The 14th Senate District Republican firehouse primary was a blowout victory for Delegate John Cosgrove. The final score was:

John Cosgrove: 1362
Chris Stearns: 552
Bill Haley: 138

Here is what we learned from this experience.

1. Successful candidates have non-political interests which they express through dedicated community involvement.

The Virginia General Assembly is officially a part-time legislature. Members of the Virginia General Assembly must hold jobs like the people they serve to make ends meet when the legislature is not in session.

John Cosgrove does not have a day job in politics or a job that is intimately connected to politics. He is an engineer and a musician. He is an active participant in his church. He is a youth football coach. He has worked on charitable efforts alongside civic organizations like Rotary and the Ruritans. Cosgrove is a community leader.

Chris Stearns, despite being a native to the region, does not have non-political community ties in the 14th Senate District nor did he have non-political community ties in the Senate District in which he previously resided before moving several weeks ago to challenge Cosgrove. As a 26 year-old Chairman of the 3rd Congressional District RPV Committee, Stearns is well known across the state within the Young Republican Federation of Virginia. However, he is not as well known among the more mature generation and key leaders in the RPV. (I will discuss the chasm between the RPV and the YRFV in a future article.)

Stearns made a name for himself working in politics. He has worked statewide for the Campaign for Liberty, Ron Paul for President, and Susan Stimpson for Lieutenant Governor. He became the 3rd Congressional District Chair of the RPV during the 2011-2012 takeover of the RPV by the Tea Party and Campaign for Liberty.

However, Stearns’ non-political resume is very thin. There is no indication that Stearns has attended a junior college or four-year college and earned a degree. I know that value of a college education, graduate school, and law school is nowhere near as high as marketed today (it is an outright scam in some cases). Four year college does not make sense for everyone, but vocational training and an associates degree from a respected junior college is so easy and affordable to achieve in-person and online. An associates degree would improve an individual’s trade skills and have the corollary benefit of boosting an individual’s political marketability. Unless one is a world-class athlete, entertainer, or prodigious businessman, voters expect additional education beyond high school for their candidates. It is what it is. I don’t dictate what is important to the electorate. Stearns does not have at least a junior college degree. That in and of itself is never disqualifying trait for public office, but it invites further questions to discover what life experiences the candidate has garnered that would exceed the benefits of a college education.

Stearns’ LinkedIn profile and Facebook profile indicates that he is the production manager at Custom Closets & Specialties. This is not a multi-million dollar project rivaling Facebook’s revenues that would compel a business person to skip college entirely. Stearns does not indicate that he is the owner and the business is not under his name. Yet, his mail pieces deceive the voters by saying that he is a business owner and “entrepreneur.” Once again, we have more questions than answers as to who Chris Stearns is and why we ought to trust him to advocate for the community.

People in the 14th Senate District know who John Cosgrove is. Nobody knows who Chris Stearns is outside of politics and the YRFV. People will not vote for someone they do not know.

2. People vote for people they know, like, and trust.

Character counts. Not only do the voters know who John Cosgrove is, Cosgrove is a likable and trustworthy guy. He is the same person politically and non-politically. He listens to and respects your opinion and ideas. When he disagrees, as we all do with each other, he can articulate his reasons for disagreement without condescension and arrogance. Cosgrove is more interested in finding areas of agreement with people than finding reasons for division.

I can tell you that as a political consultant myself, I have NEVER had a client with whom I found agreement on everything. If I demanded my clients to toe my party line, I would have no clients! (I remind you that everything I write on this outlet and elsewhere are my own views and do not reflect the views of any past or current employer or client. Sometimes I don’t even agree with myself.)

Cosgrove built a voting record during his time in the House of Delegates that is reflective of the needs of his constituents and it just so happens that his voting record also happens to be one of the most conservative voting records in the House.

Meanwhile, Chris Stearns is not well known in the area in which he is a native. He is well known in the Young Republican Federation of Virginia, but he inadvertently mobilizes a lot of enemies in the YRFV because of his close association with a very polarizing employee of the Leadership Institute.

