"We have lost our ambition, our imagination, and our willingness to do the things that built the Golden Gate Bridge" - Barack Obama (aka President Malaise)
RISHELL “SHOCK AND AWE” THUDS BIG TIME
By Greg L | 16 July 2006 | Virginia House, 50th HOD District | 11 Comments
Bruce Rommelt, who emceed at Jeanette “Moonfruit” Rishell’s fundraiser with the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club apparently stole the show in his attempt to position himself in a future run against Delegate Robert Marshall (R-13). Instead of putting the focus on Jeanette Rishell’s failing campaign and helping her raise some much-needed money for the race, he ranted on about Delegate Marshall to the small gathering instead. I suppose he thinks he won’t need Rishell’s help when he loses to Delegate Marshall next time around, because after this debacle, I wouldn’t be surprised if that support isn’t there.
But perhaps it doesn’t matter too much, as only about 20 people were there, of which only a couple were 50th District voters. As far as fundraisers go for House of Delegates candidates, this was a complete embarrasment. I guess the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club is a pretty small group. Or perhaps they just understand what a pointless gesture it is to support this campaign.
If this hadn’t been planned well in advance and widely publicized on the websites of the local Democratic Party as well as the Virginia Partisans folks, I’d chalk this up as a desperate last-minute attempt to raise money in the last hour that campaign finance reports are due in order to look somewhat credible. But this was evidently a major event for Rishell’s campaign which became a complete failure, and in any event is past the cutoff for this first report. The timing of this event, and it’s poor execution demonstrate a campaign just as confused about the mechanics of running a race as it is in understanding the needs of the voters in the 50th District.
What a joke. Thanks to Earl for provinding an initial report. More on this event will be posted soon, so stay tuned.
The opinions expressed here are solely the views of the author, and not representative of the position of any organization, political party, doughnut shop, knitting guild, or waste recycling facility, but may be correctly attributed to the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. If anything in the above article has offended you, please click here to receive an immediate apology.
You can follow the discussion through the Comments feed.
11 Comments
Views: 1280
Loading ...
You are beginning to sound a lot like NLS…big splashy “insider” piece that is short on the facts. As one of the 20 or so that attended, I can confirm that you really missed the boat on this one. You didn’t even notice the special surprise guest who actually spoke to the gathering, not Bruce. If you actually went to these kinds of events you’d know that even 20 people writing checks at a Sat evening event on a hot day in mid July is a pretty good showing. Especially for a Delegate special election. If this campaign is so bad, why are you spending so much blog space on it?? Hmmmm.
Perhaps Terry M can share with us who the “special surprise guest” was…
As to why all the time? Gosh, this is for BVBL’s representative in the HOD…why shouldn’t he put a lot of time in on it?
Terry M wasn’t one of the people from the 50th, which I suspect is demonstrative of the support Rishell will get in the 50th. She will pull the hardcore democrazies. It will be interesting to see how many Parrish Democrats will vote for her. That was part of Parrish’s strength. Besides being a pretty conservative Republican, he had a good deal of support from moderate Democrats.
The special guest? Moran? Big deal. Where’s her endorsements? She’ll have to have cookouts and meet-and-greets every night between now and November to raise the kind of money it will take to win, if she can win.
I cannot wait until the first time she meets Miller in a debate, and gets exposed for the far-left liberal she is.
You are having a great deal of fun at the expense of moderate, Parrish voting Democrats. Why should we vote for your guy the way we did Parrish when you take such joy in generally trashing Democrats at every opportunity? When I read this blog, I know these are Miller’s most ardent supporters speaking, the people most likely to get his ear. Why should I vote for a guy who supporters are so completely negative, almost hateful at times? (I am not pointing out Greg or the three posters in this column, but the overall tone of many posters in this blog. )
I am not taking this personally, I am just trying to say that the rhetoric here might affect your candidate negatively. Maybe since you assume victory this time around (a sound assumption), but maybe you should think ahead to a day where victory might not seem so definite - you might actually want us then, instead of wanting to alienate us. Clearly, the Dems don’t want moderates around? Does the Republican party not have any use for moderates either?
Actually, I wish moderate, Parrish voting Democrats would have had enough sway with the local Democratic party in order to advance a candidate who’s position on issues wasn’t so terribly far out of the mainstream. It seems as if the hard left is running the show, and Rishell is what they ponied up as a representative of their membership. It’s the left’s equivalent of having the Manassas GOP nominate Jerry Falwell or something. Under those circumstances I’m sure the outcry from Democrats would be thunderous.
