At the recent Democratic Party of Virginia State Central Committee meeting, we recognized retiring Chair Richard Cranwell for his service to the Party. He spoke of the need to look through the front windshield, not the rear-view mirror, as we drive forward. But the one of the most interesting moments of the weekend was listening to Mr. Cranwell and Delegate Ward Armstrong discuss the General Assembly during the period when Mr. Cranwell served as Majority Leader of the House of Delegates (1992-2000). A lot of funny stories, of course, but also a lot of pride in the leadership the Democratic General Assembly provided to the Commonwealth. (And, as always during discussions of that time period, memories of the late Warren Stambaugh of Arlington.)
Although we need to look ahead, being Virginians, we can learn a lot from our history. After I finished my Virginia History Part I course at U.Va., I asked about Part II. I was told that there wasn’t one. So I have created a reading list for 20th Century Virginia History (as well as some other interesting books). Please check out the Virginia Bookshelf page and let me know if you have any additions or comments. Also – please let me know if you would like to work on a Virginia Democrats Wiki Site.