3. Firebombers rarely win elections.

People offer this advice for new candidates time and again. When you are running for your first political office, you do not throw punches right out of the gate. You have to introduce yourself to the voters. Open up about your personal life to the extent that is appropriate and build rapport with the electorate. Small talk make big deals. It helps if your first piece of literature describes you as a “mother of three children, accomplished public policy professional, avid runner and triathlete, adoption advocate, volunteer at a puppy shelter.” (Ahem, in the interest of privacy, all or parts of this may or may not be an actual ad copy written by me for a client’s palm card. This lady did win her election however, so I must have done something right?)

Stearns did not bother with such introductions and pleasantries. He firebombed on sight. He distorted John Cosgrove’s record and character. He stated that Cosgrove voted for Obamacare which is false. He stated that Cosgrove voted for “dangerous red light cameras” which happens to be regarded as a law enforcement tool for mainstream conservatives while the virulent anti-tax conservatives see red light cameras as a tax and a constitutional invasion of privacy. Never mind that the courts have ruled time and again that a person does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place and that the state has the power to enforce the laws. However, you would never expect anti-tax, anti-government conservatives to get the message.

4. The people support the compromise transportation bill.

If you want to blame a single person for Virginia’s transportation mess, blame former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry Byrd (D-VA). Do your research on his plan for the Commonwealth to buy up all the roads from the localities which ended up giving rural counties a disproportionate amount of influence on transportation in Virginia. Urban Virginia has been subsidizing rural Virginia roads ever since because unlike other states, transportation dollars raised within the county does not stay within the county.

Harry Byrd is long gone so we need to move forward. Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan is the first serious plan to move Virginia forward that we have seen in decades. Republicans and Democrats came together to craft a compromise solution that would particularly prioritize areas of greatest need like John Cosgrove’s own Hampton Roads. John Cosgrove did the right thing for his district by voting in favor of the transportation bill.

John Cosgrove did the courageous thing by voting for the transportation bill. He knew that the far-right, anti-tax conservatives will blow one vote out of proportion and put a primary challenger against him if he voted for the transportation bill. Cosgrove could have done the politically expedient thing by voting “no” to stave off a primary challenger and he would have cruised to the State Senate with ease still.

Yet, Cosgrove does not represent the extremists in the House. Cosgrove represents the people. Cosgrove did what is best for the people and is willing to invite primary challengers if that is what is going to happen if he serves the people faithfully.

Using one vote and blowing it out of proportion to paint Cosgrove as a tax-hiker who is friendly with Obama’s policies is ridiculous for it blatantly ignores the countless votes Cosgrove made to lower taxes and advocate for the interests of taxpaying working families. Ronald Reagan said that a person who agrees with him 80 percent of the time is his friend, not his enemy. For the anti-tax conservatives and libertarians, someone who is agreeable 99 percent of the time is an unconstitutional, un-American, unworthy “socialist.” Hey guys, have fun destroying your allies so you can pave the way for someone who is agreeable 0 percent of the time to takeover.

5. Successful candidates build positive, uplifting communities around their campaigns.

This is a fact. Issues alone will not help you win the election. Issues alone might not even help you win the day.

Standing for the right issues attracts followers. However, people who stand for the right issues are a dime a dozen. What separates the elected officials from the mere activists? Building a positive, uplifting community with your followers that go well beyond the issues you advocate will turn your followers into friends who will stick with you for the long haul.

John Cosgrove succeeds in electoral politics because he has turned his political operation into a positive, uplifting community. I only worked for John for one day in his political career. Add another day if you want to count my time as a groupie and official photographer for his rock band.

