My friend Chris at Mason Conservative is hopping mad about Tom Davis. He’s so mad at Davis he’s even taken to attacking good and honorable men endorsed by Davis, resulting in a hastily written and mostly un-researched attack on Dave Foster, candidate for Attorney General.
The proxy war against Davis even extends to his title, “The Choice: Tom Davis or Ken Cuccinelli”. However, the reality is that Dave Foster got into this race as his own man. The Davis endorsement came later, and while we can discuss the merits of Tom Davis’s criteria for endorsements later, Dave Foster deserves better treatment than to be dragged into the middle of a rant against the former Congressman. The choice is not between Tom Davis and Ken Cuccinelli; the option Chris overlooks is the right choice for Attorney General, Dave Foster.
Chris begins his missive taking on Foster’s party loyalty:
I’m waiting to find some old campaign lit from those past campaigns that say the word “Republican,” in fact I pretty much guarantee that he barely mentioned his roots.
I’d hate to be the one that shatters the value of Chris’s guarantee, but here is campaign lit, from the one person no one can deny was a Republican, George W. Bush, promoting the entire Arlington County ticket. Not only will you see Dave Foster’s smiling picture, you’ll see a notice clarifying that Dave was running for a non-partisan office and explaining in detail that he was the Republican choice.
Chris goes onto claim that strange things happen in “low-level races” like this where “no one shows up to vote”. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’s talking about Ken Cuccinelli! After all, Ken’s electoral successes came in a special election, followed by two off-off cycles, with no federal races and no statewide races at the top of the ticket. Only low-level local races that always have lower turnout than other years.
Don’t believe me? Here are the turnout percentages for Dave Foster’s 1999 and 2003 Arlington County elections, and Cuccinelli’s 2002, 2003, and 2007 Senate elections:
Arlington County (1999): 34%
Arlington County (2003): 28%37th District (2002): 16%
37th District (2003): 28%
37th District (2007): 32%
Discounting Ken’s special election, they’re remarkably similar, aren’t they? Foster’s elections were even slightly more active. What does that say about Foster’s electability versus Cuccinelli’s?
Of course, I don’t believe that Ken Cuccinelli’s victories can be or should be explained away as anything other than the achievements that they were. So, too, should Chris stop pinching himself and accept reality that Dave Foster ran and won. In Arlington County. As a Republican. Rather than searching for answers that have already been explained, Chris should realize what many across Virginia already have: That Dave Foster is a remarkable politician with the innate ability to connect with people on a real basis, no matter their ideology or background. That’s the type of candidate we need to rally around and encourage.
Finally, Chris goes onto question Foster’s credentials to run statewide. After all, Chris reasons, Foster has only been a County-wide elected official. Instead, he supports Ken Cuccinelli. A quick look at the Virginia State Board of Elections most recent registration count shows 132,000 voters in Cuccinelli’s 37th Senate District. How many in Arlington County? 150,000. By Chris’s own reasoning, Dave Foster has more preparation to run for statewide office than Ken Cuccinelli.
Of course, maybe Chris is referring to practical experience. After all, Ken Cuccinelli is a legislator, and therefore is equipped to handle the duties of the Attorney General’s office. Well, maybe. I certainly don’t think Cuccinelli isn’t qualified, but let’s look at what the Attorney General really is (and no, you John Brownlee fans, it’s not a prosecutor). The Attorney General runs the largest law firm in the state. Dave Foster is a long-term partner at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Count that as another line of reasoning Chris believes in that actually supports Dave Foster!
So let’s sum up: Foster has 1) won by larger margins, 2) in more Democratic territory, 3) and with more people than the 37th District, 4) in races with equal or higher turnout than Cuccinelli’s, 5) all as a Republican. And Foster 6) is more prepared for the duties of Attorney General, to boot.
Maybe Chris is supporting the wrong Republican?
Nearer to the end, Chris reveals the real reason he posted an unwarranted and not fully thought-out attack on Dave Foster was because Foster was endorsed by Tom Davis. There will be a time and place for me to discuss Tom Davis’s effect on the Northern Virginia Republican Party (including him single-handedly winning County-wide office in Fairfax, before ousting the odious Leslie Byrne and keeping an increasingly-Democratic 11th District seat Republican), but it’s not now. With only two weeks until the State Convention, I want to keep this about Dave Foster and why he’s the best choice for Attorney General. In case you forgot, here’s a primer.
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May 18th by VA Blogger
Chris, like most Cuccinelli fanatics, is remarkably unstable when anyone questions Saint Cuccinelli or endorses someone else.
All we Republicans need to know is, Cuccinelli is by far the favorite opponent for Shannon and the Dems. I’m a Brownlee supporter, but Foster would also make a formidable opponent. Cuccinelli will be chewed up and spit out by the Dems and the mainstream media. Sure, bitch and moan all you want about the MSM, but they will play a huge role in this race.
Remember the ABCs and pick Anybody But Cuccinelli and the road to victory becomes a hell of a lot easier for the GOP.
LI, after the lurch to the right John Brownlee has done in the past few months (not to mention the Tom Tancredo endorsement), I’m not sure Cuccinelli would get anything John Brownlee wouldn’t, either.
People keep talking about Cuccinelli’s record, and that’s what the MSM will have such a good time with. Brownlee was an effective US Attorney with none of the foot in mouth moments of Cuccinelli over the last few years.
Brownlee also has no public record nor record in elections to guage him by. In truth we have no idea if he would stand behind any of his positions when the pressure hits.
As for the MSM, they will try to charicature whomever is the AG candidate for the GOP. They will not let-up just if it’s not Cuccinelli. Therefore better to have a candidate like Cuccinelli who we know where he stands, has a record of winning even in tough areas for the GOP, and one who is smart enough to put the Dems on the defensive.
RE: We know where Foster stands, and he has a record of winning in impossible areas for the GOP. Republicans average 28% in Arlington County, yet Foster won re-election with 62%.
I would like to ask Chris over at Mason Conservative this:
Tom Davis or Gerry Connolly?
Chris’s comments are open, last time I checked.
i really liked foster the one time i saw him at a candidate’s forum. (though i am a john brownlee supporter).
cuccinelli seemed “unreasonable” to me–his way or the highway–unwilling to compromise to advance an agenda. that trait is the death knell to a legal career. maybe that’s why he’s seeking public office instead.
Let me ask a question: does anyone seriously think that Dave Foster is going to even come close to winning Arlington County in the AG race?
Running for a non-partisan office enables independents and Democrats to vote for you without many of the usual partisan tendencies creeping up. The local parties endorse certain candidates, but voters are looking at local issues. Sometimes that’s enough to springboard to a higher office, like Tom Davis did in his Fairfax-county based district.
