Jeanette Rishell’s Insider Baseball
By Greg L | 24 October 2007 | Jeanette Rishell | 27 Comments
Last year Jeanette Rishell’s campaign manager was Matt Harrison, a pretty sharp guy who I had an opportunity to speak with in February of this year after he resigned from the PWCDC. He spent some time giving me an insider’s perspective about Jeanette Rishell, and given what we’ve seen from her campaign this year, what I learned probably be of interest to BVBL readers. You don’t get an inside view of a campaign like Jeanette Rishell’s too often.
Matt gave Jeanette a questionnaire when he started working with her — a personal disclosure to find out about all the things opposition researchers would dig up, and this is a pretty standard self-assessment for candidates to do, and share with their senior campaign staff. Jeanette failed to disclose a lot of information on that questionairre, and Matt got blindsided several times. The raising money for Mexicans Without Borders problem was one of them, and it really put Matt in a difficult position to run an effective campaign while important information about his candidate was being hidden. In a lot of ways, he was an outsider in the very campaign that he was running.As campaign manager, Matt put together an immigration policy paper for Jeanette Rishell which was a lot like what Jackson Miller was saying last election, and this one. Jeanette Rishell dismissed it out of hand and thought it was picking on Latinos. “Jeanette is too caught up in this whole social justice thing”, he told me, and said that she supports the use of taxpayer dollars to support illegal immigrants as part of that devotion to “social justice”. On gay issues and immigration policy, Matt Harrison is firmly convinced that Jeanette Rishell is “too liberal”, and damages the Democrat brand by aligning it with very unpopular positions within the electorate on some of the major political hot topics. Democrats don’t win on this kind of platform, and Matt is one of those Democrats who understand this reality.
Jeanette’s initial power base was the membership of the Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Congregation. These people really gave Matt a hard time. One BRUU member berated him for about ten minutes at Jeanette’s kickoff for not being liberal enough. Jeanette Rishell’s devotion to what Matt called “the gay thing” was a constant and counterproductive distraction from the business of campaigning. Rishell put herself at the disposition of “Equality Prince William” as a strong and vocal opponent of the wildly popular Marriage Amendment last year, which didn’t help her moderate her tone with the electorate at all. The BRUU membership loved it, but the electorate clearly did not.Manassas Democratic Party Chairman E.J. Scott was another distraction, and Matt described her as a narcissist. After Jeanette Rishell got nominated by default in 2006, Scott wanted to have some big elaborate ceremony where the nomination form would be signed and mailed to DPVA. This was supposed to happen on a Saturday which would have taken hours away from campaigning. Matt nixed the idea because it was stupid, and ended up with a severely strained relationship with the Manassas City Democratic Committee as a result. There’s some real team players for you.
After months of difficulty trying to inject some reason into the Jeanette Rishell campaign and the strained relationship with Rishell that resulted, DPVA stepped in in late September and demanded that Matt step back from his leadership role. The new “field director” took over the campaign, and apparently got along with Rishell a lot better than Matt ever did. Jeanette Rishell lost that election, and was behind Jackson Miller in the City of Manassas by about ten points.
This year Jeanette Rishell seems to be taking the advice that Matt Harrison offered last year, and has distanced herself from “the gay thing” and her blind devotion to “social justice”, becoming somehow a candidate who is going to get tough on illegal aliens. When her former campaign manager describes Jeanette Rishell’s instant negative reaction to the idea of deporting illegal aliens last year, her conversion on the road to Richmond this year in favor of the idea should be awfully suspect. Had Rishell listened to Matt Harrison last year and took his advice, in the political climate of the 2006 election, she could have won the 50th District. Now that she’s pinned herself to supporting illegal aliens with taxpayer dollars and making our community a “welcoming place” for illegal aliens, that conversion is too late, and not at all credible.
Jeanette Rishell really is the wrong choice in the 50th District this November, and that’s coming from her former campaign manager.
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.
27 Comments
Views: 1030
Loading ...
As my later mother used to say, “Gawrsh, were you supposed to say that?”