May 9th, the day of the firehouse primary, was the first time I worked on John’s political campaign. I can attest that Team Cosgrove treats everyone like family. This urbane, sophisticated, urban creature of DC never once felt out of place among the Hampton Roads crowd and was welcomed like an old friend, not like someone just showing up for the very first time. The poll workers and door knockers present at the victory party were a diverse group – young, old, female, male, black, white, married, single, urban, rural, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, DC, and even Maryland! The vast majority of Cosgrove’s workers are homegrown Hampton Roads talent. Team Cosgrove did not organize out of district and out of state supporters to come in to work, but Cosgrove’s cause was one that compelled out of town folks to carve out time in their schedules and make the trip down out of their own initiative and volition.

Meanwhile, Stearns’ campaign had to bus in a large number of Young Republicans affiliated with the YRFV and DCYR to work on his campaign. This is what happens when you are a Hampton Roads native, but never got connected to your community in a non-political way.

Building positive, uplifting communities around a political candidate vastly improves the staying power of that individual candidate. Campaigns built solely around issues will have expendable and replaceable candidates.

Unfortunately, that is the modus operandi of the Tea Party and the Campaign for Liberty. They don’t care who you are as a person as long as you vote the right way on their issues. This explains why Mark Sanford is going back to Congress! Teflon Don, baby!

Make no mistake that there are some current and former elected officials tied to the Tea Party and Liberty movement that I would vote for enthusiastically. Sarah Palin is the sole reason why I started working for Republican officials. I voted for a Republican President and Vice-President for the first time in my life in 2008 and I remain a staunch supporter of Sarah. Ron Paul has a lot of great ideas and I voted for him in the GOP Presidential Primary in 2012. His ideas merit strong consideration and there are a ton of government programs I would like to privatize.

However, it is the Tea Party and Liberty activists who are handicapping their potential. When character is set aside to focus solely on issues, especially in a negative manner, that is almost always a formula for defeat. As long as people are human, people will always place a significant degree of value on character when selecting their candidates, whether they choose to acknowledge that fact or not.

John Cosgrove has character and, if elected in the August special election, the Senate of Virginia will improve with his presence.

The firehouse primary for Virginia Senate District 14 is tomorrow, May 9th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Click here to find your polling location.

I voted for Ron Paul in the Virginia Presidential primary. I support sound money, fiscal sanity, low taxes, less onerous regulations, and more local control. Just as important, while not relevant at the state level, I support a non-interventionist foreign policy, I am against nation-building, I am against the military-industrial complex, I am against being the world’s policeman, and I believe that we cannot have an honest conversation about cutting spending if defense expenditures (and defense bureaucracy…) are not on the table.

Chris Stearns (R), a libertarian with a deep history of working for the movement, is challenging Delegate John Cosgrove (R) for the Chesapeake-based 14th Senate District seat vacated by Harry Blevins (Republican who will not be missed due to his opposition to the Tim Tebow bill).

I support John Cosgrove for State Senate.

Throughout Cosgrove’s career, Cosgrove has been a champion for traditional values and for pragmatic solutions to make Chesapeake a great place for business and recreation. Unlike other politicians from both parties who think their ideology is what is best for the people, Cosgrove puts the needs of his constituents first.

Cosgrove knows where his people are and how to reach them because politics is not his day job when the part-time Virginia General Assembly is not in session. Therefore, he does not live in an echo chamber and more readily listens and understands the people. An engineer and musician by trade, Cosgrove is involved locally with his church, Rotary, the Ruritans, and has also served as a youth football and baseball coach.

Still, if conservative Republicanism is your thing, Cosgrove’s thoughtful, pragmatic approach to governance has led to 90%-100% ratings from the American Conservative Union, the Family Foundation, the Virginia Society for Human Life, the National Rifle Association, and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Libertarians and liberty-minded Republicans should look past the rhetoric and look at the results. John Cosgrove might not be a Ron Paul acolyte, but he does share the same values and has worked to produce such results for the benefit of his community. He is also rock star.

John Cosgrove, lead vocalist for Albopalooza, with Rita Albo (10/8/11)

Vote John Cosgrove for State Senate in the May 9th firehouse primary if you live in Virginia’s 14th Senate District.