But we’ve seen how that really doesn’t translate beyond the borders of the local district. Its because voters like the work that the local candidates do on LOCAL issues–but once we get into broader, more philosophical things, it gets dicey. Davis weathered his storm based on his reputation as an excellent local representative, and by moderating his stances on issues in order to not displease his constitutents. But outside of his district…nobody really cared. He wasn’t very charismatic, wasn’t a particularly good speaker, and his views were not all that mainstream for Virginia Republicans.
I don’t know if its fair to brand Dave Foster the same way. But we really don’t have much to go on with him, and he’s chosen to make his Tom Davis endorsement the centerpiece of his race–so to me that’s fair game. We also know that he can’t raise money–he’s raised very, very little, and so to me that calls into his question his ability to win a statewide race.
NC, I don’t think he’ll win Arlington, no. But I think his margins will be far better than Cuccinelli’s or Brownlee’s will be. And that is a victory, albeit a small one.
The irrational hatred of Tom Davis aside, Foster deserves to be looked at by both Brownlee and Cuccinelli supporters.
LI has got a point – Cuccinelli supporters, especially the ones who’ve jumped on me, all seem to be unwilling to recognize any of his liabilities. His political stances, his thin legal resume, and his personality are all significant barriers when you’re running statewide.
Foster and Brownlee can both choose their political stances and don’t have multiple years of votes in Richmond to be used against them as attack ad fodder. At the same time, you can’t argue that they’ve got no experience, because one a successful partner at a top 100 law firm, the other is a former U.S. Attorney with a number of high profile prosecutions under his belt. What experience does Cuccinelli have? He’s a patent attorney in private practice.
Finally, in terms of personality, I have found Dave Foster personable and likable, and even the most ardent of Cuccinelli or Brownlee supporters have never said anything unkind about Foster to me. They all generally say “yeah, he’s a nice guy.” As amazing as it sounds, that makes a big difference in a race like this, especially where you’ve got a grating personality as the front runner.
In the end, we need to be looking at who will be the best contrast to Steve Shannon in the general. My fear is that Cuccinelli will be used to paint Republicans the way Democrats always paint us – as putting partisanship and political stances above experience and competence. Instead of nominating the best man for the job, they’ll say we nominated the guy who voted the right way on gays and abortion. And since all of our candidates have as good, if not better, legal credentials than Shannon, I’d rather make the race about the Democrats, not about us. The best way to do that is to nominate Dave Foster.
I’ve said it before, I will say it again. What makes Cuccinelli “unelectable” in Virginia is not his stance on any of the issues. I realize that the Cuccinelli supporters want very badly to make his electability about his stance on issues, but it just isn’t what makes him unelectable, at least in Virginia. What makes him unelectable is personality.
Cuccinelli has a bad case of foot-in-mouth-syndrome, he is unable or unwilling to compromise, he doesn’t comprehend that there are two sides of most important issues, and that even if you don’t agree with the other side you should try to understand them. He comes across as a fundamentally angry person, and one who loves controversy. I could go on and on, but I won’t. He doesn’t try to hide any of this stuff–to the contrary, it is obvious to anyone who hears him speak for any amount of time.
Most Cuccinelli supporters love him for these traits, but in my mind Cuccielli supporters are pretty far removed from the general electorate.
The reason Shannon wants Cuccinelli as his opponent is that he can just sit back and let Cooch destroy himself, just the way Obama sat back and let McCain’s arrogance and anger destroy his candidacy.
Cuccinelli’s conduct has already turned off many convention-goers, and in case no one noticed, the guy has started bleeding delegates lately, with many people who had endorsed him withdrawing their endorsements.
Zach, I have noticed Brownlee has also lost some delegates becouse of personality problems but I just can’t see Foster gaining enough support to pass both Brownlee and Cuccinelli. He is so far behind in some parts of the state that it almost seems imposible.
NC: As Brian said, no, I don’t think Foster would win Arlington County. However, I believe his victories there show an ability to reach out to moderates, Independents, and even Democrats across the state. This could be huge in an area like Hampton Roads, where neither Shannon nor Foster are from.
Also, just a quick point, Tom Davis ran for a partisan office, and his seat represented the entire County, not just a part of it.
I think what we can go on is to look at his campaign thus far, look at his history, and look at him personally. As Brian pointed out, Foster is a likeable guy, and has the ability to connect with people. He’s run his campaign by staying out of the Brownlee-Cuccinelli pie-throwing contest, and his emphasis is on cutting regulations to help grow jobs. To me, that represents a sane alternative for Republicans worried about how Cuccinelli or Brownlee will fare in a general election.
Finally, Foster’s fundraising has been hampered by the fact that he’s running third in a three-way race. If he’s the Republican nominee for Attorney General, the money is guaranteed to come in. That’s not an issue at all.
Lauren, it’s worth remembering that, due to the increasingly sharp Brownlee/Cuccinelli debate, Foster is virtually everybody’s second pick (if he’s not their first). That could be useful if no one breaks 50% on the ballot (which I think is most likely).
I understand his plan, I just think he has too much ground to make up. He would have to have a lot of people jump ship on the second ballot or he will be gone. He is my second pick also but I would only vote for him if Ken was off the ballot. If Foster doesn’t win this race I hope he continues to be active in the GOP and runs for something else in the near future.
Don’t underestimate the low guy. His folks just need to hold firm for a couple of ballots. I have a hunch that if Foster holds tight, he ends up being the compromise candidate when-in the absence of a first round win-the Brownlee and Cooch folks decide they want to go home… but won’t vote for the main opposition and need a place to park their vote.
If a voter is engaged enough to be supporting Foster (Brownlee and Cuccinelli have sucked most of the oxygen out of the “casual voter” bloc), I have to imagine that they’ll stick with him as long as Foster is on the ballot. I know I certainly am.
But doesn’t the low candidate drop after the 2nd ballot. That would mean that Foster will have to flip a lot of delegates after just one ballot. I would agree with you if the low guy could stick around.
Lincoln was everyone’s second pick, virtually nobody’s first, at the Wigwam convention in Chicago in 1860.
I know this thread is about Foster, but I just noticed a website posted on NLS about Brownlee:
http://www.johnlbrownlee.com
The site is copyrighted by Brian Gentry. That is a common name, but it seems pretty interesting that there’s a Brian R. Gentry on RPVNetwork, and he happens to be one of the Ron Paul-ite, anti Bob-McDonnell crowd. Looks like we’re eating our own, yet again.
I didn’t know that the Ron Paul types are not supporting Bob. Do they have someone else they are supporting?
I think you mean ‘the overcooked choice.’ Every mailing Foster sends out is overdone. Did you see the latest one? it must have been six pages long. Who will read that?
RR: People who care about who their next Attorney General is.
I don’t understand why reading six pages would be too much a burden to people who committed to travel as far as three hours to Richmond to sit in a Convention Center all day, if they’re not spending the night and shelling out for a hotel room.
