Why I’m Supporting John Gray
I’m supporting John Gray for Prince William County Chairman at this weekend’s Republican Convention for two important reasons:
First, direction.
As a longtime Prince William County resident, I believe strongly that our county is headed in the right direction. Working closely with some (but not all) of his fellow Board Members, Sean Connaughton has created and now leaves behind a legacy of responsible governance that make us the envy of jurisdictions across the country. John Gray is both willing and able to lead Prince William County along the path set by Connaughton and ensure our continued success. Corey Stewart, on the other hand, has promised to make radical changes in growth and taxes that I, for one, do not believe our current infrastructure is prepared to support. If elected, I don’t believe that Stewart will be able to pass these changes while working with a more responsible and reasonable Board. But the continued divisiveness that have been a hallmark of Stewart’s brief tenure on the Board will only serve to hinder continued progress.
Second, electibility.
I’ve said this before and I’ll state it again here: I do not believe that Corey Stewart can win a county-wide race. As recent trends illustrate, this will not be an easy race for a Republican nominee. Demographic changes and anti-Republican sentiments demand that the GOP nominee be a uniter and not a divider. We need someone who can not only hold the Republican vote together, but also win moderates and independents. Stewart’s positions and demeanor will make it difficult for him to secure the moderate Republican vote, let alone benefit from independent and crossover support. It appears, in fact, that despite having significant lead-time and a process giving him every advantage, Stewart has been barely able to enlist more delegates for the convention than an opponent who entered the race at literally the last minute. I further believe, the feelings of our friends from the Taxpayers Alliance aside, that taxes will not be a major issue in this election, especially when considering our needs in the areas of transportation, education and public safety. While growth may be a significant issue for some, the fact that Stewart and Friedman share similar views on the subject essentially negate any possible advantage in this area. John Gray, on the other hand, can offer voters from across the political spectrum the alternative to stay the course and continue in a positive direction.
Based on the numbers I’m hearing, this is going to be a very close race. Despite getting into the game very late, Gray has earned a tremendous amount of support. It will all depend on who shows up on Saturday but, of the approximately 950 delegates, my guess is that John has close to 450 (compared to 500 for Stewart). I don’t know the district-by-district makeup at this point.  But I’d say it’s anyone’s ball game.
NovaScout,
Thank you for impugning the dedication and motives of the credentials committee, which has been struggling to manage data entry and validation of almost 950 filed forms in three days, as well as dealing with requests by both candidates for additional information. We frequently are at headquarters until 1AM or later doing our best to ensure that the process is thorough, fair and accurate. I’d invite you to come say to my face that I’m going to throw away my principles and corrupt the process, if you have the courage to do so.
Your rantings are uninformed, and you are wrongly maligning the honor of some really dedicated volunteers who are working their asses off under difficult deadlines. If we even had the time to do so, I don’t believe for a minute that anyone on the committee would throw away their morals in order to alter the outcome of this or any other convention.
After this convention I’d be happy to show you exactly who’s credentials were questioned, why they were questioned, what the process was and how these questions were resolved. Until you have some evidence that I would discharge my responsibilities to the committee in anything other than an equitable manner, I invite you to display the sort of reasonable discourse that most assumed would characterize your tenure here. In other words, show ‘em or fold.
Cue smarmy, disingenuous and pretentious response from NOVA Scout.
Greg, I wouldn’t clean my gun in preparation for such an encounter, if I were you. “NoVA Scout” has proven himself too cowardly to stand up for his ignorant, ill-informed, and conspiratorial rantings. Rather, safely perched behind a wall, he casts them about like tiny little pebbles, having about as much accurate information as one my expect from someone whose view is obscured by that wall.
Huh?
Mitch Cumstein (a.k.a Marty Nohe)
So you don’t belive in equal protection of the law? Why then is Manassas, Manassas Park exempt from all Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act requirements. There’s not one single Resource Protection Area (RPA) to be found in any of those jurisdictions. Why then are we burdened with RPA’s in all of Prince William County. Why can’t we and especially you question that? Is it because Kim Hosen said we can’t?
What we have here Marty is Hosen using the recently completed report (even before it’s been formally presented to the BOS and reviewed by the pesky public) to push the agenda of the Prince William Conservation Alliance at taxpayer expense.
You see, Hosen and other eco-warriors influenced the report to say what they wanted well before the committee was ever established. False doomsday environmental scenerios is what funds these people and their radical agenda to usurp private property rights.
Anyhow Marty, equal protection falls under the auspices of both the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions. If you’d like I can forward copies to you to discern before Hosen comes to citizens’ time and proclaims that taxpayers should be buying diapers for peeing deer next.
Mom, you remind me of my mother. Though probably uglier.