Yesterday, two major pieces of legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly in the veto session.  The Governor’s amendments to the transportation bill HB 2313 passed with broad bipartisan support.  The Governor’s amendment to HB 1900 to limit insurance coverage for abortion under the health care exchange to cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother passed by one vote in the divided State Senate and passed by the skin of its teeth in a House of Delegates dominated by purportedly pro-life Republicans.

For the record, I support these amendments.  I support new transportation funding revenues and I support the civil rights of the unborn. It is a great day for Virginia.

So after a significant day of accomplishment for our esteemed pro-life Governor, what does the conservative activist base say to that?  Well, after the vote to pass transportation revenue increases and a significant vote to protect civil rights of the unborn, the conservative activists ignored the accomplishment on protecting civil rights for the unborn and single out the “transportation tax hike” to declare a “sad day for Virginia.”

After the conservative activist base overlooked the protection of civil rights for the unborn – that barely passed in a GOP dominated House that is purportedly pro-life – and focused all their energies on protesting the pro-life Governor Bob McDonnell’s “transportation tax hike,” do we need further proof that the virulently anti-tax GOP is fixing to discard their long held pro-life position after shoving it on the back burner in recent years?

I have been a Republican since the 1980s.  If the Republican Party ever starts to support abortion rights, I quit.

This is a newsflash. Ken Cuccinelli is working very hard to earn my vote. I have been decidedly and publicly critical on Republican Virginia Gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli. Virtually all of my criticism against Cuccinelli centers around one single issue which I will explain below, but Cuccinelli has already completed 2 out of 3 steps critical to earning my support.

1. First, Ken Cuccinelli’s commitment to expand and make effective use of clemency in the justice process is a very strong attribute. As Cuccinelli has stated, too many Republicans are eager to throw a convict behind bars, lock him up, and throw away the key. This blind deference to law and order has come at the expense of real justice and Cuccinelli has actively worked to pardon innocent people who have been incarcerated.

The most prominent example is the Thomas Haynesworth case. After spending 27 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Haynesworth would ultimately be pardoned by Governor Bob McDonnell thanks to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli spearheading the effort. After Haynesworth was released from prison, Ken Cuccinelli HIRED Thomas Haynesworth to work for him and Haynesworth has been an outstanding and loyal worker who is an integral part of Cuccinelli’s staff.

This is realer than real. Listen to Ken Cuccinelli tell you the story himself and if you are not moved, you are not human.

2. Second, Ken Cuccinelli has joined the likes of Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Congressman Scott Rigell (R-VA) in refusing to kowtow to Grover Norquist and sign his anti-tax pledge. This shows that Cuccinelli has matured a great deal as a politician. A politician can stand up for his or her principles more effectively if he or she is not a flame thrower.

Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge serves only three purposes and all of them are negative. First, the anti-tax pledge ignores good governance. Nobody likes taxes, but they are a reality and requirement of living in a society. If you want something, you must pay for it. Any honest discussion of how to provide the basic necessities of life for the public interest must include a discussion of taxes even if they are never raised. (For the record, I believe we should look to spending cuts first.)

Second, the anti-tax pledge handcuffs the GOP in legislative negotiations and bargaining. Any good and effective politician understands that in order to win the game, they must play the game. The game of politics involves plenty of exchanges, concessions, trades, bargains, and compromises. There are multiple strategies smart politicians can employ as real solutions or as bluffs in order to achieve the real objective at the end. When politicians sign on to Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge, they voluntarily tie the hands with which they use to sign the pledge behind their backs. Breaking the pledge means defeat at the hands of a primary opponent. Adhering to the pledge means they have just lost a major tool in their toolbox to ultimately cut taxes. Follow along with me now.

Imagine if Democrats came to the table proposing tax increases. Republicans who signed the anti-tax pledge have no other way to bargain with the Democrats to lower the taxes other than to vote “no” and hope their side wins.