Lauren, there is no requirement that the low man drop. The convention may adopt rules to that effect, such as the GOP in Va-1 did in 2007 when choosing a candidate for the 12.2007 special election…however, they had eleven (11) file candidates. Or they can adopt rules saying low man out starting with ballot number x. But in a field with only three candidates…that would be seen and spun as incredibly unfair dictation of the majority, and whomever pushed it would likely be stung by the move down the road.
VaB, regarding #14, I suggest Cooch-Brownlee has long passed the “Debate” stage and is deep into the “Spraying contest” phase…
Bwana, who are you supporting?
Re Comment 1: So all those years of advocacy for a Northern Virginian “on the ticket” REALLY WAS code words for “Liberal Republican”!
Good to know.
bwana, I got my info from the blog Roanoke Valley Republican http://roanokevalleyrepublicans.blogspot.com/2009/04/just-some-random-thoughts.html
Is this wrong?
john brownlee is really getting hammered at NLS. that must mean that steve shannon doesn’t want to run against him.
steve shannon wants to run against cuccinelli, a patent atty, who talks & talks & talks & talks.
cuccinelli said once that he had all the requisite experience to argue a case before the VA SC or the SCOTUS. does he realize that these are appellate courts with time limits for oral argument?
bwana, i just read on a blog (can’t remember which one & i can’t claim the veracity of statement), that low man out on 2d or 3d ballot was gone.
someone needs to get the current rules on this. and there may even be rule changing as late as the convention.
Rules have been posted on rpv website.
Lowest vote getter is out after second ballot.
http://www.rpv.org/docLib/20090422_2009ProposedRules.pdf
Rules are not finalized until friday night after convention starts. Rules will probably be altered for the last time, if at all, at thursday’s rules committee meeting.
“LI has got a point – Cuccinelli supporters, especially the ones who’ve jumped on me, all seem to be unwilling to recognize any of his liabilities. His political stances, his thin legal resume, and his personality are all significant barriers when you’re running statewide.”
Yet in Foster you have a guy who was on the School board. Sorry your loosing me here.
“The irrational hatred of Tom Davis aside, Foster deserves to be looked at by both Brownlee and Cuccinelli supporters.”
Strong words, irrational hatred. Calling Tom Davis out for his irrational Democrat like behavior is not hatred. It is simply pointing out that A- He is wrong and B- he at times was a panderer. The latter being a less than attractive attribute for a supposed principled politician.
G. Stone, Dave Foster is also a long-time partner at a large law firm; in fact, that makes him the most qualified of all three candidates to be Attorney General.
#22 Rabble Rouser
Six pages is too long? I don’t think so. Maybe for people who twitter their lives away, but not for concerned voters who want to know who is the best candidate.
I do like Cuccinelli, but I’ll be happy with any of them.
I am a Brownlee supporter, but if it comes down to it I will take Foster over Cuccinelli, and I hope there are a great many Foster supporters who feel that way about Brownlee. I would be willing to guarantee the votes of me and my “squad” to Foster if and only if Brownlee gets knocked out.
Any takers from the Foster camp?
Cuccinelli has some impressive endorsements: HuckPAC, Thompson, the NRA, Morton Blackwell, and Eagle Forum PAC.
I don’t think you can just write him off as an idiot who doesn’t have a chance.
However, I am really just looking forward to knowing who the candidate is so I can get moving on campaigning for him. I don’t care which of the three wins; he will have my total support.
Ryan, no one is writing Cuccinelli off as an idiot who can’t win. We just don’t think he’s the right man for this job.
Right now, we need every Senate seat that we can get, and it’s pretty clear that there isn’t another Republican that can hold on to Cuccinelli’s seat. But instead of sticking around and waiting to help us take back the Senate, he’s running for AG. Either he doesn’t think he can win the seat (which makes me wonder why he thinks he can win statewide) or else he’s more interested in advancing his own interests than the party’s.
Foster is the best choice for AG, with Brownlee a close second. Cuccinelli is better suited for the Senate. That’s where he belongs.
ryan, i agree with Brian. by cuccinelli’s own admission, he is the only Republican that can hold his seat; therefore, we need him to sit right where he is. think of the bigger picture here.
I guess that’s why Cuccinelli is still holding Senate fundraisers, Brian.
You guys on this blog just crack me up. Endless fun.
“or else he’s more interested in advancing his own interests than the party’s”
YA THINK????
When asked if he’d stand down in the next Governor’s race, Brownlee said he certainly would…for the Party. Cooch did not commit to such gracious endeavors. It would limit his options for further office in that year.
Ken’s all about Ken.
Anybody want to have a little fun….find out who pays the Cooch’s mortgage. He’s livin’ large, but doesn’t seem to have the income.
Cuccinelli discussed the significance of the nomination process and why it’s not even proper to think about races four years from now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-GbOkmCmos&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crystalclearconservative.com%2Fsearch%2Fcuccinelli&feature=player_embedded
Brownlee said that he would do what others tell him is for the good of the Party:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63aKlPER060&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crystalclearconservative.com%2Fsearch%2Fcuccinelli&feature=player_embedded
Foster noted that Cuccinelli was right and that it is too presumptuous for anyone to position themselves for 2013, when we are focused on 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOYlVhgmvw8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crystalclearconservative.com%2Fsearch%2Fcuccinelli&feature=player_embedded
Chris, while I agree that this political season has been fun, there’s nothing to crack up about concerning the facts regarding your reasons for supporting Cuccinelli, and how Dave Foster is a better choice.
Now, I’m certain there are other reasons you support Cuccinelli, and you’re welcome to your opinion and your vote at the Convention. But if you’re going to attack one of the candidates, I hope you would do so a bit more factually.
bulletproof: we would be interested in knowing who pays cuccinelli’s mortg. if he himself does not. i don’t know how to find out that info. please share.
i said this over at NLS, so i might as well commit it to print over here: if cuccinelli is the AG nominee, he will hurt the entire ticket, the press will shred him (and though mcdonnell & bolling may win, cuccinelli will not), cuccinelli’s supporters cannot see the big picture.
However, I am really just looking forward to knowing who the candidate is so I can get moving on campaigning for him. I don’t care which of the three wins; he will have my total support.
- Ryan
That’s the spirit! I have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice but I will campaign for whoever wins the nomination, and I won’t waste my time badmouthing anyone in the primaries. It doesn’t hurt that all 3 nominees are palatable, imho. Pointing out differences in qualifications and electability are fine, intelligent people can disagree and have open and honest discussions.
BPM, If you know who is paying KC’s mortgage or have some evidence that there is something nefarious going in his personal finances – spit it out. Don’t hide behind teethless accusations and ask questions. Honestly, between you and LI it is wonder you have time to actually support your selected nominee rather than tearing down the others. It gets old.
