Who Should Be the New RPV Chair?

My college roomie once bought a car pretty much because it was the opposite of the car he had and was no longer happy with. He grabbed that new car without giving a great deal of thought to what his future transportation needs would be, and regretted the decision for several years.

I hope the Virginia GOP doesn’t do the same about selecting a new Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) chairman…that will not be a good decision, because it will not be an informed decision.

Example-the gang at TCoffers its take on potential candidates for the chairman’s job at RPV, focusing on John Hager and George Allen. The post also includes a response at #16 with a list of potential RPV chairman candidates…and it is a fairly good one. It includes:

John Hager
Mike Thomas
Randy Minchew
George Allen
Paul Harris
Mike Thompson, Jr.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Bill Mims
Chuck Smith
Mayor George Fitch

However, the post-which focuses on who will be the chair-fails to address the more salient issue of what should the RPV chair be like? What skills are needed in the position?

[Before we go further, let me allow I am in the bag for Mike Thomas for the position. I have known him for years, he is a good man and a gifted campaign technician. While some might say he has the Allen baggage on his record, my information suggests that had he not come on board in the late stages of the campaign things would not even have been as close as they were. Post- "Macacca" the reason George still had a chance to win was because Mike signed up.]

The reason I ask is that TC posits John Hager and George Allen as leading candidates. OK, reasonable choices. However, this suggestion does not address the matter of what we need.

The Va GOP needs to decide what qualities we need in the Chairman. Beyond personal qualities like candor, honesty, energy, etc., there are ways to categorize potential chairmen:

A) Charismatic leader-a cheerleader who can motivate the troops and help raise money
B) Party Elder-an experienced leader with gravitas and experience who can get warring factions to work together
C) Party Technician- never held elected office and whose skill is making campaigns work; strong on campaign strategy and tactics, by typically not the first person you think of to rouse the troops
D) Future Promise-filling the position with someone the party wants to give visibility to for a future candidacy.
E) Boring Moneybags-can raise large sums of money, but is not a great political leader
F) —Fill in the blank—

Take a look at this list. Take a look at the list above at post 16. How many of the folks listed hit how many of these categories?

Which of these skills does the RPV need? Which does it want? The Va GOP should figure this out and then and only then conduct the candidate search.

Determining needs prior to selecting the new chair will be like accepting a pig in a poke…and that is never a wise course of action.

Gillespie Heads Back to His Old Stomping Grounds…

Apparently the siren call of federal politics outweighed the lure of making things work at the grassroots for Virginia GOP chair Ed Gillespie.  It is reported that today Gillespie will end speculation and take a position in the Bush White House as a Counsel to the President.

Good for him, good for the RPV.

I never thought Gillespie really wanted to be head of the Virginia GOP. I always thought it was a roosting place where he could land and stay involved after the horrendous November 2006 election results. It was a win/win for him. If a DC gig came open, he could take it. If not, he could resuscitate his rep by leading the VA GOP to victory in 2007 and 2008. Door #1 came open, and he took it.

It was also a win for the Virginia GOP.  Gillespie was able to get The Prez down here to campaign and raise money, and the same for Fred “When’s He Gonna Jump” Thompson. He has gotten pledges from other bigwigs to come in and raise campaign cash. Moreover, his appointment was a fortuitous zweischenzug that allowed a new RPV chair to be selected in the wake of the Obenshain-Griffin resignation. The Gillespie selection allowed tempers to cool after the November 2006 debacle, when we might otherwise have had a State Central Committee bloodbath. 

The selection can be made now with some distance from the last general election, at which time {Mike Thomas} a more permanent {Mike Thomas} selection can {Mike Thomas} be made.  Who that {Mike Thomas} should be {Mike Thomas} I have no idea {Mike Thomas} or preference.

No, really.  I don’t.

Why would you think otherwise?

As far as Big Ed goes-good luck on your journey back over the river!