Those who supported Parrish, from both sides of the aisle, should have little trouble supporting Jackson Miller. His record on City Council is nothing that would upset moderates of any stripe.
And it’s not Ms. Rishell that the concern is with — by all accounts she is a charming and lovely woman. Her demonstrated position on the issues is what is concerning, as is her judgement in selecting a webhosting provider from the United Kingdom called “moonfruit” for her campaign website. That little gem is just too hilarious to pass up.
I know, you put the disclaimer for Jeanette Rishell in a long time ago. And how can you resist the moonfruit thing - I thought you were being a smartass until I found the entry about the website. I died laughing…. You are a good sport, but it is really difficult to sit there and watch people make fun of your political views, then to look around and realize that, on every level, they have a point.
My problem is this… this blog is as much as I know about Jackson Miller (and I know it isn’t really about him.) But I check for events and I see nothing coming. I have at least seen Ms. Moonfruit out campaigning in the area. I would love the opportunity to see him speak and talk to him and start to formulate an opinion of him based on something more than his website and his supporters comments on blogs. I have heard that the campaign has been to a few events such as the city’s Fourth of July. But I want to see a campaign out there campaigning.
Don’t get me started about the Dems. We have the most apathetic bunch of people around here if all they can put together is a wonderful nice Jeanette Rishell, a woman with great intentions but no political experience and even less real support, and Judy Feder who campaign knows how to ask for money and help, but doesn’t have the first idea how to respond to basic e-mails. And both are further left than what it would take to get elected in this area. I am singularly unimpressed, not with these people as individuals, but rather the direction that the party has taken in PWC.
Don’t worry — there will be plenty coming from the Jackson Miller campaign soon. I know he’s out there knocking on doors as well and there’s other stuff in the works. But unlike Ms. Rishell, Jackson has to put food on the table and is still working part-time with the Prince William County police department.
I’m sure you’ll get ample opportunities to meet Jackson before November, and as those opportunities arise there will be plenty of advance coverage on them just as there’s been advance coverage on Ms. Rishell’s events.
Too the sensible Anon Democrat who’d like to get to know Jackson Miller, I would suggest you attend a Manassas City Council meeting, or better yet, call him on the phone. I have on a couple of local issues I was concerned about, and he showed up at my door. As far as there being room for moderates in the Republican party, the Manassas GOP is a pretty civil bunch, where moderates like Steve Smith are just as important as conservatives like Marc Aveni. The party is very cohesive, and it shows in election after election. This is a credit to all within the party, especially their chairman, who knows how to build a team. I wish the PWCGOP was as inclusive or cohesive, but I guess with such a large party, there’s going to be more factionalization. Manassas Park GOP…do they have a party?
Why should Greg pony up money to a group and candidate he does not support? Jackson Miller had close to two hundred people show up at his announcement for the 50th district GOP candidate. I think that is pretty impressive. He did win the GOP primary for the 50th district, and did win a seat on the City Council. All of that within the last few years. Jackson Miller can and will attract plenty of support over the next few months.
And, he does not hide from his positions, which Jeanette seems to be doing on her latest campaign literature.
Manassas Citizen - not pony up money, but instead of talking about Democrats, why not talk to them? Why not try to engage us instead of presenting an attitude like he “can and will attract plenty of support over the next few months” with the votes of the party loyalists. Like moderates aren’t worth pursuing - you can do without us, so to hell with us. That’s what your comment sounds like to me.
I would very much like to speak to him. I left him a voice mail several months ago, but I don’t even always remember to return my voice mail. I intend to speak to him as soon as I can approach him - maybe I will check out a city council meeting. It’s only July and this campaign feels like it has gone on forever.
MP does have a GOP. My understanding is it is comprised of about 12 people. MP’s Democratic party is non-existent.
Anon,
Maybe I could have worded it differently, but I never said Jackson could only attract the party base, but that he can attract support. I think the last couple of years has shown that. I can’t speak for Jackson, but my feelings are he is going hard for the votes of everyone not just the party base.
I believe you will have plenty of chances to meet Jackson over the next few months.
There is time at the City Council meetings to met with him, which is actually pretty neat to be able to approach an elected official and engage them.