Why Kenny Golden, Why?
By D.J. Spiker | Thursday, October 7th, 2010 | Catch-AllFor the last six weeks, I’ve been reminding people about the quote that Kenny Golden gave at his open to the public press conference back in June. I’ve known Kenny for some time, and I’ve always known that he values his word more than just about anything else. When he said, if I’m not at 10% in September, I shouldn’t be running, I thought he meant it, because why else would he say it?
Since that time, there have been baseless accusations at Gary Byler, 2nd Congressional District Chair and outright fabrications from the Golden campaign. They claim that either a) the ’10%’ quote was only mentioned in private to Byler, and is a display of Gary’s character that it made it’s way into the public, or b) the ’10%’ quote was never said and never occurred; in fact this fabrication was posted by Kenny Golden himself last week:
Kenny Golden says:
October 2, 2010 at 1:39 am
Dj, lets get this straight, I made no such on the record comment, period. I certainly won’t get out of the race because of a push poll by the Rigell Campaign. I’m in this till the 2nd of November poll.
Thanks to JR’s podcast, we now know that both these accusations are 100% false. But unfortunately, this is just another in the growing number of mistakes by the Golden camp.
I attended the disastrous ‘Future of Golden Campaign’ press conference, begrudgingly, only to be rendered speechless by a ‘conservative’ organization president calling for government to fix our economy, telling the crowd that their organization encompasses all views, so ‘pick what you like’, then endorsing Kenny Golden. (the snapshot of the organization is their trophy candidate is running against Bob Goodlatte in the 6th; with no Democratic opponent the Modern Whig candidate is polling at 10%) The press conference opens to questions, to have Virginia Beach Taxpayer’s Alliance member (possibly officer but not sure anymore) Robert Dean bark about demanding Kenny publicly pledge to oppose all taxes. Of course, in doing so, Robert Dean essentially endorsed Scott Rigell’s pledge, who had already agreed to do so a month earlier. Whoops.
After walking away from the ‘press conference’ shaking my head at the absurdity (and noting such on facebook) we were graced with some choices quote from one of the Golden team, Max Shapiro, who helped ‘mastermind’ the press conference. To his credit, he agreed that the announcement and press conference was a sham, a ‘psy-op’ designed to throw the Rigell campaign off it’s game.
I’m going to pause here to let that sink in.
…
…
Yes, the idea of the press conference was to let hype build over a week, throwing Rigell’s campaign team of…what, thirty or forty staffers, throw ALL of them into such disorder and disorganization that they would be mentally crippled and rendered inept at the sheer question of ‘what will Kenny Golden do on Friday?!’
The point was that there would be hype in the Rigell camp to confuse you and then there would be no media coverage in case we f****d it up or it fell flat. The Whig thing isn’t a big deal at all, the fact that we pulled a successful psy-op is.
Everything worked out exactly as I had calculated. We got tons of attention, the Rigell campaign looks like complete idiots, and people are scratching their heads wondering WTF Kenny is doing. Any news is good news, the Whig thing won’t ever pop up on the average voters radar. What will pop up is RIgell’s people calling for Kenny to drop out.
(Of course, the only reason anyone attended was to see if Kenny was sticking to his word and dropping out; when Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot realized he wasn’t, their notes went into the trash and to the 99.999% of the district who wasn’t in that room, the event never happened)
These are the tactics that you’d expect from an outfit that has campaigned long past their self-admitted 10% expiration point. JR made a statement on the podcast that it’s fair continuing because Golden believes after his assessment that he has the money and the support to continue, despite their continued baseless accusations about their own quote. Okay, that is fair, it’s their right to move forward, same as anyone. The better question is should they? As of June 30th, Kenny had loaned his campaign over $56,000 with cardboard silhouettes and 4x8s and little else to show for it.
At the disastrous Modern Whig half press-conference half psy-op, Kenny Golden asked the crowd, ‘where are the polls? Where are they?’
Accordingly they came last week (and were ignored and ridiculed):
ccAdvertising: (independent poll)
Scott Rigell: 48.6% Glenn Nye: 34.5% Undecided 16.9%
POS Strategies: (Scott Rigell campaign poll)
Scott Rigell: 42% | Glenn Nye: 35% | Kenny Golden: 5%
Ayers, McHenry & Associates: (NRCC poll)
Scott Rigell: 45% | Glenn Nye 40% | Kenny Golden 7%
These polls were derided by Golden’s team as push polls, blatantly ignoring that specifically POS Strategies, one of the premiere polling firms in the country, has been used by Scott Brown, Bob McDonnell, John Thune, Joe Lieberman, Jeb Bush, Jim DeMint, Mitch Daniels, Rob Whittman, Richard Burr…to name a few.