Accurate Assessment of GOP Vision…

As many of you know, I have suggested for several months that the GOP needs to be able to create and articulate a unified vision of what the party stands for and where it wants to lead us, especially in Virginia.  My cry has been typically answered with a deafen silence.

I was about to type “defining” silence, which is incorrect spelling but ironically probably closer to the truth.

Then I saw this cartoon in the strip “Prickly City” on 6.11.2007.  I reckon this is illustrative of what probably happened at RPV when I asked the question, and why there was no response.

As usual, the path to enlightenment runs through the comics section of the local paper.

A New Milestone!

I have just been informed that as of 1050 6.11.2007 the amount of spam caught by my spam filter has just passed 5,000.

 Oh, I am so proud!

Dumb and Dumber, Round 2

The Cooch and J-O-K are at it again.

 In the most recent Cuccinnelli Compass, SenKen relates how a young man named Al Bender, a self proclaimed pro-lifer from New Jersey, came to a campaign fundraiser and while there volunteered to assist with the Cuccinelli campaign.  He asked to be put on the email list for internal memo’s and the like…which apparently he was.

Something tips them off that Bro Bender has a Facebook entry where he states his favorite books are 1984 and Lord of the Flies, and has volunteered for several democratic candidates.  Finally, he is discovered working at the Fairfax Democrats booth at “Celebrate Fairfax”, where The Cooch sees him and confronts him, and the intrepid mole breaks down, confesses adn apologizes.

Senken promises more information about Janet O’s efforts to infiltrate his campaign.

Now, I am not sure which is more ridiculous…J-O-K trying to infiltrate the Cuccinelli campaign staff (said moles are always discovered, and the sponsoring candidate is seldom thought well of of for the attempt), or the SenKen campaign actually putting this complete and unvetted newby on their internal email list.  Maybe the Cooch and Janet-O are too worried about fundraising to keep an eye on the store.  Maybe they have complete ma-roons running their campaigns.

We, the voters, can walk away from this episode knowing a few things: 
1. Either way, neither campaign is apparently operating at full steam.
2. Although both sides engaged in dubious behavior, this episode shows Cuccinelli erring on the side of inclusiveness and comaraderie, and Oleszek erring on the side of being sneaky and deviouis.  I always prefer the mistake made by a good heart to the mistake made by the scheming and mischeivous  mind.

I imagine the general public will see it the same way.

Here She Comes Again…

Ah, the Piedmont is alive with the sound of Feder.

Both NLS and RK are atwitter that Judy Feder recently filed for another bout with Congressman Frank Wolf in Va-10. They are excited (!!!!!). At the same time, this gives BVBL more opportunities to deploy his artistic editing abilities. Even the filing draws chuckles from the most jaded politico, as Ms. Feder admitted in the WaPo that in fact she had already filed the necessary candidacy paperwork in January, but for some unclear reason submitted it again. I can only presume her initial filing was met with such a stony wall of silence she felt it necessary to do it again.  Such administrative “efficiency” does not augur well for successfully running an office on Capitol Hill.

I will say right up front that I think it admirable that Ms. Feder is running again. I think a desire to serve the public as an elected representative despite the public and private obstacles a candidate inevitably encounters is something that should be respected, so I give a h/t to Ms. Feder for entering the arena. Vaya con dios.

What I find unusual is that how sure the partisan D’s are that she can win.

Now RK is certainly deep in the bucket for Ms. Feder. Lowell posted a plaintive diary entry just after the 2006 election titled “What Happened to Judy Feder?”. He cites her fundraising, a big democratic year in 2006, Jim Webb carrying the 10th by a hair over George Allen, and professes to be “puzzled, stumped, befuddled, disappointed, and seriously bummed out“.