Now imagine if Democrats came to the table proposing tax increases. Republicans who did NOT sign the anti-tax pledge, but are nevertheless committed to fiscal responsibility, can say that they can acquiesce to the tax increases ON THE CONDITION of serious entitlement reforms, reforms that would offset or overshadow the effects of the tax increases. If there are no serious entitlement reforms, the tax increases are completely off the table. Therefore, if the other side balks, they cannot argue convincingly that you are the obstructionist party of “no” because you actually would vote “yes” as you were not bound by an anti-tax pledge and actually came to the table. The compromise game is much more effective for long term success.

Third, Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge only serves to consolidate Norquist’s power and make him the de facto kingmaker in the GOP. Norquist, like any other political hack, craves and lusts for power, relevance, and the television cameras. Signing the pledge does nothing for you (outside of a heated primary fight in a hardcore conservative district) and does everything to prop up Norquist’s ego, power, finances, and television appearances.

Ken Cuccinelli was smart to refuse to sign Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge. Pledges are mere symbols. One does not have to make a pledge to stand for principle. Actions matter. Anyone concerned about Cuccinelli’s stances on taxes can simply look at his track record as a State Senator and as an Attorney General.

3. Finally, Ken Cuccinelli has NOT done this, but he can WIN my vote if he shakes my hand, looks me in the eyes, and declares that he will take action as Governor to improve and expand public transit and transit-oriented development in Virginia. This is the main roadblock that prevents me from committing to Ken Cuccinelli for Governor.

I have legitimate reasons to believe that Ken Cuccinelli’s opinion of public transit and transit-oriented development is the same as that of Mike Farris. The opinion says that, “density equals Democrats.” Therefore, Republicans must kill public transit and transit-oriented development and force everyone to be car-dependent in sprawling suburbs in order to stop the oncoming migration of Democrats and breed Republicans.

This is a culturally backward, defeatist, ignorant, and anti-business stance. We currently live in a knowledge-based economy in the Information Age. Cellular technology and wi-fi connections are prevalent. Anyone with a computer and a cell phone can start and run a successful business out of their own house. Connectivity is key.

Because connectivity means commerce and cash, driving has become intolerable to a growing number of young entrepreneurs. I am one of these young entrepreneurs. I can’t work when I drive. Texting while driving causes accidents. Working on my computer while driving would be deadly, yet I have heard of a story of one businessman who dared to beat the odds by setting up his computer on his car’s console here in Northern Virginia.

Time I spend behind the wheel is billable time lost. I need public transit and walkable, sustainable transit-oriented development so that I can work on my computer and bill clients on a train, read the latest industry news on my iPhone on the bus, or walk to the grocery and catch up on my e-mail on my iPhone. That is called efficiency and that is the bulwark of capitalism.

The most helpless feeling in business today is to be stuck behind the wheel traveling down the highway and receive an urgent e-mail from an important client requesting work that you cannot accomplish immediately because you are stuck behind the wheel.

Ken Cuccinelli lost an enormous amount of goodwill with me when he went against popular mainstream conservatives and lent his support for the effort to kill Phase 2 of Dulles Rail. His involvement in the anti-rail effort empowered blind partisans to excoriate all (now former) friends, many who were conservative on everything, yet supported the expansion of public transit and transit-oriented development for conservative, pro-business reasons.

Roads are just as heavily subsidized as rail is and we pay a lot of money for roads we will never use so I don’t buy the argument that people don’t want to pay for rail because they won’t use it. The real issue at hand is a culture war between a 1950′s quiet, suburban mentality and a 21st century, urbane, bustling commerce mentality. Public transit and transit-oriented development are 21st century Information Age, pro-business solutions that fit neatly with conservative principles of individual empowerment and entrepreneurship. It is time to get with the times.

Furthermore, an expanded commitment to public transit and transit-oriented development does not mean that one must raise taxes. We can cut spending in other areas to fund this necessary business-friendly infrastructure project and if anyone knows how to cut spending in order to find money to pay for core government functions – like public transit -, it is Ken Cuccinelli.