And new today, another independent poll, conducted by the Hill:
Scott Rigell: 42% | Glenn Nye: 36% | Other (i.e. Kenny Golden): 3%
Self-funding $56,000 for an average of 5%, having such little impact that two firms didn’t even name the third party candidate.
But don’t take those four organizations word for it…
The ‘surprise’? Kenny’s people are claiming that Rasmussen has already polled the district, and if they pay Rasmussen $10,000, they’ll be able to release a poll showing Kenny leading Nye and Rigell by 5, or within 5 (it depends on who you talk to).
….yeah. Really.
Kenny’s a great guy and a good friend, but to get out now would save the indignity of making two phone calls at 7:01 PM to two men he feels he’s better equipped than. Or is it just that everyone else in the district (and beyond) knows the end result except the five people who work at the Golden HQ?
Kenny Golden has an extensive resume and has accomplished much in his service to this country. Unfortunately, he will not be adding United States Congressman to that resume and despite having all evidence to that effect, on we march to November 2nd.
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Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...entrenched on the right as a member of the Establishment, proudly tattooed member of the Republican Party, bartender by trade serving both sides the libations needed to continue the debate and discourse. College student, ten years late, majoring in Public Policy and Administration with an eye to serving the conservative and Republican movement in the public or private sector. ducit amor patriae You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com. You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com.
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25 Responses to "Why Kenny Golden, Why?"
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift, Donald Judy. Donald Judy said: @vpaige didn't you go to this alleged "psy-op"? this might interest you RT @bearingdrift Web: Why Kenny Golden, Why? http://bit.ly/9jsRUy [...]
Three letters : E G O
I guess this is as appropriate to point out the following:
Only one candidate for Virginia’s 2nd has won endorsements from both the National Rifle Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Who is it?
If you guessed Rigell or Golden you guessed wrong. Blue Dog Democrat Glenn Nye got the nod from both.
Now, what was anyone saying about how Glenn doesn’t represent Virginia’s 2nd? Perhaps you need to look introspectively. Why do you disagree with so many of the experts?
Go Glenn Nye go!
One of the commercials Glenn Nye is running now asserts that somehow Scott Rigell is a hypocrite because he happened to be in the automobile business during the cash for clunkers program. This assertion demonstrates the serious lack of understanding of our economic situation that unfortunately characterizes the policies of the Deomocrats and the Obama Administration. Attempts by the Administration to influence or “stimulate” the economy by endlessly trotting out one scheme after another contributes to the overall uncertainty rampant in the business community. Will taxes go up in January? Will this or that tax credit be extended or created? What will our health insurance costs be next year? Will our energy costs “necessarily skyrocket”? By proclaiming that Mr. Rigell’s automobile business “made” $400,000 during the cash for clunkers program, Glenn Nye further demonstrates his disconnect from the business community. This Administration seems incapable of understanding the difference between “gross” and “net”, or have any concept of business expenses or payroll. The ad fails to acknowledge the drastic drop off in sales after the program ended, since it simply caused a shift of timing of sales, instead of an overall increase in sales for the year. I suspect Scott Rigell’s experience of being in business during this ridiculous program will further equip him in his fight against government meddling in private enterprise.
What I do find hypocritical is the fact that Glenn Nye’s big reason for why you should support him is that he voted with conservatives 17% of the time. The other 83% of the time he was voting for the legislation that created cash for clunkers. Mr. Nye is right about one thing though, the 2nd District deserves better than that.
LittleDavid,
The NRA’s general policy is to endorse an incumbent over a challenger if the incumbent has voted they way the NRA wants. It doesn’t matter if they think the challenger is “more pro-gun” or not. They figure they get more bang for their buck by supporting incumbents since they usually win, and they have more seniority. Also, this is how they win over some Democrats their way. In conclusion, the NRA endorsement doesn’t necessarily mean that they think Nye is more pro-gun than Rigell, but rather it is a reward for voting the right way.
kingsmoothie,
I am thankful you are willing to share the internal deliberations within both the National Rifle Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Now, despite your involvement within them, which candidate got the nod?
I guess every endorsement is suspect until it meets kingsmoothies approval, huh?