Many-including myself-replied. Several reasons were offered:
1. Frank Wolf is a well respected incumbent with over two decades of service in congress
2. Congressman Wolf’s constituent service is second to none, and folks remember that at election time. Moreover, it has a multplier effect, as folks hear about his constituent work and decide that is the kind of person they want in congress.
3. Every major newspaper in the district endorsed Frank Wolf.
4. Federian campaign shots missed the mark, and even sometimes ran counter to Democratic positions (see her attack on the Wolf earmark vote, where Feder attacked him for voting with the democrats).
5. A district that is ringed by conservative jurisdictions that solidly backed Wolf.
6. Frank Wolf is clean as a hounds tooth. He has been called the “Conscience of the Congress”, and never has event the slightest hint of scandal been attributed to him.

But Judy is back, and RK is happy. However, the majority of the factors listed above will still be in play in 2008 and favoring Congressman Wolf.  In addition, 2006 proved to be the most toxic year for GOP congressional candidates since Watergate.  If a well financed Democratic campaign cannot take out Frank Wolf in 2006 while the state elected a Democratic Senate challenger, is it reasonable to think Ms. Feder has better chances in 2008?

There are additional factors that militate against her, and they all impact fundraising for 2008.  While she now has a donor base, she also has these complications:
A) The Democrats are now in the majority and it is a presidential year. Where is the likely party donor going to park their donations-with the presidential candidate, protecting incumbents and with it the party majority, or with a second time candidate who got trounced in 2006?
B) Ms. Feder got additional money in 2006 from the DNCC and from a wide variety of sources late in the campaign that would not normally be donating to democratic congressional candiate in Virginia because this became a targeted “winnable” race. One of the neat Rahm Emanuel tricks in 2006 was constantly widening the list of “hot” races. I have no idea if he really though they could win, but it was a convenient method to semaphore to groups with contribution money to burn where they should look to send money. Why else would Judy Feder get money from a Pipe Fitters Union in NYC? However, Ms. Feder barely cleared 40%…do you think these sources are going to come back with more money for her? Doubtful.
C) There is more than a reasonable chance that Senator Clinton will win the democratic presidential nomination. Where will the Clintonistas send their money? To Hillary, or to one of Hillary’s friends? Corollary-see point A
D) Phil Kellam lost narrowly in Va 2. Andrew Hurst’s badly underfunded campaign got more votes than Ms. Feder’s well funded effort-you know the demos are going to come heavy in the 11th whether or not Tom Davis runs for relection. Dem blogs are making noise about Sam Rasoul, the bright new face ready to challenge Bob Goodlatte in Va-6. I have trouble seeing where Ms. Feder can make the case that she is either a better bet to pick up a seat or that she can retain her luster as the “Hot New Candidate” this year…and in either case that means less money…which diminishes her ability to get her message out.
E) Conversely, her strong run in 2006 will make it even easier for Congressman Wolf to raise money because of a demonstrable threat…which will make it easier for him to get his message out.
F) Speaker Pelosi is one of Frank Wolf’s best friends in Congress. While I am sure there comes a point where she would put party above friendship-because that is what Speaker’s sometimes have to do-I think we are a looooooooooooonnnnnnnnngggggg way from there…which does not exactly help the Federian cause in terms of raising $$ and getting her race targeted.
G) The Democrats are in the majority, which means Ms. Feder will not be able to be on the offensive as much as she was last year. She will instead have to defend the actions of a democratic congress…which will have to crimp her style.

None of this addresses the 800 lb gorilla in the room-Iraq. How will things stand then? I don’t know, but I will bet that however things stand that Frank Wolf’s sponsoring the Iraq Study Group to find a bipartisan solution will work in his favor…and the fact that President Bush chose to ignore the groups recommendations also gives Congressman Wolf some degree of cover.

Ms. Feder is heading back into the ring. RK and BVBL are both thrilled, but for highly different reasons. I tend to think is is possible that Ms. Feder’s 2008 campaign will ultimately send her back to Washington with a different title-but it will be an appointed one in the executive branch under her pal Hillary.

Forgotten Battles for Basic Rights

We are surrounded by battlefields, but we don’t always recognize them.  Some are proteceted by the Park Service, others have been absorbed by developers.  But sometimes the battlefields are visible but are unrecognized, despite the struggles waged there…and although the site is changed, we should not forget the principle involved.