Ken Cuccinelli is oh so close to earning my support, but not quite based on this issue alone. Ken, let us talk about public transit and transit-oriented development. We run into each other on a semi-regular basis. Take the initiative and start a dialogue with me.

Virginia Lieutenant Governor candidate Pete Snyder has been viewed by the harsh right-wing purists of the Loudoun County Republican Committee as a suspicious “tool of the establishment” who is not to be trusted as he was a donor to Bill Bolling and appointed by the Bob McDonnell “establishment types” in the RPV to run the RPV’s 2012 Victory campaign. All sorts of conspiracy theories were spread about how Pete Snyder was supposed to team up with Bill Bolling to run on an RPV ticket together. That is, until none of it was actually true.

Pete Snyder one upped his detractors in the LCRC by scoring the endorsement of former 1993 Lieutenant Governor candidate and Patrick Henry College Chancellor Mike Farris. This is the top endorsement one can win in the LCRC. Regular readers of this outlet know that I have serious problems with Mike Farris’ war on transit-oriented development as a proxy for his culture war. Regular readers of this outlet also know that I am a pragmatist grounded in reality and I understand that a winning campaign must build a coalition that occupies a very wide swath of the political spectrum. Not only does this prepare a candidate for victory, it prepares the candidate for the realities of elected office in which she or he will be required to represent all people, including many who did not show support previously and are actively working to undermine the execution of the official duties. By picking up the top endorsement in the hornet’s nest, Pete Snyder once again proves how adept he is in listening to the concerns of all Virginians and authentically standing firm on his own principles.

Pete Snyder is not a traditional politician. LCRC detractors call him a tool, pawn, or puppet of the establishment, but by the same token, they wonder why he was not heavily involved as a Republican activist in Northern Virginia for many years before running for office. This is a darned if you do, darned if you don’t attack. They will hate you if you are a politician and they will hate you if you are not. Those two charges are inconsistent with one another and proves that LCRC activists just simply don’t like Pete Snyder because he is cooler than they are.

In order for someone to be an establishment figure, that person, for practical purposes, must be heavily involved in the local party as an activist for many years. By doing so, such a person will be able to forge key relationships, kiss a lot of butts, and extract plenty of favors in return whenever they decide to follow through with their plot to run for elected office. This must be done years in advance with adherence to a well-defined internal script. The local political parties on both sides are filled with quite a number of quiet, self-centered opportunists (parasites) like these and party people can sniff them out quite easily.

Pete Snyder was not heavily involved as a Republican activist for many years. That is true. He did not spend years on the rubber chicken circuit trying to kiss a lot of butts to become a member of the party establishment. As a youngster in his 20s, Pete was involved in politics, but like many reasonable people, we all grow up and move on to better adventures.

Instead of brown-nosing his way to the top for many years on the rubber chicken circuit like an establishment hack (or, worse, wannabe establishment hack), Pete Snyder spent most of his adult years building a business. He struggled to pay the bills like many enterprising entrepreneurs in the early years armed only with youthful vigor, indomitable spirit, and a dose of moxie, but persistence paid off in the end. His internet and social media marketing company was one of the first of its kind and helped build a brand new market where none existed before. As a result, the lives of numerous clients, employees, and families greatly improved.

Pete Snyder is now running for Virginia Lieutenant Governor to protect and expand economic opportunities for ALL Virginians so that everyone can experience the same opportunities for success. The choice is clear. Pete Snyder is the candidate for Lieutenant Governor ALL Virginians can agree on and will serve ALL Virginians.

In 2009, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling was hailed as a hero by the Republican Party of Virginia. The common consensus in the RPV was that by stepping aside for Bob McDonnell to run for Governor and running himself for re-election as Lieutenant Governor, Bolling unified a fractured party. Such unification prevented a bloody primary that would have weakened the eventual nominee and provided the Democratic Party of Virginia with free opposition research. Praise for Bolling was effusive. Bolling was selfless, thoughtful, and dedicated for humbly stepping aside and putting his ambitions on the back burner so that Republicans could unite behind a McDonnell-Bolling ticket. The RPV ticket swept the statewide races convincingly in 2009.

