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It’s A Convention!
By Greg L | 13 October 2007 | National Politics, Virginia Politics | 15 Comments
At today’s meeting of the State Central Committee it was decided that the method of nomination for the Republican candidate for Unite States Senate in 2008 will be a convention. Likely impact: Gilmore wins the nomination.
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15 Comments
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The other likely impact is that with Gilmore as the nominee, Mark Warner will win the general election.
Anonymous bloviated: “The other likely impact is that with Gilmore as the nominee, Mark Warner will win the general election.”
Though I cringe to think about it, you’re probably correct. I’d rather have my head sewn to a carpet than have Warner as my Senator. Could never stand him, but it probably be the outcome.
Ciao
Establishment Republicans will nominate Gilmore. He will lose to Warner. What has become of Virginia?
Republicans will nominate Gilmore. The same guy who wrecked the finances of Virginia when he was governor. I’m still paying a car tax too. He left this State in a financial mess. I am not a Warner fan, but Gilmore will get crushed.
Just look at the polls. Gilmore would have been the nominee convention or primary. The only way to make it competitive is for him to have an unopposed path to the nomination. I’m hoping this happens.
Tom Davis needs to dig in now and start saving his seat in the 11th CD — NOBODY else can hold it. He’s already going to be compromised by his wife losing her State Senate seat….which looks like is going to happen now.
Amazing…I always thought the GOP bench was deeper.
If it was not for the Dems, Gov Gilmore COULD have COMPLETELY eliminated the car tax. Just like this stupid law that is now on the books which gives Virginians higher fines than non is being blames on the Republicans (it was Gov Kaine who listened to DMV and modified it to its current state), so too do the liberals attack Gilmore because he slashed and burned taxes.
Yes, I realize that Davis is your man because he is the closest thing to a Democrat we can have on the right, but Gilmore CAN and WILL do well in a state-side contest against Warner II. We have had a traitor to the Republican Party representing us for YEARS now, Mr. John “Accidental Senator” Warner and it is LONG past time we get some common-sense, CONSERVATIVE, VIRGINIAN thinking in there, not some Damn Liberal Yankee like Mark Warner (John Warner “Lite”).
I have been watching the ads by Mrs Tom Davis and have to say that if I did not know better, Chap Peterson was a Conservative Republican. She hates guns like liberals hate tax-cuts, like illegals hate Help Save Manassas, like Faisal Gill hates the light of truth being shown on his campaign - lol.
The car tax is an idiotic debate issue. It always has been. As long as the Commonwealth needs money, there will be state taxes. If the “car tax” goes away, other tax sources will increase. It was a winning platform for Gilmore only because so many voters think taxes can be reduced without cutting expenditures. (And don’t think the “taxing the rich” BS works with me until someone has a good solution for the bigger demon in present day excise taxes.)
That said, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Light’s assessment of John Warner. He’s the first–and only, so far–person I said I would vote against no matter who runs against him. I’m glad he’s resigning so I don’t have to actually do it. Neither of the Davis’ are far behind.
Jeannemarie Devil-Davis furthered my disdain for her in a commercial recently where her campaign slings mud at Chip Petersen for voting conservatively. As for her nearly-as-often-incorrect hubby Tom, the best thing he’s got going for him is that he’s not Jim Moran.
First off, John Warner is not resigning…he is simply not running for reelection. The results may be the same, but the purpose, intent, and perception are very different.
Next, BVBL is correct…a convention makes it more likely that Gilmore gets the nod. The problem is that Gilmore, having run statewide twice , is already known and the likelihood that he can expand much beyond the GOP base is negligible.
If the conservative base, the folks most likely to come out for a convention, doesn’t want Davis…that’s all well and good. In that case, they need to find a conservative candidate other than Gilmore. By the end of the campaign Warner will be so far ahead of Gilmore that he will be able to ignore Gilmore and campaign for other democratic candidates…which will put other GOP seats in danger.
Know the Dems will be elated by having former
Gov. Gilmore leading the GOP ticket. At best, he was
disingenuous in his selling of “ending the car tax” -
the tax was a LOCAL tax, not a state tax. He didn’t
have the integrity to eliminate the state income tax,
but decided to attack our schools and public
safety by eliminating a major source of revenue
for LOCAL government.
It’s not that Gilmore is a terrible candidate–he’s adequate. But we need more than adequate to beat Warner. The GOP needs a true conservative to run. Then there would be a clear choice. VA conservatives need to get their act together.
Tax and Spend Mark Warner? The sky is falling!
This Republican Party seems to always shoot it self in the foot.
A small group like Conventions, just like they did with Lucas and Faisal. They have control over what takes place and will do anything to get their select one the nomination.
Gilmore can not beat Warner, so they are waisteing time and money.
Remember a few years back and they insisted on a Convention with Hager and Early??? Wow guess who won? Early but he could not beat the Democrat.
But these guys did not learn anything as they are of the mind set that they know what is best.
Great news for Virginia Democrats! Instead of beating Davis by 20% he’ll beat Gilmore by 35%! (Maybe not so much but I can dream can’t I?)
This seat is in the bag for the Ds. It will be interesting to see what the impact is up ticket on the Presidential race.
“If it was not for the Dems, Gov Gilmore COULD have COMPLETELY eliminated the car tax.”
Actually John, it had more to do with a miscalculation by Gilmore’s advisors than it had to do with the Democrats. The economic upsurge that had been forecast happened a year later than anticipated…that’s what led to a shortfall which made the car tax implementation impossible at the time. That’s also what lead to the subsequent panic among a handful of intelligent, conservative legislators who made the mistake of believing Mark Warner when he insisted a tax increase would be necessary to avoid a shortfall ala Gilmore because the recovery would not compensate in that year. Well…the Governor has that entire support staff that’s supposed to know, right?
I am thrilled by neither Davis or Gilmore. I am not sure that either of them has a good chance of getting more than 40% of the vote against Warner. Too many Virginians incorrectly credit Warner for the good economic health of the Commonwealth, during his term. Too many Virginians forget that his administration had problems with math, and claimed a budget shortfall was coming, and pushed for a huge tax increase, which resluted in a surplus.
Neither Davis nor Gilmore has the power to ignite or excite the GOP. In the same fashion that the GOP hasn’t picked strong candidates for Governor the past couple of cycles (Earley, Kilgore), I am worried neither Gilmore nor Davis can sufficiently appeal to both wings of the GOP, and undecides.
We need General Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff!