Gerry Connolly Trails Gary Baise?
By Greg L | 24 October 2007 | Fairfax County | 15 Comments
Following on an previous unconfirmed rumor that Gerry Connolly was only three percentage points in front of challenger Gary Baise, Mason Conservative is reporting on another rumor that Baise is now ahead of Connolly in a recent poll. Given that the source here is Gail “The Rail” Parker, it’s hard to give a whole lot of credence to this, but so far there hasn’t been any information to suggest that Connolly is doing well in this race, and everything I’ve heard so far indicates he might be in trouble.
It’s probably not Gary that’s causing this shift. Gary is a smart guy who will make a great chairman, but he’s not really taking the fight to Connolly. He’s more a policy guy than a politician, and has let some real opportunities to take Connolly to task pass him by. This shift probably has a lot more to do with Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart regularly calling Gerry Connolly out as weak on the illegal alien issue, and pointing out how he’s not taking any concrete steps to address the problem of illegal aliens in Fairfax County. While Corey Stewart demonstrates solid leadership here, Gerry Connolly increasingly looks weak and ineffective.
Now that Prince William County is seeing illegal aliens run from the county in the midst of improved law enforcement efforts and restrictions on providing illegal aliens with taxpayer-funded public benefits, Connolly is also seeing his electorate become concerned that his coddling of illegal aliens will result in a significant number of them relocating from Prince William County to Fairfax County. Fairfax residents, who aren’t all that happy with what’s been happening in some sections of the county where illegal aliens have cause significant problems, now have a legitimate concern that they’re going to soon be hosting even more illegals who are leaving Prince William County. Meanwhile, Connolly doesn’t do anything. It’s not that surprising that increasing numbers of voters want to make a change in Fairfax.
And here’s a change they should definitely make: Fairfax now has a policy that prohibits police officers from asking suspected illegal aliens about their immigration status unless they commit a felony. That’s the same policy we overturned this summer in Prince William County. Instead of taking proactive measures to correct this, as have been taken in Prince William County, Gerry Connolly steadfastly rejects the notion that Fairfax should stop being a sanctuary jurisdiction in Virginia. Gary Baise will make this happen. Gerry Connolly will not.
I’m hopeful these rumors about polling data are true. If so, it will dramatically change the political landscape in Northeren Virginia.
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It’s the middle of the night. You must be dreaming! Going back to the thread about Connolly causing children to be molested is an underhanded gimmick.
Yup. It’s about the illegals, stupid. (using the old Carville line)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/23/AR2007102302425.html?hpid=moreheadlines
If politicians would only pay attention to the voters. We’ve been shouting about this issue.
That’s how Fairfax got almost a thousand new students this year after NO growth for 5 years. Illegals, fleeing Prince William and Loudoun for Connelly’s safe haven. Thanks Gerry! The taxpayers really want to pay for more illegal students.
Too bad arrogant Connelly has missed his chance to pay attention to the voters. Hahahaha…………say goodbye Gerry. Nighty-night, don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out.
As an encumbant, the race is Connelly’s to lose, and he is doing his best to lose it. Most Fairfax residents are close enough to PWC to be aware of how bad the illegal alien problem is here, and they are afraid, as they should be, that as PWC cracks down the illegals will move elsewhere–maybe even to their neighborhoods. Connelly has rolled out the welcome mat for them, most recently yesterday. Inviting PWC’s greatest problem into his county is not the way to win an election.
Remember Connolly thinks this is a good thing (illegal aliens coming into Fairfax). He believes that Fairfax County will be the better for this kind of cultural diversity. Maybe he’ll take the Chuck Colgan approach and claim they are all legal. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha,………………
If the illegal alien issue turns out to be so powerful in “blue” Fairfax that it ousts their Board Chairman, who pundits had cruising to a 20 point victory, then the DC “drive by press” will finally get the reality slap that they’ve been needing so badly.
They’ll finally have proof that the crackdown in Prince William isn’t from a bunch of reactionary right-wingers, but anger and concern from people across the political spectrum who deal with this out-of-control problem in their daily lives.