DJ, I say again, the comment was made to Gary, in his office, off the record, and it was immediately told to a TV reporter. She called me in less than an hour after the conversation. I said the same thing both times at the press conference and Gary’s office and neither situation has happened. What was unacceptable was the immediate conversation Gary had with the TV reporter. I have support, you may not believe it but you’re not in my campaign. I did in September. We have never had much money but I think investing in our country is important. If I lose, I’ve done the best I could. I have a right to run,even though you don’t believe it, and the record to run. On the polls, stand by. Be patient, if your guy, Rigell wins in November, he’s done a better job, same with Congressman Nye and I’ll be making phone calls with a promise of support to them both.
Kenny, sounds like an on-the-record interview in JR’s podcast where you say it would be stupid for you to stay in.
I whole heartedly support Golden in his run for office, and believe push polls from candidates wealthy enough to buy results are essentially ignored by folks anyway. In fact, if you polled TARP, a bipartisan program that essentially saved our nation from depression, few would support it even now that we know it not only saved the country, it will actually make money for the taxpayers. So the republican strategy of attack and obstruct is unraveling before our eyes and ears. Fact is, if we as a nation had done what Cantor/Boehner/Rigell now say, we would be in a deep depression with little hope of recovery. Moderates, independents, business oriented republicans, is that what you really want? I don’t think so.
Mike’s evil twin is spewing again… TARP has been polled and is now perceived to as a political patronage bail out of rich Wall Street fat cats, with nothing for the common folk except unemployment, foreclosures, and misery. Oh, by the way the previous was a “counterfactual” statement.
Your “if we as a nation had done what Cantor/Boehner/Rigell now say, we would be in a deep depression with little hope of recovery.” is continuing a counterfactual argument that is based on nothing but emotion and poppycock.
Check out this article (http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Contrary-to-Fact/26679/ )about “counterfactual” reasoning and TARP, and then engage as per the recommendation of the last statement “If people on both sides of controversial questions spent more time spelling out their counterfactuals and evidence, and less time simply expressing their opinions, we certainly wouldn’t see an end to disagreements but surely we could have more productive discussions.”
In other words, quite whining and cross posting the same tedious blather that isn’t provable, factual or relevant… it’s boring.
No creditable expect says that TARP was fair; only that it was absolutely essential to protect the international financial system. Of course, it was passed withbi-partisan support and signed by President Bush. While it has been repubican strategy since Obama was elected to demonize TARP, and its sister Stimulus, but while imperfect, both were absolutely necessary. You say that is not provable; I say it is based upon expert assessment and testimony. The fact that the resot of the world followed, and Japan is now doing the same lends credence to this certainty. So moderates, independents, and business oriented republicans, could you stand to have a Boehner/Cantor/Rigell team back in charge again since they pledge to do exactly what they did before?
The polls show that a majority of people don’t buy what you say is “expert assessment and testimony”, or “counterfactual” alternate realities of shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’ but in fact… didn’t.
Gee thanks Tim J, you finally got my point. The republican tactic to demonize what Congress did has worked, even though they have done all they can to run away from it. I admit I don’t speak well to ideologues; they don’t use reason to make political decisions; fear and anger will do just fine. But thinking moderates and independents get it and will consider rational analysis in their decision process. So the fact the AIG will repay TARP the $70 B, all but guaranteeing that we the taxpayers will make money on the TARP, puts the republican tactics of obstruction and denial in the proper context; that is, without TARP and the Stimulus, we would be in deep depression with little hope for recovery; instead, we are in recovery and the foundation for prosperity has been set. Let’s keep it that way.
The problem for Kenny are his “advisers” who have zero political experience who are filling him up with insane notions of grandeur.
He is going to loose, will loose by a large margin, and have nothing to say for it. His “advisers” telling him that he’s great and can win don’t have to pay all of the $ he’s given the campaign with nothing to show for it.
And the notion that “Rasmussen” has some “poll” they have done that they won’t release unless someone pays them $10,000 is perhaps the dumbest statement I’ve seen on this entire blog.
Yes, because the way Pollsters make their money by doing polls (which the costs, with live people, is enormous) and then “offer” it to campaigns on the hope that they will “buy” it.
Besides, FoxNews has highlighted that Rasmussen is ONLY POLLING in states with contested U.S. Senate campaigns, they then do down ballot polling on their statewide polls.
So, any nothing that Rasmussen has done a poll is simply false.
Uhhh… “instead, we are in recovery and the foundation for prosperity has been set.” You had better turn your binoculars around and look through the little eyepieces instead of through the big ones and focus on the economic chaos and destruction being wrought on our planet by your leftist mother ship. No matter what the Republicans have done in the past, your kind (notice, I’m illegally profiling) has made it worse… much, much worse. Lying about it and living in denial to make you and “your kind” feel better about yourselves isn’t cutting it for the rest of us.
