Dear Democrats: PLEASE nominate Tom Perriello
By D.J. Spiker | Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 | PoliticsI’m going to continue what (other) D.J. started earlier today on the heels of the news that Senator Jim Webb is (unsurprisingly) not running for reelection.
(other) D.J. wants Democrats to nominate Tim Kaine.
(this) D.J. wants Democrats to nominate Tom Perriello.
Either of them would make me giddy. A statewide race in this environment is toxic as it is for Democrats. To run Tim Kaine, a former governor who’s legacy is in tatters and popularity has been in freefall, Democrats would be putting the Senate race firmly back in the hands of Republicans.
Will they do the alternative, nominating progressive golden boy Tom Perriello?
God I hope so.
With a voting record lockstep with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and adored by the President, Tom Perriello’s nomination would be a godsend to Republicans across the state. Every election since 2008, when Virginia went blue for the first time since Johnson, Republicans have proven to be resurgent across the state. That tide will continue through 2012. Unless Republicans nominate another frustratingly weak candidate, Virginia has little chance of being blue in 2012.
Tom Perriello is adored by Democrats across the state, for good reason. His votes for health care, cap and trade and every other platform of the Democratic agenda pleases them. But more so, Perriello defended his record to the end, and stood by it, rather than running as far from it as possible, as Yellow Dog Glenn Nye did. Glenn Nye is a pariah in Democratic circles across the state, while Tom Perriello is a hero. There’s already a Draft Perriello petition going around.
Please do it!
To nominate a candidate drastically outside the thoughts of Republican and independent voters across the state, the Democrats would solidify the odds of Republicans taking back the seat. While Perriello set the gold standard for constituency services and grassroot politics from 2008 – 2010, something I laud, at the end of the day Perriello’s votes put his outside the mainstream. While Democrats may love him, he simply doesn’t appeal to independents or cross-voting Republicans.
I do think Perriello would do better statewide than Tim Kaine. Perriello has stayed true to the Democratic Party, while Tim Kaine left the Commonwealth gridlocked, with a gaping deficit and staggering tax hike that his own party rejected.
Tim Kaine/GOP nominee: 43/57
Tom Perriello:/GOP nomine: 45/55
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
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.
We're 75% there! Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed! Just $2000 to go!
Comments
18 Responses to "Dear Democrats: PLEASE nominate Tom Perriello"
One caveat: Tom Perriello is a liberal who can sound conservative. Any race against him won’t be as easy as it looks on paper.
How about Doug Wilder? He’s still alive, isn’t he?
DJ, I agree with your take on Perriello but the only GOP nominee who will perform like that of the likely candidates is Allen. Radtke (latter day Christine O’Donnell) would get thumped. Same for Bishop Jackson, Corey Stewart and Bob Marshall. Allen is the only candidate who is well versed on the issues, can raise the money and who can campaign like there’s no tomorrow.
look, I’m in the 5thCD. I watched Perriello campaign for federal office twice. he pretends to be moderate (but is dangerously liberal), he works like a trojan on the campaign trail & he can raise buckets of union/Soros money. And he is likable.
yes, he has really, really bad votes. but he only lost by 3-4% here in the 5thCD & we are a conservative district. he would mop up in NoVa. that is my fear
hang Pelosi and Reid around his neck, with doom and gloom about cap and trade, health care, etc eliminates the moderate/independent streak.
3/4% I think was more an indication of Hurt than appeal of Perriello. Push that race statewide and I think the gap at least doubles.
Doubles the MOV? Won’t happen. Allen’s not that much better than Hurt, unfortunately.
They tried their damnedest to hang Pelosi/Obama around his neck in 2010, and he only lost by 3.7%.
If Perriello puts up similar numbers in the conservative districts to those in 2010 in the 5th, and runs up huge margins in the liberal ones (which he would), with Obama on the ticket driving turnout, he’s looking at about TP/GA: 51:48.
Be very careful not to count your votes too early. If Tom Perriello becomes the Dem nominee, and George Allen is the Republican nominee, I think Tom will win the race and George Allen will be sent home packing again.
[...] Drift: Dear Democrats: PLEASE nominate Tom Perriello With a voting record lockstep with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and adored by the President, Tom [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift and Cary D Conover, Founder Fire. Founder Fire said: #teaparty #glennbeck Dear Democrats: PLEASE nominate Tom Perriello | Bearing Drift …: … http://tinyurl.com/4lwctcq #capandtrade #912 [...]
If it truly was “lockstep”, wouldn’t that mean Perriello voted the party line always, every time?
Something which he did not do.
Oh, and George Soros says “hi”. He put a note in my check.
Mark Brooks Tommy boy got his pink slip.Even being the ONLY congressman in the Country to get a visit from Obama couldn’t save him from defeat.Robert Hurt gave him a pink slip.Im sure George Allen would love a chance to end Perriello’s political career for good.So please draft him.
[...] Dear Democrats: PLEASE nominate Tom Perriello [...]
So, “Tom”, if that is your real name, you have no answer for my comment, just more silly third grade playground language?
“Tommy boy”. Are you in third grade this year, or 4th?
People want to have a real discussion. You are an example of why that isn’t possible sometimes.
I want Tom Perriello, mostly because I think he can stomp any of the Republican potential nominees into the ground. Y’all are crazy to think an election with Perriello would be easy for you. He’s adored in Northern Virginia and would be running in a Presidential year with Obama on the ticket. Think that’s a bad thing? Right. Maybe you ought to ask yourself if all the Obama supporters who will turn out in force to re-elect the highly popular President will be reluctant to vote for all the other Dems on the ticket. Have I mentioned that he’d kick Allen’s butt in debates? He’s young, dynamic, intelligent, articulate, and extremely well-prepared on the issues. Allen never was a big one for understanding or explaining the issues. Perriello went to the mat in a very conservative district and came within 3% of winning an election which Republicans expected to win in a landslide in a year in which every single voter with a complaint about Obama went to the polls while the Dems stayed home. Allen, who in 2006 was considered a Republican front-runner for the Presidency, frittered away a huge lead to a guy who hated campaigning and had never held elective office. Perriello doesn’t mind campaigning, has held elective office, and is well-liked in his district even by people who voted against him because they thought him too liberal. I can’t believe you’d underestimate him so completely.
Mark Brooks and catzmaw if you think ONE TERM TOMMY can win please draft him.Obama couldn’t help him stay in office last time my bet is he can’t in 2012.Obama will have his hands full trying to keep his own job.
There is a big enough group of voters in Va that don’t vote the party line. So the character of the candidate really matters. Perriello is just a really good person, even people who strongly disagree with him have to admit it if they meet him. He is pro-2nd amendment, hard working, and has an amazing grasp of the issues and communicates respectfully even with those who disagree.
He has got a volunteer force like you would not believe.
Why is everyone ignoring the Macca moment? There is no way GA MADE UP that word. Not only is he a Jerk, but a liar. I had actually never seen the video until yesterday, but not only did he use a racial slur, he went on and on about “the real Virginia” The guy is just arrogant and offensive.
I’m sorry-To say George Allen is arrogant and offensive does not do it justice…he is also dumb. He said that crap in INTO A MICROPHONE in front of a large crowd and INTO A ROLLING CAMERA. Does the man have all his marbles?
Leave your response