And LI, when Lori Waters or another beloved candidate of yours sets their sights on another office, but still continues to raise money for the office they are currently holding – will you be so snippy? I don’t think so.
I really have to laugh at some of the intellectual dishonesty going on here. So now we’re going to attack Cuccinelli for running for higher office…is he supposed to stay in his Senate seat for the rest of his life? Why wouldn’t he want to have a full time job doing public service instead of his current part-time one, which is hard on family life?
Some of these same people didn’t seem to have any problem supporting Tom Davis for Senate, even though we knew we’d be losing his House seat. (Of course we ended up getting nothing from Tom Davis).
That’s the thing–the attacks on Cuccinelli are far worse–and by that I mean unfair and just plain old LAME–than what the other candidates are getting. Cuccinelli’s taking by far the most fire, largely because a select few people don’t like him and have declared him to be unelectable, even though they are empirically wrong on that count. At some point you just have to laugh–its so pathetic.
NovaCon, Is this the intolerance of the “moderates”??
LL, I’m a moderate and Cuccinelli is my second choice.
Its called the big picture ok. Let me spell it out one last time.
Cuccinelli is an unapologetic right-wing politician who will not win in VIrginia
In a general election you need to appeal to the center. It is obvious Ken can’t do this (he enjoys being a rightwinger too much) and he will be spanked by Shannon
Virginia is not a Red state anymore. There are not enough Conservatives/Republicans anymore. To win you need a chunk of the Moderates/Independents and Cuccinelli will have a hard time picking up their support.
novamiddleman: let’s be clear. i am a very right wing conservative, but i do not support cuccinelli because his big issues (at least in the mind of the cuccinelli supporters that i have seen first hand) are abortion & gay marriage.
there are more issues out there than just these 2. the press will kill him on these issues for a statewide race.
“LL, I’m a moderate and Cuccinelli is my second choice.
- VA Blogger”
Great, and since I don’t know enough about you, will you support him in the general election or are you dedicating your time to tearing him down?
Novamiddleman – Why is VA not red anymore? I think I know what your answer will be, and it differs greatly from mine.
“Virginia is not a Red state anymore. There are not enough Conservatives/Republicans anymore. To win you need a chunk of the Moderates/Independents and Cuccinelli will have a hard time picking up their support.”
Thit is ridiculous. McCain was as moderate and middle-of-the-road as you can get without being a turncoat like Specter. Do you think that Ronald Reagan won by campaigning as a moderate? We do NOT need more “moderates” we need people with a back bone who stand up for what is right.
Va may not be a red state right now, but it is because of poor candidates on our part. Not because our values are not mainstream.
“Cuccinelli is an unapologetic right-wing politician who will not win in VIrginia.”
I can only hope those words will come back to haunt you in November.
NC, Davis knew he couldn’t win the nomination, so I don’t fault him for taking on Marshall and Gilmore for the privilege of losing to Mark Warner. And there’s a huge difference between losing a seat in the House when we’re already down 30 seats, and losing a seat in the Senate when we are down 1.
1 seat. That’s it. Why widen the gap for no reason? We don’t lose any ground if Foster or Brownlee are AG. We do lose ground if Cuccinelli is AG, and as I’ve said before he’s probably the only Republican who can hold onto that seat.
As for the family question, what’s harder on a family? Having to go into Richmond once or twice a year for a month at a time, or having to be in Richmond every single day?
I don’t think that this is a spurious charge. Cuccinelli has two years left on his term and he’s a young guy. There’s no burning reason for him to run for AG now and there are plenty of good reasons for him not to.
LL, I don’t think anybody on this site is going to vote for Shannon out of sour grapes if our chosen nominee doesn’t win. I know that while Cuccinelli is my last choice, he’s still better than a Democrat and he’ll have my support if he wins.
I can’t speak for VAB, but I’m more than willing to believe we share an opinion in this regard.
LL: Of course I will, and I’ll support Brownlee too if he wins.
I started off as a Cuccinelli supporter, and I made it clear when I endorsed Foster that I have nothing against Ken. I think he’ll make a great AG, and I don’t think he’ll be as bad of a general election candidate as people make him out to be.
Foster is still a better pick, though.
Looks like most of you got it but for Ryan and others. Kelley in Virginia basically made the point.
I don’t care if you are a right wing or a moderate. We need both types of people.
The difference is knowing what to emphasize and campaign on during a GENERAL election for ATTORNY GENERAL.
I don’t think many people understand Steve Shannon. Like Cuccineeli personality wise they are very good people and speakers. The problem is Shannon is not your typical NoVa democrat policy wise and Cuccinelli will not be able to paint him as your typical democrat plust ts not a race for senate its a race for Attorney General.
“I don’t think many people understand Steve Shannon”
I certainly don’t understand why he thinks he’s qualified to be Attorney General.
I find it rather funny that the same folks who say Cuccinelli will not win statewide also say he is the only one who can hold his senate seat. Has anyone looked at where is senate seat is located? Its in the heart of NOVA. Its in the very place that we have been losing in our statewide races. None of the AG candidates will have a problem winning down state, the place they may lose is the very place that Ken can win in. Wake up and liston to yourselves!
lauren, it is by cuccinelli’s own bragging that he says he is the only one that can hold that senate seat. at least that is what i heard when he spoke in burkeville. if indeed he is the only one that can hold that seat, then that is where he needs to stay.
Well that’s it. I think Brownlee is far more unelectable at this point simply because he has no experience as a candidate–and especially not in hostile territory like Cuccinelli. He’s done nothing but run to the right–to a ridiculous extent. I’m a fairly conservative guy, as if you couldn’t tell–and even I am starting to think Brownlee is too extreme. I question Foster’s electability due to fundraising and his inability to raise his profile during the last few months–I don’t neccessarily believe that the money will automatically flow in to Foster if he becomes the nominee. (Sure, he’ll have more money—but enough? Don’t assume).
So to me, electability is at best a wash–and then when you factor in that one of these three guys actually has won races in the very place that we’re all worried about–and it seems like a silly argument to be using against Cuccinelli. It comes down to the fact that a few people don’t like his personality–and almost all those people have some kind of history with him, which the vast majority of Virginians don’t.
By the way–I will reiterate–the AG nominee will have my 100% support, regardless of who that is. I just happen to think that Cuccinell is the best choice for a variety of reasons, and I don’t think its fair to tell him to stay in his Senate seat, particularly if you are going to argue that he can’t win in blue areas–which is exactly where his Senate seat is.
Brian and VAB, I see we have common ground, and that is exactly what our side needs. We do not need to actively destroy the “enemy” in our primary. Let’s destroy the Democrat in the general election.
BTW, I didn’t assume moderates would run to Shannon because KC gets the nod, however, there are moderates that would actively campaign against him in the general election. This is what I referring to as the “intolerance of the moderates”. If I can suck it up and campaign for, give money to and vote for John McCain – I would hope they could dig down deep and do the same. My problems with McCain are vast and wide and I got over it.
NC:
How do you know how well Foster has done raising his profile? You were clearly aware of him, so you don’t have an objective view of the matter. And you’re only in one part of the state, which means you don’t know about how people elsewhere in the state are reacting. I’m not saying you’re wrong, just there’s no way you could know for certain.
And yes, Foster will be able to raise as much as Brownlee or Cuccinelli if he’s the nominee.
“if indeed he is the only one that can hold that seat, then that is where he needs to stay.”
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly…… How would you like someone to tell you that your to good to advance. That is just an a** backward way of looking at things.
Don’t get me wrong, I personally would love for Ken to want to stay in the Senate and then I would vote for Foster. However, I can find no reason to penalize Ken for his success in the Senate and his ability to be elected in NOVA. If the man wants to run for higher office, let him run. I think he has proven himself and he has earned the right to move up. Just don’t penalize success, we need to encourage it.
My post above, forgot to add my name, sorry.
i am amused that any of you think brownlee is trying to run right of cuccinelli because i don’t see where that would even be possible.
the commonwealth already has an amendment to our constitution making marriage btw a man & a woman. period. so it does not matter what their stance on that issue is, because the AG must uphold the constitution & laws of the commonwealth. he takes that oath.
and all 3 candidates have said they are pro-life.
could john brownlee be more of a 2d amendment supporter than cuccinelli–probably so since he was in the military.
but cuccinelli is a zealot. zealots, by definition, are not reasonable. brownlee struck me as a very reasonable man (as did foster).
“but cuccinelli is a zealot. zealots, by definition, are not reasonable.”
Kelly, Could you explain to me why you think KC is a zealot?
Please give examples of this “zealot” behavior by Cuccinelli. Or maybe being a zealot is simply being conservative, which is why so many of us are supporting him.
Lauren, it’s not a penalty to stay in the office where you are most needed. No one is saying that Cuccinelli should remain a state senator for the rest of his life. But right now, we are a hairsbreadth away from taking back the Senate, and we shouldn’t needlessly be throwing away seats. If he wins as AG, there will be a special election for the seat, and the chances are we will lose.
I’m willing to bet that in two more years things will be looking much better for the party, and Cuccinelli will be in much better shape running for reelection.
Cuccinelli is young enough that waiting another cycle before running for higher officer isn’t the end of the world. He can do more good staying in the Senate and holding that seat than he can by running for AG. That’s the point.
Sorry, not voting for someone becouse of their success just doesn’t make much sense to me.
VA Blogger – I try to give you some leeway, because I’ve spoken with Foster before, and eaten with him and his wife at an event. I found him to be nice guy. However, being a nice guy doesn’t mean he’d be an effective campaigner.
Foster’s fundraising has been nothing short of abysmal. This has been covered at length on this blog. He has never proven his ability to raise the kinds of funds necessary to wage a serious state-wide campaign… and his current campaign funds are a testament to this.
To think that Foster will raise the funds comparable to his democrat opponent, is nothing short of wishful thinking. Yes, the Republican nominee will get an infusion of funds once he wins the convention, however there is nothing to suggest that the funds he raises will be anywhere near Shannon’s campaign coffers.
It should be noted that Senator Cuccinelli’s fundraising efforts were legally hampered, due to the law prohibiting him to raise money while the Senate was in session. However, he was still able to raise more money than either Brownlee or Foster, throughout this nomination process.
Brian,
Do you know that Fairfax just elected another Republican Supervisor – John Cook – in a special election? Do you know that Alexandria just added a Republican to their city council, and a conservative independent? “Needlessly throwing away seats” is conjecture on your part, I have no doubt there are qualified candidates to take Ken C’s seat, let’s all get behind THAT candidate instead of wringing our hands. I don’t accept that KC’s seat can’t be won by another Republican, he is a conservative in a liberal leaning district, it can happen again and again if we stop the circular firing squad.
I appreciate your assessment of KC’s political career, but the decision has already been made – he is running for the nomination. What good is it to yoddle on about why he entered the race, it is a done deal. If he loses, so be it, but if he wins stops the whining and let’s work against the Democrat.
Brian – So, we have a State Senator who wins in his district when others lose… and rather than using his popularity and expert campaigning to win on a statewide level (and aide the rest of the statewide ticket), it’s better that we allow a less experienced politician, with no experience in winning this left-leaning district to run statewide instead.
Does this logic make sense in your head?
KellyinVA- “the commonwealth already has an amendment to our constitution making marriage btw a man & a woman. period. so it does not matter what their stance on that issue is, because the AG must uphold the constitution & laws of the commonwealth. he takes that oath.”
Wrong. It does matter what their stance is on this issue. Do you think that if Barbie Frank was the AG of Mass. that he would adamantly work to uphold any such law? (Yes I know that Mass. doesn’t have any such law. This is figurative.)
I know that is an extreme example, but I think it is a valid point.
“but cuccinelli is a zealot. zealots, by definition, are not reasonable.”
Ya, a real ‘right wing extremist’
That is nuts.
Loudoun Lady – “If he loses, so be it, but if he wins stops the whining and let’s work against the Democrat.”
Exactly my thoughts.
A Voter, Fairfax County is not a microcosm of the state. Cuccinelli won by a hundred votes in the last election. He has said himself that he’s the only Republican who could have held that seat. Outside of Fairfax he’s an unknown quantity. He is well known here, not statewide, and his experience in Richmond is only going to be a liability to him in my opinion.
Foster has got experience winning in left leaning areas. Brownlee doesn’t have a record in running for office, which is one of the reasons why I’m supporting Foster.
No one is penalizing Cuccinelli for his success, and yes he’s already made the decision to run. The fact that he did so without taking into account the effect it would have on the party and on our chances of taking back the Senate are a big factor in why I am not supporting him. Yes, we’ve won seats on the Alexandria City Council and we won a supervisor slot in Fairfax, but none of those things had happened when Cuccinelli decided to run for AG. That’s why his doing so makes so little sense, and makes me question his motivations.
The Attorney General slot doesn’t need an “experienced politician” in it. Neither Jim Gilmore or Jerry Kilgore had held elected office before they became Attorney General.
LL, we’re debating the merits of the three AG candidates. Everyone here has already said they’ll support whomever the nominee is, so I don’t know why you keep bringing that up. But until the nominee is chosen, there’s no reason why we can’t debate the relative merits of the three, and that’s why I’m talking about Cuccinelli’s decision to run. In my opinion it’s an insight into his character.
Brain, Actually, everyone here has not said they would back any of the 3 candidates. I hope this becomes the case and I hope the anti-KC rants cease if he wins the nomination.