More to the point, am I correct in thinking that Mr. Harrision is no longer involved in democratic party politics? Because if he is I cannot imagine him giving you those details…
Bwana, my thoughts exactly.
Matt quite the PWCDC for some pretty legit reasons. However, to use Greg L. as a forum for bashing a candidate he used to work for (whatever you might think of that candidate) seems a little, well, slimy.
Thank you for covering this. You are exposing a candidate who thinks the voters are so stupid they can’t remember back to 2006. Also, one of the most enjoyable things about politics for me is the mechanics of campaigns…..analyzing them and seeing the differences between what is effective and what is just dumb.
Too bad the PWC GOP leadership is such an ethics-challenged, nutty group. It would be nice if we could attract some level-headed strategists like Matt Harrison to help with our campaigns. I have to say, the Dems have been operating campaigns lately at the same high level of the GOP campaign operations all through the 90’s (we’ll have to say with the exception of Moon Fruit’s). Our candidates have the best philosophy for Virginia, are better and smarter, but their operatives have been getting so darn good and the results unfortunately show.
Greg, do you know anything about this?
The jail inmate who escaped custody today while apparently being transported by the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office has been caught.
I received this from Metz Middle School this afternoon:
At 11:40 a.m. today we were notified by the Manassas City Police Department that a prisoner had escaped in the vicinity of Signal Hill Road. All schools in the vicinity were immediately contacted and went into lockdown. The Manassas City Police Department regularly updated the school division on the efforts being made to recapture the prisoner. The prisoner was apprehended at 1:45 p.m. The lockdown was rescinded and schools resumed normal operations. Letters are being sent home today to Baldwin & Mayfield parents and Metz, Johnson Learning Center and Osbourn will have letters sent home tomorrow.
Why would the VA GOP want someone who tells tales out of school as an operative? If he runs his mouth on the Democrats he will run his mouth on you. It is sort of like stealing someone else’s husband. If he cheated on his old wife he will probably cheat on you too.
Anonymous said on 24 Oct 2007 at 6:37 pm:
Greg, do you know anything about this?
The jail inmate who escaped custody today while apparently being transported by the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office has been caught.
——————————————————————————\
He was recaptured at ~1:45pm today.
How about the candidates take a polygraph test to see if they are telling the truth about their positions?
“How about the candidates take a polygraph test to see if they are telling the truth about their positions?”
Bwahahaha! I think most politicians could lie their way through a polygraph!
OK anon 7:07, I guess you point out yet another reason while he’d fit right in, but I was merely referring to people like him who are more strategists and have a great grasp of the mechanics of a campaign. Good managers are hard to come by. That way you can leave all the jawing about policy, the backstabbing, and the Junior High spats and drama to all the do-nothings that control the party now.
To me it’s like at the statewide level where we had alot of problems at RPV with McSweeny and Kate O who just wanted to push issues, but luckily Mr. Ed and Hager have been able to come in and revive the nuts and bolts and gain back the confidence of the donors.
You know how you can tell Matt Harrison’s friends. They are all the people with knives in their backs.
Sociopaths can often get around the polygraph. Matt Harrison sounds like a liberal who was mugged by reality.
Well, to speak on my own behalf all of these comments were discussed with Greg in confidence and I was assured by him they would stay that way. That’s what I get for being so naiive.
So Matt, You say that Greg betrayed your confidentiality. I believe you.
I am however proud of you that you dont deny anything that Greg is saying about the campaign last year. I am glad that you left the Prince William Dem Comm. You have to much skill and honor to be involved in that group.
I wondered about that, Matt, but you believed Greg would actually keep your thoughts in confidence? You’re more naive than I thought.
I resigned from the Democratic Committee about ten plus years ago. I didn’t go sing to the Republicans. No one wants to be thought of as Dick Morris. Talk about slithering!
Meanwhile, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Those are all words we probably need to take another look at. Matt, we have all probably taken people into our confidence when we shouldn’t have. I am just sorry your trust turned into such a public disclosure.
I respect the manner in which you handled your outing.