Maybe Fairfax Resident will get his head out of the sand.
And maybe I’m a Chinese jet pilot….
Oh Please oh please oh please let this be true! I’m not voting for Connelly and neither is anyone in my family. Unfortunately special interest groups love him (i.e. developers). At the very least, how can he even say he cleans up boarding houses? Not true!! I have one in my neighborhood that I watched all summer go from 3 trucks to 6 in the driveway/street. I’ve called to no avail. Thanks for all your help Gerry!
Connolly started running commercials talking about how he eliminated the decal requirement (for cars) in Fairfax County. Maybe his next step will be ads emphasizing his illegal immigration task force to put up the appearance that he is doing something about the problem. Connolly’s strategy is to get voters’ collective eye off the ball that is illegal immigration.
Going door-to-door in Fairfax County, I have talked to many voters concerned with illegal immigation; some have even pointed to illegal boarding houses next door or across the street. If Baise can make voters understand that Connelly is against Fairfax on this issue, he can very well win this.
Go Gary!
After reviewing the statistics in the latest Washington P**t poll and re-reading the last week’s comments from Connolly and other illegal alien apologists is appears they will have a real problem on election day.
Let’s just hope those candidates that value our citizenship, laws and quality of life will continue to pound their opposition on the illegal alien issues.
It has bee absolutely fascinating to watch the metamorphosis that conservative candidates have undergone. Prior to the U.S. Senate debacle on the “comprehensive immigration reform”, known by its true name “amnesty” the issues that everyone touted was transportation, education and taxes.
The democrat party even tried to create an issue on the abuser fees and the fact that the current law excused out-of-state-drivers. Imagine their surprise when the truth came out and it was the democrat governor Kaine that excused out-of-state drivers from the abuser bill.
I also recall some prominent conservatives, taking the position that illegal immigration was not an issue in their districts.
I know what changed after the amnesty bill failed – candidates began their door-to-door campaigns and “discovered” the vast majority of probable voters said illegal immigration was the number one issue and demanded to know what the candidate was going to do to stop Virginia from becoming a sanctuary state.
I even recall an incumbent Fairfax County Supervisor claiming there was no problems with illegal aliens in his district only to turn around weeks later and ask the County Executive what social services could be withheld from illegal aliens (thanks PWC). My conclusion… he began his door-to-door campaign.
The conservative candidates adapted their campaign strategies (after all we do live in a representative democracy) and took their constituent’s issue seriously. Our more liberal candidates wrote the voter’s comments off to xenophobia. What a surprise when more that 60% of probable voter’s align themselves with candidates that are strongly against illegal aliens.
I’ve even heard of a comment by one Northern Virginia democratic candidates that indicated he has all but thrown in the towel because he waffled and flopped while his Republican opposition took a firm stand against illegal aliens.
One could argue that the liberal, pro-illegal candidates ought to just give up and stop spending money – after all Mark Warner is going to need every dime he can get.
Hummmm – I wonder what Mark Warner’s position is on the presence of illegal aliens, providing services to illegal aliens, providing in-state tuition to illegal aliens and allowing sanctuary cities and counties in the Commonwealth. I’m sure the questions will be asked.
This is an issue of concern here in Fairfax County because I have first hand accounts that at least some of the illegals leaving Woodbridge are coming to Centreville. Prince William County’s “crackdown” could be bad news for Fairfax County.
Centreville is the new Manassas Park of Fairfax County. I wish you luck folks. You’re gonna need it…
Too bad, Tobias, that our gain is your pain, but blame the situation on our two federal reps - Wolf and Davis. The efforts of the two together on this issue don’t amount to a pint of warm urine.
> And maybe I’m a Chinese jet pilot….
Jet Li ?
Dennis:
Good post!
>Hummmm – I wonder what Mark Warner’s position is on the presence of illegal aliens […]
Probably the same as Webb’s. And Webb’s vote today on S.2205 shows that he’s pro-amnesty.