Regardling the timing of KC’s decision to run, John Cook had perhaps a day to make his decision to run. He had 30 days to win, and he did it. He came and spoke at the LCRC meeting, not only did Tom Davis campaign for him but so did Ken Cucinelli. This is a winning strategy, bringing everyone together. Timing and entrance to a race based on preconceived notions and assumtions is bad for our candidates, so let’s not disparage a candidate for making a decision to run who has strong support in the party. I could ask the same type of question about Brownlee, who the heck is he – walking in like he owns the place, never been elected to anything, blah, blah, blah. Who cares? He is qualified and will make a damned good candidate. I wish more people would step forward and put their hat in the ring – we need good, qualified candidates. Let’s flood the local and state races with our candidates and let the best man win.
As it is, if you aren’t “exactly right” you get it from both the Democrats and members of your own party. Who wants to enter a local, county or state race under these circumstances? Anyone, anyone???? <>
my impression of KC as a zealout is based on my one meeting with him at a meet & greet with all 3 AG candidates in burkeville va. i had not met any of the 3 before.
on every question put to KC, whether it was about a nat’l issue which had no relevance to the AG’s race or a tax issue or management of the AG’s office issue or a civil issue, he always circled back to his pro-life & his anti-gay marriage stance. in fact, he mentioned abortion as much as he did how he was the only one who could win his Senate seat.
he maintained eye contact with a couple in the audience who had what appeared to be 6 children of different ages sitting with them or in their laps. he did not look at the rest of us.
after the program, he went around to shake hands. he came up to me & said “i am against abortion”.
he struck me as completely unreasonable. its obvious that he does very little trial work because trial lawyers cannot afford to be single-minded.
and about his anti-abortion stance: he is running on that issue. that is his #1 priority. the Commonwealth has other crises facing her at this time, but he did not address any of them.
and about the poster who said that the candidate’s stance on gay marriage being impt: what about their stance on, say, paying taxes. if you don’t pay, the va. dept of taxation comes after you. it is the law. the death penalty is the law. no gay marriage is the law.
they must enforce the law. they will take that oath. they may have personal issues with the death penalty, but they must enforce that law.
LL, I can promise you that John Cook (like Pat Herrity, Sharon Bulova, and Ilryong Moon) all made the decision to run before the election that caused the vacancy for their special election.
In fact, several Democrats like Liz Griffith and Republicans like Steve Hunt were preparing for a County-wide School Board race in the event Ilryong Moon won.
A Voter, I’m not talking about Foster getting an infusion of funds; I’m talking about Foster being able to raise a lot more money when he has the visibility of being the sole Republican nominee for Attorney General, and being on the ticket with McDonnell and Bolling.
It’s difficult to raise money when Cuccinelli and Brownlee have sucked all the oxygen out of the room; that’s a political reality, not any fault of Foster’s. Released from those handcuffs, he’ll be able to raise the necessary funds to run an effective statewide campaign.
Frankly, this is an illegitimate reason to oppose Foster.
Kelly,
I understand how a candidate can make a bad first impression. I would simply say give him a chance. Ken has been a leader on the right to life but he also has led on other important issues. I happen to be more of a “Ron Paul” republican and I like Ken for his stand on states rights and his view that the Federal Government is out of control. You may ask what that has to do with the AG. I believe that as the lead attorney for Va that he would be in a positon to fight some of this. I agree that on issues like marriage and the death penalty the law is already in place and all the AG does is enforce it. But there are other issues that come up that the AG would have the ability to influence both state goverment and the public. This is the reason I support Ken. I believe all three candidates will follow the law and fight crime , ect….ect…. Ken offers more than just that.
“Honestly, between you and LI it is wonder you have time to actually support your selected nominee rather than tearing down the others. It gets old.”
I BET you think it is. But you avoided an honest question, without answering it. I didn’t pop it out there already knowing the answer..I asked the question expecting someone who knows to answer it….before I find out on my own.
Money “A” and money “B” aren’t adding up for me…granted, I’m not a forensic accountant. I do know a couple over in DC from my old days, however.
Brownlee already runs a complete office with paralegals, a staff of US Attorney lawyers, and a budget acting on behalf of the Federal Government for the Western District of Virginia.
He’s somehow unqualified to run a very similar office for the State of Virginia for what exact reason???
And Shannon is no slouch. The only man you can put up to his proscutorial experience IS Brownlee, who is the only man running that makes Shannon look like he needs to take notes from John.
Kelley,
I find your assessment of Ken Cuccinelli as a person after “one meeting” quite disingenuous. I’ve known the man for nearly eight years and I can tell you that I’ve never met a more thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent, and well spoken politician who actually listens to his constituents and gives them the opportunity to convince him if they disagree with him and will speak with facts and not demagoguery. In the end, you might come to the conclusion that you just disagree with him on an issue, but I’ve never known him to be rude, unreasonable or unwilling to listen. I’ve actually had people in his district who are avowed liberals tell me that’s the one thing they find likable about the man, that he IS reasonable.
rt wing: when he campaigns or if he campaigns for AG, a one-time meeting is all most of the electorate will get in order to make a decision.
i’ve been in va. politics since i was 19 years old. have i made some errors in judgment? certainly.
this is my opinion. brownlee & foster came across as being reasonable.
Kelly, Sounds like you are exxagerating on your first impression with KC, using the pro-life thing to the hilt. I saw him speak last night and he was nothing like you described. He did start his talk off with his pro-life and pro-family beliefs, but he touched on every topic relevant to the AG’s office and what the AG is responsible for in the state of VA, also his experience, votes, beliefs, conservative values, direction of the party on the state level, national level, 2A, stimulus package, VA sovereignty, dealth penealty etc, etc. Pro-life and pro-marriage was about 2% of his talk. When I met him he looked me in the eye and thanked me for coming, we spoke about topics I was interested in because he is a good politician and geared the conversation towards me. He took questions from the audience for 45 minutes and gave clear conside answers with background, so that everyone understood his reasoning. He is a very good speaker, funny when appropriate but never flip.
It was all I expected from Ken and more, so I don’t exactly believe your synopsis of your meeting. It’s like people saying they met Bill Clinton and following it with “he flirted with me and grabbed my ass” – because that is what his detractors want to hear. If you don’t think KC is reasonable, I’m not sure you think too many conservatives are reasonable. To you pro-life=zealot=unreasonable, and that is unreasonable.
“It’s like people saying they met Bill Clinton and following it with ‘he flirted with me and grabbed my ass’ – because that is what his detractors want to hear.”
Tell that to Fran Drescher.
http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/05/heh-bill-clinton-caught-groping-actress-fran-drescher.html
Brian – Senator Cuccinelli is winning by hundreds of votes in an area where other republicans are losing by TENS OF THOUSANDS of votes. Winning these areas in a statewide race, my any margin, is much better than losing by HUGE margins, as has been happening in recent years.