Sorry Matt, your defense rings very hollow. Your were Jeannette’s campaign manager. You trashed her to somebody who was utterly merciless and vicious towards her. Nobody, and I mean Nobody who ever supported or helped you in the past will ever TRUST you again. All the people on PWC Democratic Committee who didn’t trust you were right.
A naive person has no business running a campaign.
This is hilarious. Sharp guy?! Did you do any research Greg?
Harrison is a mess. He completely mismanaged Charlie Taylor’s race against Jeff Frederick. Then, in a show of real class, he copyrighted the campaign material and threatened to sue Taylor if Taylor ever tried to use it again. Trustworthy guy. Those of us who have been around for ten years or more know he’s always leaked like a sieve–and now he’s leaked to you.
Don’t give this guy any credit. He’s never run a credible campaign and eventually turns on everyone that trusts him, which is why he has no friends to speak of, and why even a moonfruit like Rishell knew better than to disclose anything significant to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made up the whole story he gave you. Not to mention, how sharp could he be if he actually trusted you to keep this confidential?
Come to think of it, you and him sound very much alike Greg. Maybe the two of you should date now that your “relationship” is out in the open. Come on, Greg, that’s just a joke, and it’s funny, so have a sense of humor and don’t edit it out.
anon @ 6:37 10/24/07,
Here’s what the MJM is reporting. Please, note calls to Sheriff Glendell Hill were NOT returned. Hmmm.
Boy, I sure can’t wait til Gone Fishing she’s this one.
Parole violator escapes, is apprehended
By ELISA A. GLUSHEFSKI
eglushefski@manassasjm.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A Lake Ridge-area man arrested for violating parole escaped custody Wednesday, sending officers from several law enforcement agencies on a two-hour search.
Matthew Scott Jones, of 12905 Titania Way, was charged with felony escape from custody after he was captured around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Sgt. Tim Neumann, Manassas police spokesman.
The series of events began when a Prince William County Sheriff’s deputy arrested the 23-year-old Jones at his home and was taking him to the Prince William-Manassas regional jail.
On the way to the detention center, the deputy stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Signal Hill Road and Fairview Avenue in Manassas, and Jones - who had freed one of his hands from the handcuffs - reached through a window that was rolled down halfway, opened the door from the outside and fled on foot down Signal Hill Road, Neumann said.
Sheriff’s deputies and Manassas and Prince William County police set up a perimeter, Neumann said, and began a search.
After an officer saw Jones running near the dead end of Windsor Avenue, when a Fairfax County Police Department helicopter began circling the area, it apparently made Jones feel like he had to move from where he was hiding, Neumann said.
“The helicopter pretty much spooked him,” Neumann said. “He started to jump over the fence and it just happened to be where one of the deputies [was].”
Jones is being held without bond and has a Nov. 19 court date.
**
Windsor Avenue is a very quiet street and so is Tudor lane where the helicopter “spooked him”. This is just a block and half from MCPD, too. Oh, not more than a mile and half to the jail.
According to Prince William County General District Court records, Jones has been found guilty of several charges including petit larceny and assault and battery.
Calls made to Prince William County Sheriff Glendell Hill were not returned.
corr
til Gone Fishing SEES this one!
Okay, Rishell didn’t listen to advice she should have listened to last year. Now look at her lying literature this year. The 2007 Rishell is now listening to advice she should ignore. How’s that for good judgement?
If the poster “Matt” is to be believed, then Greg…today has not been a good day for you in my eyes. Bringing up something 24 years old about Colgan, and now disclosing information brought to you in confidence.
Please refrain from being a douche.
Lafayette @2:14
Yes….I am not surprised that Hill has not returned calls..
could be he’s too busy trying to re-group since it’s raining
and he’s not playing golf.. umm..probably sleeping.
BTW, Lafayette…aren’t we fortunate to have the good old
Manassas City Police to clean up the sheriff’s mess?
Gone Fishing,
Well, it’s a dirty job, and someone has to do it.
Thanks, to MCPD and Fairfax for their helicopter to “spook” the escapee.
My goodness, this is getting deep, wouldn’t you say?-lol