Corey Stewart is nothing more than an opportunist. My 5yo son has lived in this county longer than Corey. Corey will run for any office he thinks he can get elected to. He runs to boost his ego, not to actually help the citizens. I’ve run into him at Planning Commission meetings and the man checks his watch while I’m asking a question. One of my neighbors was asking a question and the man answered his cell phone. While Virginia is in danger of losing federal funds for schools because our teachers don’t meet minimum qualifications, he wants to cut teachers salaries so we can’t recruit decent teachers? He won’t support affordable housing for military, police or firemen? He’s a snob of biblical proportions who doesn’t give a damn about normal people. As an Army Brat and an Army Officer? I wouldn’t give Corey Stewart the time of day.
teacher’s salaries are inflated and should be cut. Corey is a vehement pro-lifer and deserves to be elected to any office he runs for. t speaks.
Yet more evidence that “t” is a caricature. I like Corey — I’d vote for him if I could make it to the Convention, and will in November — but a blanket statement like that tends to a — dare I say it — cult of personality.
Another Jimbo Eruption. A true caricature claims to support a candidate but lifts not a finger to help them. Sound familiar Jimbo? You could easily have scheduled your trip around the convention, but you chose, instead, to be unavailable when the heavy lifting is needed on behalf of an outstanding standard-bearer in Corey.
“After this convention I’d be happy to show you exactly who’s credentials were questioned, why they were questioned, what the process was and how these questions were resolved.”
Since you’ve offered, Greg, I do look forward to seeing a post on your blog after the convention providing all of the above. It should make for very interesting reading.
t and I are of the “agree to disagree” group on several issues (mostly insofar as means to our ends are concerned), but one thing that we most definitely agree upon is you.
Sorry…I was referring to Jimmy, of course.
Greg: I don’t rant, but, in any event, I’d be very pleased to find that I am wrong about the credentials process and will say so publicly if it turns out that they (the committee) cover themselves with scrupulously non-partisan glory. But my sense of the situation after talking to people who were present is that there were substantial irregularities and anomalies (e.g., duplications, delegates who dated their registrations prior to the Call, failure to have lists in e-format for review by Gray)in the Stewart registrations earlier in the week and that these were more or less trivialized or laughed off. If the credentials committee is as tough on Stewart as I expect them to be on Gray and there is no hint of a tilt one way or another, I’ll be only too happy to say here that it was a fairly run convention. I have seen nothing so far, however, to knock me off the position that the local GOP Committee leadership is firmly in the Stewart camp, that they did little or nothing to recruit candidates, that they did little or nothing to make the process open and visible, that they have done little or nothing to ensure that the GOP owns the Connaughton legacy in PW, that they did little or nothing to ensure that the candidate gets strong support from Connaughton and his donors, and that they were annoyed that Gray showed up with a reasonably strong delegate showing. I get the impression that they have skittered off way too fast, have connived with the Democrats on the dates and timing and have made it more, not less difficult for the Party to be victorious in the Special Election. If I have entirely misinterpreted the sequence of events, I apologize to all those who have worked hard to maximize chances of a Republican victory in November (or whenever this election occurs) and to find optimal candidates.
NovaScout -
You claim that I and other members of the committee are biased, unethical and corrupted, and engaging in a conspiracy to subvert democracy. After I call you on this, you tell me that you look forward to me proving that I am actually ethical and diligent about discharging the duties the committee has requested I perform.
That takes quite a bit of hubris. If you have evidence that myself or other members of the committee are engaging in a conspiracy to alter the outcome of a nominating process, I call on you to present that evidence or retract your allegations. If the basis for your allegations is nothing but rumors, innuendo, and conclusions which lack evidentiary basis, I call on you to tell this audience that you were making uninformed allegations.
I really don’t feel like taking this crap from you after I’ve spent three nights this week at headquarters well past midnight working hard not only to process these applications, but deal with requests from both candidates for variances from our originally stated procedures. If I wanted to railroad this thing, I would have been done with this well before our processing completion at 1AM last night, and had the opportunity to spend more time with my family and get a reasonable amount of sleep. To hear now that I need to prove myself innocent to you given the level of effort I’ve dedicated to doing things the right way is outrageous.
Your voice is emanating from the wrong orifice.
MOM: what a refined, lady-like person you are. Is this the new face of Republican feminism in Prince William? Lordy.
I guess my true colors are showing a bit when I protest against collusion with Dems. I think it’s a bad idea.
I also think it a bad idea for the Rs to put themselves in a position of running against Connaughton. That’s bad political strategy and will cost us votes.
You have your views (however crudely conveyed). I have mine.
“…but deal with requests from both candidates for variances from our originally stated procedures.”
