President Trump’s visit to Jamestown roiled Virginia’s political waters, made an obscure delegate momentarily noteworthy, and got Virginia Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment (R-James City) to say a discouraging word.
It may also have unofficially launched a gubernatorial campaign and scuttled another. Not bad for a few minutes’ work.
For once, neither the president nor his remarks led the news stories about the event. Instead, it was Del. Ibraheem S. Samirah’s (D-Fairfax) attention-getting stunt [1] — complete with ready-made news release [2].
It earned him some new Twitter [3] followers, a quick cable news [4] interview and an excellent fundraising hook [5].
While all of this may make progressive hearts beat a little faster, it’s still a stunt — and a cynical one at that. It’s the kind of thing that Virginia politicians won’t soon forget.
House Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) made it clear [6] that Samirah’s actions were “inconsistent with common decency” and, more important, “a violation of the rules of the House.”
But Cox’s admonition pales next to what qualifies as a public outburst [7] from Norment, who told WCVE News Director Craig Carper he was “very proud of [Trump] that he did stay on message when that ill-advised little bastard [Samirah] decided to make a scene of it. The president was unflappable.”
Were Samirah a Republican, Norment might try to give him the “Chris Peace treatment [8]” and have him tossed out in a primary.
And not to be left out of the fun, Republican Charles W. “Bill” Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) “confronted” Samirah, saying “You’re an embarrassment to this body” and the delegate “should have stayed at home!”
Come now, senator. Republicans needed the cheap theater as much as the self-styled resistance did.