2010- What are You Thinking in the 5th?
By Steven Osborne | Friday, February 20th, 2009 | Catch-AllI know that the focus should be on 2009. However, since it’s early in the year, I thought that I would throw this out there.
Who should run against Tom Periello in 2010? Should Virgil Goode run again? Somebody else? Should Tom Periello be reelected?
What about Shaun Kenney? Is his latest debate with Loudon Insider just practice for Perriello? Food for thought.
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Steven Osborne
Steven Osborne is a grassroots conservative activist from Central Virginia. He is currently furthering his education at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. In addition to writing for Bearing Drift he is also a columnist for the Christian Law Journal.
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17 Responses to "2010- What are You Thinking in the 5th?"
Shaun would be a great candidate in the 5th.
His resume includes being Campaign Manager for Musgrave, Communications Director for RPV, Executive Director of the American Life League – he has some decent credentials for being so young (ha!…I’m one to talk)
Regarding his beliefs on issues? He’s a solid conservative and would represent the 5th well.
The real question for Shaun is will he have the backing of the GOP in the 5th (namely from District Chairman Watkins)? If he can get the apparatus behind him, he can win in 2010.
Kenney for Congress!!!
The 5th is my district and a tough one to gauge now that Charlottesville has become the dominant player there. I think Robert Hurt would be a great representative from that area. He already has a base as a state senator, he is intelligent, and would bring a new face into the game for the GOP. He now represents most of the 5th in the 16th senatorial district.
If Hurt wont run why not try a new face like Franklin County unit chair Bill Stanley. He is a young energetic lawyer who knows the lay of the land, has a close relationship with Tucker (although there is some argument that it was Tucker’s fault that Virgil lost) and is very conservative.
If Goode wants it, he wins the GOP nomination easily. I think he also wins the general without Obama on the ticket.
I think Hurt would be the easy favorite should Goode decide to step down. Delegate Danny Marshall is also battle tested and would probably crush the current member should Goode decide to stay permanently retired from public service.
To ensure a win against Perriello a candidate MUST have longstanding ties to the southside.
Goode would probably win in 2010 if he ran. However, he is the worst sort of Republican. I hope that the GOP would field a better candidate.
I kinda like Virgil Goode on this one. I haven’t decided though. The Obama factor does weigh heavily. It will be interesting to see if Goode and Thelma Drake go back after lost seats.
Brian, what makes Goode of one the “worst sort”?
Shaun Kenney in 2010!
ABH,
He is a xenophobic, protectionist and economic populist. He is too authoritarian on both fiscal and social issues. Beyond that, he is an abuser of earmarks – though not in the class in the class of Murtha, et. al. I hope that he will enjoy his retirement.
Brian, I guess being from the Tidewater area I just don’t hear enough about Goode. I have heard some good things about him. He has voted my way a few times but, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t disagree on other issues.
In what way is he xenophobic, protectionist, and an economic populist? Although, I generally don’t like ear marks, they are a reality. If you don’t partake in it a little your constituents get cheated since so many do ear mark and use up the available funds.
Goode was an immense embarrassment to Republicans and we are well rid of him. Brian’s analysis is as correct as it is succinct. There was little that is particularly “Republican” about the antics of that man. If it were just Goode being nuts in public places, that’s one thing, but the MSM and others tended to use him to denigrate Republicans in general. It’s startling to me that anyone would suggest his return would be desirable. I thought he was far more useful when he was a Democrat.
Again, I’m hearing he’s a bad Republican from somebody, yet no examples of that are given. If the MSM used him as weapon against Republicans in general, that might be a compliment. If they don’t like him, I just might.
Like I said. I live in Tidewater. I don’t know much about Goode and I have yet to hear any examples of why he’s a bad choice.
Virgil Goode was my congressman. I can tell that it was good to actually have a congressman that read the bills he voted for. I remember being at a big GOP event, and Virgil was not there because he was in Washington D.C. reading the first TARP bill, which he voted against. In our district, if you wrote Virgil a letter, he would right you back personally.
I’m sure that you all know about that column that Congressman get in the newspapers. Virgil’s columns addressed issues such as energy, and Virgil would lay out his positions on the issues. Tom Perriello’s columns thus far have been lacking substance and detail.
Perriello is all style and no substance. Virgil may not have had the style, but he had the substance.
Reading bills? Unheard of! A plus there!
So far, Goode sounds pretty good.
Britt,
Steven is right about Goode’s constituent service – he is a master of it (and has been since he was serving in Richmond). I think that he really does care about serving his district. That, actually is part of my problem with him. The fifth survived for a long time on low-skill jobs that paid fairly well. When the textile and furniture companies started closing or moving to Mexico, he started encouraging protectionism. He favors any measure that is “anti-immigrant.” If you doubt his zeal for earmarks, just google “Goode MZM.” Even that mess was (or at least started as) Virgil trying to help out his district.
Thanks Brian. There are differing accounts on MZM. I’m not Emeril favors Goode on that deal more than some others.
I don’t like earmarks but. I do respect constituent representation. You pay taxes from your area and sometimes your constituents have to compete with other cities/counties for money that should be yours. Just ask Hampton Roads localities!!
I might appreciate Goode’s earmarks more if he campaigned to stop them while openly pursuing them. “Hey, I have to protect my constituents, stop forcing me to go after earmarks.” Not the most moral approach but, understandable.
“The fifth survived for a long time on low-skill jobs that paid fairly well. When the textile and furniture companies started closing or moving to Mexico, he started encouraging protectionism. He favors any measure that is “anti-immigrant.””
Anti-immigrant or anti-competition? Again, it is hard to completely admonish him for that given the circumstances. That’s with me being a Libertarian type that favors the Free Market and competition.
Ok, he’s not perfect. I see that now. Still, he looks better than many out there. Not that it matters much. I can’t vote for him being from Va.Beach.
Thanks for sharing your view.
Britt,
It’s my pleasure to converse with you. FWIW, if Goode runs again I would hope for him to win back the seat. I’d prefer to see one the area’s state reps to challenge Perriello, however. Ben Cline (24th?) might be a good choice.
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