If there is a poll that shows Kenny up 5 or down 5 points it would be worth every dime of the alleged $10,000 for the Rasmussen poll. Their campaign must “buy the results” (nevermind the fact that no legitimate polling company in the country works that way-but I’ll follow their logic for sake of argument).
If the Golden camp does not have scientific polling results that are held up to the same standards and scrutiny as POS then every voter around the country can safely assume that the independent candidate is respectfully polling between 3-7 percent. It’s that straight forward. My guess is this polling rumor is more misguided “psy-ops.”
Mike Barrett,
I have not heard any economist predict we citizens will realize a profit on TARP. I did hear several economists state early on (several weeks ago) the loss was likely to be in the $55 billion range and more recently the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) has come up with similar figures.
I do not think the CBO is allowed to consider or provide an estimate of the loss of revenue that would have happened if it had not been for TARP.
By the way, some people are incensed about the $55 billion expense of TARP but they have no problem with $3 to 4 trillion that will be added over the next 10 years from extending the Dubyah tax cuts.
At this point I’m not sure why anyone is still giving Kenny any coverage whatsoever. Spending time either encouraging him to drop out, wondering why he hasn’t dropped out, or talking him up, are all complete wastes of time. Nobody knows who he is, and its going to stay that way. He’s a nonfactor in this race, and if he wants to satisfy his ego, the best thing he could do is drop out and go on the Real World. He’d have a bigger impact on the country there.
Charlie, as more people discover Kenny Golden the more poeple realize just how wrong the vagop was to hotwire the primary. Rigell is may win the name recognition battle but he loses the experience war on many fronts. November 2 is weeks away. Enjoy the ride.
@LittleDavid:
“Only one candidate for Virginia’s 2nd has won endorsements from … the Chamber of Commerce.”
Based on the endorsement from the Chamber of Commerce, do you now with President Obama and David Axelrod that Glenn Nye is a danger to American Democracy? Does Glenn Nye intend to renounce his endorsement from the Chamber of Commerce? Or is the Whitehouse and the DNC full of #$@#?
Ha! BEEP BEEP….Obama just toasted Nye, right under the bus he goes! Makes me so happy. Sick of all the haters spewing their nonsense about Glenn Nye being the best choice for business by the chamber…What a joke!
Nye gets Chamber endorsement, then Obama says that they are a threat to our democracy. What a mess!!! Pres. Obama didn’t get where he’s at because he lacks the mental capacity to complete destroy someone and put them on blast. You think he cares that his spineless, waffling congressman, that claims independence, is going to go down in flames? Not so much. Game over. Now to shoot down the hopes to all those that think Golden is going to go from 5% support to 50%+. Sorry, not going to happen. Looking forward to shaking Congressman Scott Rigell’s hand.
@DJ and others – Curious. Why discourage a candidate with “an extensive resume and (who has) has accomplished much in his service to this country” from engaging (on a competitive field, with personal funds) in one of the most important national conversations and contests of our time?
Scott RINO is a RINO. He is a RINO, because he is a RINO. A vote for Scott RINO is just a vote for the other Democrat running in this election. Every day I receive these mailers from the Democratic Party detailing just how good a Democrat, Scott RINO has been. Every day it makes me more and more sick to my stomach when I think of all the true conservatives, real warriors and actual men we had to choose from during the Primary, but instead the puppet masters’ money managed to give us Scott RINO.
Dj, I believe your poll analysis is flawed and you may have cherry-picked data to prove your point??
And new today, another independent poll, conducted by the Hill: Scott Rigell: 42% | Glenn Nye: 36% | Other (i.e. Kenny Golden): 3%
According to the The Hill poll info:
- Margin of error is + or – 4.9%.
- 26 percent of independents say they are undecided.
- The poll did not include Kenny Golden.
http://thehill.com/house-polls/thehill-anga-poll-week1/122857-district-by-district-virginia
Shad Plank’s reporting adds the following to the data:
The sample includes a small amount of Democrats…
- 96 Democrats
- 130 Republicans
- 155 Independents
http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2010/10/new-independent-poll-gives-rigell-six-point-lead-over-nye-.html
Add in the inherent bias landline-only (most polls) lend to the numbers …
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1761/cell-phones-and-election-polls-2010-midterm-elections
My analysis: Between the margin of error, the heavier weight of Republican respondents (35% more R than D polled), the cell phone (and caller ID) challenges …. this race is a statistical dead heat and the Golden factor remains an unknown.
[...] Golden, the independent, is polling at 5%. He said that he would drop out of the race if he was not over 10%. However, at this point, I’m not certain whether he stays in the race or not will have much [...]
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