Since Senator Cuccinelli has a history of winning in a liberal-leaning district that often delivers an edge to Democrats, his statewide candidacy becomes an advantage for the entire ticket.
Brownlee’s lack of political experience shows us that he has NO track record of winning ANY elections ANYWHERE. Brownlee’s lack of experience does not become a benefit for anyone… except for maybe the Democrats that Brownlee votes for in primaries.
VA Blogger – What evidence can you point to that shows that Foster would have more fundraising success in the future, against Shannon? Yes, the AG nominee will certainly get a financial boost, once selected, however thus far his fundraising efforts have been pathetic. You’re HOPING that Foster’s future funraising efforts will vastly improve against Shannon, if he becomes the nominee… but that’s nothing more than wishful thinking.
*fundraising, not funraising
VaB-See upcoming post on AG race regarding support
Lauren-All we have now are proposed rules. Actual rules will be approved at the convention. Frankly, with three people in the race I don’t see the need for the low man out rule, as the race would likely be over by the fourth ballot w/o risk of rancor.
However, I could forsee a Cuccinelli-Foster alliance eliminating the low man rule out or extending to a later ballot. Brownlee clearly wants Foster out sooner than later. The vote on that provision will be interesting.
Okay, I understand now. I thought the rules were set in stone but in reality they could be changed. Thanks
I would have thought that if two candidates were going to team up that one of them would have to drop to have any effect. Is there any truth to the idea that either Brownlee or Cuccinelli is trying to team up with Foster?
I am sure someone is trying to team up, and I would think the first measure is the credentials committee report, the second is the rules (or vice versa).
Well, I am fairly new to this. I would love to be a fly on the wall around all three candidates. There must be all kinds of plans being made!
We met Cuccinelli for the first time a couple a weeks ago, and before I met him I was leaning towards him. Unfortunately he was obtuse in the conversation. I was very disappointed in his demeanor and his way of conducting a conversation with a potential voter that he was faced for the first time. He came across to be arrogant and unkind to people that do not share his political beliefs. In our conversation, he left before I finished my discussion; he did not like my arguments and made excuses for himself and did not finish the dialogue. When a person governs, he or she has to govern for everyone regardless of who they are. Sorry Cuccinelli, but you need to learn the first principle of Christian Conservatism and that it is compassion and respect.
Intelligent Conservative.
I’ve known Senator Cuccinelli for years and know him to be one of the most respectful and kind individuals that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting!
Intelligent Conservative:
I am going to pull out my BS flag.
Having known Ken for sometime, I can tell you your description could not be further from the truth.So therefore, very hard to believe.
I am expressing my experience based on a fact, unless someone is calling me a … the Second principle of Christian Conservatives: respect some other opinions, if you disagree, learn why or what happened. Unless Mr. Cuccinnelli is God, then he will never make mistakes. He is human and makes mistakes like everyone, I believe. Perfection does not exist in man. I will give Mr. Cuccinnelli another look, but at this point he has less of a chance with me than before.
I have heard all 3 of the AG candidates speak over the last few months. Each time I hear Dave Foster speak about why he is qualified to be AG, his family’s long history in VA and what he will do as AG. Never once has he attacked his opponents. He is a good man, he knows how to campaign and he has proven that he can win in a very tough area of the Commonwealth.
My vote at the convention will be, without a doubt, for Dave Foster and I encourage all delegates to consider him before casting their vote in Richmond.
Thank you, Kathy.
It’s often an overlooked fact that while Brownlee and Cuccinelli gouge each other’s eyes out trying to run further and further to the right, that Foster remains committed to conservative principles while remaining above the fray. If anything, that convinces me even more he’ll be an effective Attorney General.
But being above the fray often means that he is overlooked. Many of us wonder how bad he really wants this job.
Lauren, I believe Dave Foster is very committed to winning the nomination. The fact that he refuses to compromise his integrity and respect for his opponents do to so speaks volumes. I just received a mail piece from him today and no where does it mention the other 2 candidates. It does, although, explain why he is the right choice. Very refreshing!!
Lauren, have you ever run for office? Been related to someone who has? Known personally someone who has? It is a massive commitment of time, money, and energy.
Moreover, it’s a sad state of affairs when a candidate has to prove they “want it” by reducing themselves to shouting matches and back-and-forth playground fights.
I wasn’t saying that he doesn’t want it I was just saying that many delegates have gotten that impression. If I was voting on personality I would be voting for Foster. I took a class that he taught with GOPAC and found him to be wonderful. I was just making a comment about the way that Foster is perceived here in SWVA. I know we don’t have a large amount of votes down here so I can understand why Dave may have wrote us off. Like I said before, Dave is a wonderful guy and I hope that if he doesn’t win this race that he will run for something else in the near future.
Honestly—all three of these guys have been nothing but respectful and engaging in the meet and greets I’ve heard about. I don’t buy the old so and so said this or that to me and hurt my feelings routine on an anonymous blog–about Cuccinelli or the other two candidates.
It comes down to track record of success, ability to win and ability to do the job to me. I happen to think that Cuccinell is the best combination of those three, and I’m uncomfortable moving forward with someone who has never been in a political battle before (Brownlee) or who has not demonstrated an ability to raise money (Foster).
I understand if people draw a different conclusion. But I’m sick of “Cuccinelli’s a zealot” and that kind of crap. Accusations that are not based on fact are tiresome. The metrics I’m using are at least real–you can’t dispute them.
I have an inkling those that have had problems in their face to face meetings with KC have been:
1. Biased before they met him
2. Looking for reasons NOT to like him
3. Asking questions when they know how he will answer (that they disagree with) then complain that he has that particular opinion
Not that I think KC would react negatively even to the snarkiest of citizens, but when you go into a meet and greet with an agenda, you usually come out with your desired results.
It is akin to the seminar callers into talk radio shows, “I have voted for every Republican since Richard Nixon, but Barrack Obama is the only man that can save this country” – uh, yeah, right.
I heard Brownlee speak and he was good, however it was only a 5 minute talk with no Q&A so there was little I could gleem. He shook hands with everyone afterwards and seemed very nice.
NovaCon:
“Cuccinelli’s a zealot” is the quintessential “intolerance of the moderates” in our party, mention being pro-life and they get all jiggy. It must be called out for what it is, which is BS, and then quickly ignored. We have serious work to do and we will see who is on board regardless of the candidate (of which all 3 I will support) and who is in it for just a candidate or their own blogging interests.
Lauren, I wouldn’t say that Foster has “written it off”; the problem is that there’s only so many places one small campaign can go, and SWVA is a rather large piece of territory. Even if Foster did spend several weeks or longer in the area, he might only stop by one particular county or town once or twice.
“Intelligent Conservative” (in quotes because you have posted nothing to tell me whether I can judge you are either)
I tend to believe what Loudoun Lady posted above in 105 about what likely happened in your conversation with Ken.