Fast forward to 2013. Most Republicans in 2009 agreed that for Bolling’s sacrifices, he should be rewarded with the 2013 nomination for Virginia Governor by default. Most Republicans believed that except for those in Ken Cuccinelli’s clique. It is Cuccinelli’s right to run if he wants to do so. Bill Bolling should have taken notice when he saw Cuccinelli installing his own partisans in key RPV governing posts. Given his many years in politics, Bolling’s instincts should have told him that his path to the Governor’s mansion was threatened from within his own party. He did not see any of it coming and if he did, he did nothing to stop it.

Much of Bolling’s predicament today stem from these indisputable facts. He is not an aggressive campaigner. Bolling allowed this to happen by not mounting a permanent, perpetual campaign like the campaigner-in-chief Ken Cuccinelli.

However, much of the descriptors lobbed at Bolling by RPV partisans these days are unwarranted. In 2009, Bolling was selfless, thoughtful, and dedicated for stepping aside for Bob McDonnell when he had a chance to compete for the Governor’s mansion. His efforts helped the RPV recapture the Governor’s mansion after being shut out for eight years. In 2013, revisionist history labels Bolling’s step aside as “lazy,” “entitled,” and “immature.”

What changed exactly? Nothing changed. Bolling, once derided as the “Hanover Hun” for his Cuccinelli-like right wing advocacy on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors, has at least since 2009 been running and conducting political affairs as a business-friendly, solutions-oriented pragmatist. Yet, as the Cuccinelli clique reversed the method of gubernatorial nomination from an open primary to a closed convention for the benefit of the partisans and to ensure a Cuccinelli victory, this Cuccinelli clique is labeling Bolling as a “sore loser” and a “cry baby” for dropping out of the RPV nominating process and flirting with an independent bid for Governor.

All this backlash against Bolling from the RPV stems from one factor. That factor is fear. There is a very real fear among Republicans that a Bolling independent candidacy for Governor will siphon enough votes from Cuccinelli away to allow the Democrat Terry McAuliffe to win.

On the flip side, there is also a brewing fear among Democrats that a Bolling independent candidacy will siphon off enough moderate Democrats from McAuliffe to allow Cuccinelli to win. Still, one can make an argument and say that the voters Bolling will engage would not be engaged by either of the candidates. Therefore, Bolling would be doing a public service by giving a voice to the disgruntled and unrepresented. Maybe Bolling could pull a rabbit out of a hat and squeak by victoriously with 34 points in a three-way race.

No one will really know for sure what the outcome would be if Bolling does indeed declare an independent candidacy for Governor. As it stands, fear prevails over the partisans on both sides. Fear operates in tandem with its friend insecurity.

If the RPV had its house in order and were as unified in 2013 like it was in 2009 for its gubernatorial candidate, there would be little concern of an independent challenger. If the Cuccinelli clique did not alienate an entire group of activists and donors by taking over the party apparatus and giving Bolling the business, perhaps there would be less concern of an independent candidate because the party would have a unified coalition. If Democrats were not so concerned about the idea of Bolling’s independence backfiring on them by losing a key moderate Democratic constituency to Bolling and hence, hurting McAuliffe’s chances, perhaps they would conquer their fears by being secure in their nominee. Perhaps the DPVA is not as united as it seems.

Three days remain until Bill Bolling’s fateful decision on the gubernatorial race. Will he fade into political oblivion by stepping aside, this time for the last time? Or will Bolling resurrect his political career in three days to save the Commonwealth from the tyranny of left-wing and right-wing ideologues? Or is he a false prophet who will run out of steam and end up as a negligible factor in the race? We shall learn more on the eve of the Ides of March.