One such battlefield is at the Yorktown Shopping Plaza at Va. 50 and Gallows Road, home of Grevey’s Restaurant and the location of one of the most fierce freedom of speech cases Northern Virginia has seen in my lifetime.  It happened in the back corner of the plaza, where today I discovered an optometrists shop had taken the place of the Yorktown Book and Card Shop (YBCS).

One fundamental aspect of American law is that all laws apply equally to all citizens.  An observation that often follows-to the point of being a cliche-is that sometimes these laws are used to protect behavior that many would find nauseating…and that we find that some folks will go through significant sacrifice to defend a point of law or of honor.

Such was at point back in the corner of the Yorktown Shopping Plaza.  Back in the late eighties, well before the internet and huge book stores like Borders or Barnes & Noble, the YBCS had an extremely large magazine selection.  Pretty much any magazine you were looking for, you could get there, and the store had a large and varied clientele. 

This included adult magazines, which took up probably 20% of the shelf space.  There was so much interest in that section that newspaper articles said there was a sign up that limited “browing” in that area to 10 minutes.

“Newspaper?”, you ask…”why would there be a newspaper story about this establishment?”

One day-I want to say in the early 1990’s-Fairfax County issued a writ of some type that prohibited the store form selling adult publications.  I don’t know the exact grounds, but it kicked up quite a stir.  The owner refused to comply saying the ruling was a violation of free speech.  The ACLU got into it, appealed the decision, and after two years or more in transit the Fairfax County decision was overturned in a federal court.  Freedom of Speech again defended, this time on behalf of selling smut.

But what always fascinated me about this is what the owner did.  As I said, this disputed area was about 20% of his magazine display space.  Other merchants would certainly display other goods there…but not this fellow.  He posted large signs in the are saying he was not going to allow an illegal government ordinance prevent him from selling what he wanted or tell him what goods to put on the shelf.

So for more than two years 20% of his shelf space went empty-all over a principle.  The subject of the principled fight isn’t one most of us would get behind, but to him it was a matter of principle.  Not a great business decision leaving that much space empty and non-revenue producing, but that is what he did.  And, given the traffic generated by the merchandise that was removed, that 20% of shelf space probably generated more than 20% of his income.  Still, principle triumped over profit, and the space stayed clear.

When the courts came back and overturned Fairfax County, he restocked the shelves with the previously verbotten merchandise.

I became aware of all this through coverage in the WaPo and by being a devoted patron of the Skyline Chili restaurant that was about two doors down.  Patrons had a clear view through the window of the many signs, Letter to the Editor and editorial cartoons the YBCS owner posted in his front window in support of his position.  I always marveled at how strongly he must have believed in this little corner of the Freedom of Speech to have given up that much revenue in support of his position.

Circumstance recently had me over at the Yorktown plaza for lunch at the Dominion Deli.  Skyline Chili is long gone, and I discovered that so was the YBCS.  I guess this little store got whipsawed between the internet and the big box bookstores with their large magazine selection.  Still, as I looked at the back corner office that once was a battlefield over first amendment rights, I couldn’t help help but reflect at how far people will go to proctect what they think is important.

Motivation…What might torpedo Senator Fred

Fred Thompson the next Reagan?  Not hardly.

Richard Cohen’s WaPo column two days ago summarized something that has been bothering me about Senator Fred. Does he want the top job with a fiery passion and is hiding the flames, or is he just grabbing what seems like a good career move?

Cohen notes the comparisons between Thompson and Reagan…both actors, both charming speakers, both sure of themselves. He notes on the flip side of the surface similarities, Reagan spent his life moving from entertainment into politcs. Thompson has seemed to do the opposite, leaving the Senate because he did not like the long days voting on sometimes arcane and picayune items. Therein is the contrast between the two:

Here is where he is so different from Reagan and why the comparison is wrong. Reagan was an ideologue. He had converted from New Deal liberalism to Barry Goldwater and Bill Buckley conservatism. It animated his life or, if not that, then at least his political career. He had a deadly serious reason for going into politics, and it was not, as it seemed to some at the time, a continuation of showbiz by other means. This is why he sought and won the California governorship, and after two terms, he ran for the presidency — losing the first time out. By then he was no more an actor than Arnold Schwarzenegger is a competitive bodybuilder. Reagan had transformed himself. He was the dominant politician of the conservative moment. He was no pretty face.