Just which issues did you discuss with him that you differ with him on? Were there many? Were you courteous? If not (and be honest) I wouldn’t blame him for not wasting his time in what would just be an argument with no chance of turning your vote. Ken is respectful to a fault with people who honestly come to talk with him about issues regardless of whether they agree or disagree with him. He will not back down though, he will explain his position as well. If you make a good point I’m sure he would consider it. However, if you begin to just run on-and-on on your disagreements, anyone has to eventually reach their limit and excuse themselves from a fruitless endeavor…
VA Blogger, there is many miles and few votes down here. I don’t expect the candidates to do a lot down here. Brownlee has his wife Lee Ann going to many of the meetings. Cuccinelli has been to a few and has several surrogates ( inclueding myself) going around speaking for him. I just haven’t seen anyone for Foster, but I understand and I think most of the delegates do also. It does seem a little strange when I attend a meeting for Ken and after the Brownlee rep and I speak someone will ask if there is anyone else running and often no one knows anything about Foster.
Here we go again. The minute someone criticizes Cuccinelli, his supporters whip their claws out and start attacking him personally. Honestly, if Cuccinelli is such a saint, why do so many of his supporters not follow suit?
Is it so completely outside the realm of possibility that Intelligent Conservative had a conversation with Cuccinelli and didn’t like him? I have met hundreds of elected officials on both sides of the aisle – some of the Democrats I met were the nicest folks, some of the Republicans I met were equally nice. And some of them just rubbed me the wrong way – even the ones who had reputations for being polite or bipartisan.
The only person who knows what happened that night is IC. Just because his experience didn’t dovetail with yours does not mean he’s not telling the truth.
Brian, Please, My claws were whipped out? I merely took a stab at what usually happens when a candidate is being discredited. KC has been called a zealot and rude, I ask why, and the explanations were thin. If someone had a bad experience, it is sometimes of their own making.
I’d like to pick up on something Rtwing Extremist wrote, and that is backing down in an arguement. :
“Ken is respectful to a fault with people who honestly come to talk with him about issues regardless of whether they agree or disagree with him. He will not back down though, he will explain his position as well. ”
If more of our elected officials would stand on principle and not back down, our party might not be in the mess we are now. The “squishy middle” does not buy votes, principled positions do. Calling someone unreasonable because they hold a principled position has become too common. Callling someone a zealot that is pro-life is also very common.
KC said something very telling the other night at his event, he was comparing they way he takes a principled stand on issues to others that adopt those stands for political purposes during elections, as in saying “I am pro-life, but don’t hold that against me.” This is just an example of political speak that you will probably rarely hear from KC. Personally, it was a breath of fresh air to hear. I don’t want to hear an apology for a position a politician or elected official holds while they are stating it. Just state it and stand firm.
Has anyone ever had a conversation with Frank Wolf? I have met him on a couple occasions at events and he is very direct too, he takes the time to listen but he is not the most gregarious man I have ever met. Is he rude, unreasonable, or a zealot? No, he is just busy and direct and gets things done. That’s why he keeps getting re-elected.
Lastly, please notice I have not once taken a pot shot at Brownlee, because if he is our nominee I don’t want to be on record as trashing our candidate. The other side will trash him enough, but if I have a problem with his positions I will discuss them as problems with his positions, not personal nit-picking that some seem to enjoy. Remember, Brownlee is pro-life, pro-family too, is he a zealot?
LL, based on Brownlee’s attempt to be further to the right than Cuccinelli, and his endorsement from such people like Tom Tancredo, anyone who thinks Ken Cuccinelli is a zealot would have ample reason to believe the same about John Brownlee.
The issues that I discussed with Cuccinelli, was something I have discussed with Bob McDonnell, Bill Bowling and HOD candidates in NOVA and they all agreed with me. My issue was important for the party in general and not only for one candidate. My issues with candidates are for the candidates to address personally and not for people to make excuses for him/her. I gave Cuccinelli a question of the future of Conservatives and I will ask the question again. Maybe I will get better luck next time and open his intellect.
VA Blogger, You are correct and the Tancredo endorsement is the perfect example. That one surprised me. It is also interesting that the NRA endorsed KC, which is very rare in a primary.
IC, I have an issue with one of KC’s positions as well, but it is not the future of conservatives. He addressed any concerns I had over that question very succinctly. I can disagree with a candidate on a number of issues and still whole-heartedly support them, however some issues are not negotiable. Hint: there are no perfect candidates.
“Is it so completely outside the realm of possibility that Intelligent Conservative had a conversation with Cuccinelli and didn’t like him?”
Yes, it is also possible that being a blog and using a made up name he could be full of shit. That possibility is in direct proportion to the possibility that he is the Dean of Political Science at Virginia Tech. By the pure virtue that we don’t know who the hell he is, pulling out the BS flag has at least a fifty percent chance of being correct. I may be wrong. However, all I have to go on is experience. My experience is that a large percentage of this stuff is simply politically motivated crap.
G. Stone, I’m going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He didn’t come in here name calling, he didn’t come in throwing out attack ad material. He simply related his experience. The fact that he didn’t use his name like you or I do doesn’t really matter. He’s at least entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
LL, I wasn’t reference you with the claws out comment – I was mainly pointing to RE’s snarky comment. But, to be frank, I have not seen many Brownlee or Foster supporters acting that way to Cuccinelli supporters. I’m sure it’s probably happened, but it seems a daily ritual on here that the Cuccinelli supporters not just bash the other candidates but directly attack their supporters, too.
Brian, You must not be reading TC very thoroughly. This is anti-KC central, LI has it in for him and has 2-3 anti-KC people that post accordingly.
Look at this thread as an example, please show me one supporter of KC”s that bashed Brownlee or Foster. I don’t even see where RE was being anything but straight forward.
Just because LI is fervently agaisnt Cuccinelli doesn’t mean this is anti-KC Central. I used to be a Cuccinelli supporter, and as evidenced by my latest post, I don’t like the underhanded attacks against him.
And Vince has stayed out of it because he’s on McDonnell’s payroll, and obviously they don’t want to wade into it.
OK, let me clarify, LI uses this as his Anti-KC whipping post.
BTW, why doesn’t LI ever do any anti-Shannon posts? Nothing he can pick on the Democrat about?
Shannon doesn’t have a primary opponent, so he’s not in the news.
And while I’d vote for any Republican over Shannon, I actually don’t think Shannon’s that bad of a guy.
Don’t worry fellow Conservatives, Brownlee will in Nova on Monday and I will ask his opinion on the same issue. I will tell you what he says. I need to find Foster to also ask the same question.
Thanks IC.
VAB: It’s always a good time to bash Democrats, primary or not.
Hey IC, why not share with us what that issue was???