Candidates Candidates Everywhere
An entry by a Bon Air Dem on Church Hill (April 21, 2009)
I’ve been to two events in 48 hours with the 3 Democratic gubernatorial guys. That’ll do me for a while, but ’tis the season after all….
First, the Farm Team debate on Sunday afternoon in Williamsburg. It was a pretty full room, but not 500 as reported. It seemed like a well-attended Central (around 300). Andrea Miller did an excellent job, as expected. This was a good event by a lot of smart, experienced women. (By the way kudos to Susan Platt for not wearing the obligatory power red and instead went for a beautiful grey dress, and looked fantastic. Hey, this is a chick writing this blog entry so just let me add the fashion commentary.)
Susan did a nice tribute to Jane Vitrae, who recently passed at 85 years old. I think she referred to her as The Democratic Mother of Virginia, or something along those lines. Note the calf’s tag in the Farm Team logo has ‘Jane’ on it in her honor.
Ok, so the actual debate. Well, honestly? Enh, it seemed about even for me. I thought it was most interesting when Brian and Creigh were back and forth on legislative history – the (important) stuff that they know well and don’t have to pause to remember what was on the debate prep index card. On this back and forth I’d have to give a slight edge to Brian. Creigh seemed slightly more relaxed though througout the debate (didn’t quite get that wife/West Va comment though…). McA was McA.
Tonight at the Crusade for Voters forum here in Richmond, the set up was different. Much smaller, local, and the candidates came in one at a time to have opening/closing and questions from the audience in between with a couple questions from the moderator. A fair amount of press were there – both local and Virginia Capitol press corp.
The LG candidates were first, and the whole thing started annoyingly late. Creigh was first. Unfortunately for Brian, 1-he came last, 2-after McA and 3-it started annoyingly late and it was almost 9 o’clock as he made his closing statement (down here in Richmond people start to put their coats on by then).
There is no question that McA can turn on the ‘lovelight’ when he wants, and can have -some- people eating out of his hand with one sentence….but usually, he’s simultaneously not sounding the way Virginians like to hear their Governors sound.
So, as I sit here well past my bedtime, after Candidates Candidates Everywhere what I’m left with is ….what I’m left with is just the overwhelming wish that by now ….there was just one.