I agree with you, I don't think we ought to be cutting benefits for those middle income and low income.
I thought that Sen. Allen did pretty well on MTP. Dodd tried to talk over him all the time and Allen didn't let him get away with it. I thought Russert pressed him pretty hard on a couple of things so I guess Russert thinks he's a force to contend with for 2008.
As I said, I don't know much about either candidate, and the Baril representative at the luncheon didn't help much in the enlightenment department, everything he had to say about his candidate's positions was practically identical to what Bob McDonnell positions appear to be. IOW, I didn't walk away seeing much difference in either.
McDonnell is being supported here on the Shore because of the proximity to our district and his close ties to Thelma Drake.........it appears to be a regional thing.
BTW, it appeared to me that in the acknowlegement of calls and letters of regret to our invitation from other candidates and elected officials, Mayor Fitch's name was glaringly absent.
I think Baril and McDonnell are both good candidates, and both right on the majority of the issues. It will probably just come down to personalities on that one. If I had to ~guess~ McDonnell's got the edge in name recognition.
My guess is that Mayor Fitch just doen't have any staff to answer his mail. When I was doing campaign scheduling, not answering was worse than saying no.
On the name recognition issue I have to agree with you, again part of the regional thing, McDonnell's name is better known here than Baril's. Even as a Virginia Beach Delegate he is well known on the Shore. But, in the short time I've known the party people here on the Shore, I guarantee the full support will be behind which ever gentleman wins the AG primary.
The invitations were issued both by phone and by mail. It is possible he declined the invitation during the initial phone call. It's sort of a moot point anyway as we are backing Kilgore.
As far as I can tell as well, McDonnell and Baril really don't differ on the issues. I'm comfortable with either one, but I'm backing McDonnell, primarily because he appears to have the better political operation, is a sitting legislator and would be good for regional balance, especially if we have Kilgore (Southwest) and Connaughton (Northern) on the ticket with him.
I'm by no means a political novice, but I'm a total novice when it comes to VA politics - you don't know how invaluable the VA FReepers and these type threads are to me. Even after being here 2 years, I still have people coming to me about Delaware issues....in fact I've had to deal with 2 of them today - and it's not even an election year up there.......
Because Delaware is so small, all politics are local - I'm still trying to adjust to the vastness of Virginia and the politics being more regional. We're pretty isolated here on the Shore, heck I get most of my local news from Maryland. And I openly admit to my geographical and political ignorance of the rest of the state. My husband does plan on curing some of my geographical problem this summer........but the politics is my job - he expects me to educate him.
I guess this is my way of saying that I'm not being wishy-washy, I'm just not yet comfortable enough to contribute much.......a little knowlege can be a dangerous thing, as the saying goes. I need to learn more before I am willing to make a commitment to a particular candidate in various races. Kilgore is a given, but he's the only one I'm even remotely familiar with.
Baril wants faith-based drug rehab
Stephen E. Baril, a candidate for the Republican nomination to run for attorney general, said yesterday that if he's elected he will promote a faith-based drug rehabilitation program for jail inmates.
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