Greg, I have no doubt that your heart is in the right place, nor do I doubt your integrity. I know, however, that your experience with conventions and nomination processes is fairly recent and it IS a great deal to take in at one time. I trust that these “variances” to which you refer are not contrary to the published call, or local/state Republican Party Plans. This is an area where previous conventions have fallen a bit short and is perhaps the greatest concern of those watching the process. One thing that I, personally, have heard is that an attempt is being made to credential delegate forms that were dated prior to the PWCGOP Committee meeting, where both the Call and the proper forms were approved. Perhaps you could enlighten us regarding that rumor and lay it to rest. I’d appreciate your input…thanks.
It sounds like the Coreycrats are getting nervous.
MOM: Why would someone of Connaughton’s calibre and responsibilities waste his time with this stuff – especially when it so quickly descends into the mud pits? I don’t think you have the foggiest idea who he is or what motivates him. I have enormous interest in PW – it is far more interesting to me than Fairfax, although Loudoun is coming on strong these days. All chemicals are well-balanced last I checked, although as soon as I get home, I will crank up the alcohol dial a click or two.
Because I have appreciated many of Greg’s posts on his site, and because I do try to be careful not to impugn anyone’s honor who doesn’t richly deserve it, I went back over the thread and read it carefully to see what I had said that might cause such a hot response from Greg. I at times give these comments a very hurried reading and, I confess, I don’t read all of them.
I see that it was my reference to a “trusty credentials committee” tossing a lot of Gray’s delegates (Comment # 41). I also see that there is an inherent ambiguity in my comment between references to “the committee” in the rest of the comment that could either mean the credenitals committee or the PW GOP Committee.
At the time I wrote the comment, it was based on what I perceive to be a huge and inappropriate pro-Stewart bias within the GOP committee leadership, reinforced by numerous reports I received about the treatment and receipt of Gray and Stewart delegate information earlier in the week. I did not know at that time who was on the credentials committee. In talking the matter around, I’ve concluded that there are enough people of good will on the credentials committee that every effort will be made to keep that process as fair as the credentials committee can make it.
I stand by my observation that the overall process and chain of events from within the GOP Committee smacks of bias in favor of Stewart and that no other candidate could possibly prevail for reasons I have alluded to. I do not believe the County GOP Committee leadership has any real aversion to doing what they can to advance Stewart’s candidacy. Virtually everything that the Committee has done in the past six weeks will diminish the chance of Republican success in the election (which is nonetheless winnable despite all this clumsiness). But it should be very clear that I think there are some people on the credentials committee, including Greg, who would not purposely use the credentialling process to affect the outcome and who should be thanked for their service. I apologize for having suggested otherwise. These are difficult, thankless and time-consuming duties.
I fully expect a raucous convention and I fully expect irregularities and sharp elbows on a grand scale. But I have good reason to think that some of the credentials committee members (including Greg) will act with personal integrity and without regard to the identities of the candidates.
NOVA Scout,
Given the outcome of the convention, how do you prefer your crow to be served? I can prepare it in many different ways.
Greg: If the issue is eating crow (as opposed to apologizing for bad drafting and overstatement) I thought I had already eaten it in comment 73. It’s not my favorite meal. If you’re serving more, medium well (hold the feathers) is my preference. The only portions I’m chowing down on is my failure to distinguish between the credentials committee and the local GOP committee. All criticisms of how the local committee has handled this remain in place, as far as I’m concerned. They’ve needlessly and heedlessly put Republican control of the Chairmanship at great risk. PW demographics may save them, but they’ve made it a lot harder than it needed to be.
“t,” you’re a caricature, AND an idiot. I “could easily have scheduled your trip around the convention”? Sorry, “t,” but this trip was scheduled (and a deposit on a cottage rental made) in late April, long before Chairman Sean was appointed and/or confirmed to his post, so your assertion is as nonsensical as the tone of most of your posts.
It was too good to be true…but I guess the week had to end.
AWCheney, I’ll respond in kind: go commit an act which is anatomically impossible.
Yup, it’s back…mind in the gutter and foul mouth to come.
As I have noted before, Aristotle taught us to aspire to the mean, i.e., the appropriate, in all things.
In dealing with the likes of you, AWCheney, the mean certainly could be, as you put it, “mind in the gutter and foul mouth.” Of course, as there is not an obscenity to be found in my post, it is up to the reader to fill in the blanks. You demonstrate with your conclusions that it is YOUR mind which is in the gutter and your foul mouth which is at issue. Oh, I suppose that I could couch my contempt in disparaging bon mots, or belittling diminutives. I suppose that I could follow your “example,” and even try to sic a prosecutor on you with specious but politically-useful charges. But unlike you, I prefer frank honesty.
I guess he hasn’t had a chance to get his meds refilled since his return.
phentermine diet pills…
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