Neither is Thompson, in all fairness. Yet he indisputably lacks the passion, the concern, the fire-in-the-bellydom that Reagan had — not just for winning but about issues themselves. Thompson never showed that he was out to change matters, to right some major wrong, to fix the god-awful mess the country is in.

Why does all this catch my eye? Because I think Thompson could (note-not “is”, but “could”) be a panacea. The GOP went into this nominating contest without a front runner who both appealed to the longtime pure conservative base and had the name ID and presence to be considered in the top rung of candidates. Many have entered the race who have the conservative credentials, but only former Governor Mike Huckabee has credentials and shown the fiery potential to make that leap to the top rung-in great part because of his stump appearances and the failure of others to catch fire. Thompson, while not an announced candidate, is the media savvy savior who professes Reaganite devotion to conservative issues while bringing visibility and charm to the campaign trail. He is the conservative candidate so many are looking for.

But what happens once he announces? How bad does he want it? Sooner or later he has to put his candidacy on the field. What happens once his candidacy is being treated as a real one by the media and not a potential one? What happens once he is slogging it from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn, on the road day in and day out? Does he have the fire in the belly to slug it out? Will he wear as well on the primary voters while on the road as he does from the television studio?

How bad does he want it? I don’t know…

But before the GOP electorate leaps behind Thompson, they best come to terms with a certain fact. Thompson may end up being the best choice this time around, but he is not another Ronald Reagan in any substantive fashion…and choosing him because some want to think he is another RR will leave a trail of disappointment.

As for me, I have a sneaking suspicion that once Senator Fred hits the trail, a lot of the shine and veneer is going to come off his campaign bandwagon…and when that happens, we will find out just how motivated he is.

NLS and GOP cuteness

After a hectic May and a respite from das blog, I come back to see Ben Tribbett under assault…ah, Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

This is nothing new.  It just seems silly, like getting annoyed at your spouse because they left the seat up.  There’s nothing to get upset about, it’s just their nature (yep, I am hoping SWMBO sees this).

The Mason Conservative takes issue with the language Ben used in a recent post where he labeled a Fairfax supervisor a “miserable rhymes with witch“.   I wouldn’t use this language, and hope that in the future Ben doesn’t give in to such linguistic emotion.  Nonetheless, while anyone can get fired up about whatever they want to, this seems to be relatively small potatoes. It is clear this was less a direct attack on Ben’s editorial stylings than a collateral attack on Ben’s claims regarding the Mark Tate allegations…and that is what makes the MC post interesting. You see, toward the end of the post MC asks who would take Ben Tribbet’s word over that of Shaun Kenney…and frankly, in the fact set we have out I don’t know that is a question MC really wants to be asking.

You can say what you will about Ben, but What You See Is What You Get.

I have met the man, and to some degree taken his measure. He is a bleeding heart in the best sense of the word. He knows what he knows and what he thinks, and wears his heart on his sleeve. He fervently wants change, and isn’t real careful sometimes how he phrases things in pursuit of that change. He will call a spade a spade-no facades up over at NLS!

Besides, anyone who can eat a meal while my WMD #3 is climbing all over a booth and not do or say anything along the lines of “restrain your child”-a restraining impulse not always exercised by my father-gets high marks in my book.

Ben’s does engage in the sometimes purple prose he deploys-as seen above. Sometimes he overstates the case, but he is careful about his facts, and he offers up the best statistical analysis of anyone in the Virginia blogosphere. Example-while all sorts of folks are wailing and gnashing their teeth about the effect of the Faisal Gill nomination on the GOP chances to hold the 51st HD, Ben is the only person I have seen who has noted the potential impact it has on Jay O’Brien in the 39th SD.

That is why I find it a little suspect all this yelling about who to trust. If Ben’s account is true, then there are some loose lips and some bad doings at RPV/VCAP. I doubt Ben would be this vehement about things if they did not happen (at least that which he has knowledge) exactly as he said. I also cannot help but think that Ben has no reason to get into this unless his part of this drama happened exactly as he said. Ben has no dog in this fight…but other parties mentioned do. You note that the various denials offered only address bits and pieces of the Tate Legal Drama, or else devolve to ad hominem assaults…not the kind of blanket refutation you would hope that RPV could render.

There is another reason that Ben’s whole explanation and account rings true to me…this is exactly the kind of namby pamby cutesy way of doing things the Virginia GOP has engaged in for the last few years.

Rather than offer a vision of where they want to lead Virginia and create a strategy to get there, the Va GOP instead chooses to pick short term tactics to try to win the current election-and when the tactic fails there is nothing left to fall back on. The Hitler/Death Penalty adds were supposed to bury Tim kaine…it didn’t. George Allen’s campaign operatives were going to cauterize the “macaca” wound…they didn’t.

The GOP ascension of the 1990’s was based in basic nose to the grindstone politics…and the demises since then have been based in a failure to do the same. If RPV and VCAP and the rest want to take out Mark Tate, do it at the ballot box. Don’t rely on these outlandish schemes. Do it the old fashioned way…at the ballot box.

Cut the cuteness, get back to basics, and lead. Then you won’t have to worrry about what Ben writes or how he says it.

Oh Happy Days…”Jericho” and Anthony McAuliffe

It appears that CBS has come to its senses and is bringing back the drama Jericho.

Why am I ecstatic?

Because I enjoyed the show. I think it is creative, inventive, provocative, and energetic. I also think it the operational equivalent of a big old load of horse manure to start a show, take it off the air, bring it back, and expect it to be able to generate the same momentum. I think it is silly that the networks seek new ways to let folks see their programs-methods they know cannot be accurately tracked-and then penalize the show because viewers take advantage of the new capability.

I am ecstatic because I think the major networks are too quick to pull good shows with good casts and good writing that do not rely on gross out acts, gross out humor, or laugh tracks. I was giddy when NBC renewed Friday Night Lights-the best show on television-and am sitting Shiva for Six Degrees on ABC. I wish the networks would remember the story of Hill Street Blues, perhaps the best television drama of all time. Saddled with poor ratings its first season, the show was on the verge of cancellation…and then it received over a dozen Emmy nominations. They kept the show, and it went on to become one of the most highly honored and venerated shows in television history. Who knows how many Blues have been yanked before they could really show their stuff?

But the Jericho revival also makes me happy because it brings back the memory of Anthony McAuliffe, the brave men of the 101st Airborne, and their desperate and successful effort to hold Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne was the critical intersection of several roads. As long as the Allies held Bastogne, the Germans could not move ahead. The 101st was surrounded, and could not be resupplied due to bad weather. The commanding Wehrmacht general asked McAuliffe, 101st commanding officer, to surrender. McAuliffe’s reply? “NUTS”. One day later the weather over Bastogne broke and allied air support began pummeling the German troops and lifting supplies to the embattled burgh. Five days later Patton and the 3rd army broke through. Tenacity held the city, audacity relieved it, and therein the tide of battle was turned.

This same story was told in the “finale” to Jericho, and the reply used in a combat situation on the show. When CBS cancelled the show, a move sprung on the Internet to ship lots of “nuts” to CBS to register their displeasure. To date over 50,000 pounds-25 tons-of nuts have been delivered to CBS HQ. Apparently it did the trick.

So thanks to CBS for reconsidering a bad decision, and congrats to the show. And today, on the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, thanks go to Anthony McAuliffe for what he did then and for an example that continues to echo through the ages-although in ways I imagine he did not consider!