Lynn Mitchell beat me to the punch and I cannot build on top of this work for it is flawlessly on point. Remember how Ken Cuccinelli and other Republicans rallied around former-Republican-turned-Independent Bill Janis for Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney? There was a viable Republican in the race and he got bulldozed by the powers that be in the RPV in favor of Delegate Bill Janis who was looking for a better retirement plan. (Would you rather live on the dole for the rest of your days based on a Delegate salary of $17,000/year or a Commonwealth’s Attorney salary of $100,000+/year? Hmm.)

Granted, that Republican candidate for Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney had an extramarital affair and refused to step down when the revelations surfaced. Why should he however? Republicans in the past never cared about extramarital affairs committed by Republicans and have continually supported Republicans like Dan Burton, Henry Hyde, Newt Gingrich, David Vitter, Mark Sanford (making a comeback), Nelson Rockefeller, etc. Ew, gross.

So why did Ken Cuccinelli and other RPV elected officials openly violate their pledge to the RPV to support an independent candidate against a Republican? Why are Ken Cuccinelli supporters smearing Bill Bolling’s good name because he wants to offer a different vision of the Commonwealth for voters to choose? Why do they not see the blatant hypocrisy when comparing the two scenarios?

From LynnRMitchell.com

http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/03/dont-be-hypocritical-about-bolling.html

Monday, March 04, 2013
Don’t be hypocritical about a Bolling Independent run
In September 2011, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli endorsed Independent candidate Bill Janis for Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney over the GOP nominee.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that, while endorsing the Independent candidate, Cuccinelli said:

“I have a substantially greater deal of faith in Bill Janis’ ability to make those decisions than I do anyone else in this race, and that is without regard to party label. [emphasis added]”

Cuccinelli then further pushed aside the Republican Party:

Cuccinelli said political affiliation has little to do with decisions made by local leaders, nor should it get in the way of selecting, or endorsing, the best candidate in a race.

“I’m a Republican because I fit better there, but it’s not the reason for my being, politically,” he said.

The faux indignation from Cuccinelli supporters about Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling’s consideration of an independent run for Governor rings just a little hypocritical.

I just got phone banked by one of the numerous statewide campaigns in Virginia. I won’t reveal the name of the candidate, but the phone banker on the other end interrupted me at a peaceful time. I did not enjoy that.

Here I am, posted up on the second floor of the Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill. My usual Capitol Hill office is the second floor of Cosi for sentimental reasons and for sophisticated jazz music. However, tonight, I went next door due to a desire to listen to 1970′s rock music, which Good Stuff Eatery provides from time to time. Fleetwood Mac, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty, et al provide the foundation of my DC soundtrack along with the go-go music unique to the DMV. Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” would be my proverbial “desert island” DC album, but DC’s greatest rapper Wale’s “More About Nothing” mixtape would be a fierce competitor.

I just scarfed down a greasy melt and onion petals. I run and lift weights constantly so the occasional unhealthy fare does nothing for me. I am sitting on a padded bench against the wall with my feet propped up on the chair in front of me. I opened my MacBook to submit proposals and price quotes to prospective clients. ESPN Sportscenter is on the flat panel television in front of me. I am wearing a suit, tie, pocket square, VA flag pin, and gold jewelry.

Life is good and it can only get better.

Then, all of a sudden, my phone rang. I saw a (540) area code on the caller identification. Who could it be? It could be anybody from Stafford County to the Shenandoah Valley to (gasp!) that insane asylum called Western Loudoun County. Yet, I pick up the phone since cellular technology can not pinpoint the true origin of a call based on an area code.

The caller on the other end read from a script without letting me say “hello.” His reading skills and pronunciation skills were perfect. He sounded like a robocall. My peaceful, tranquil Capitol Hill office has been disturbed and I was perturbed.

I listened for the next 30 seconds as the caller outlined the reasons why his candidate is running and all the initiatives his candidate would promote in office. The caller concluded by asking me if he can count on my support and vote at the RPV Convention.

Several questions flowed through my mind in split seconds.

- Who is this guy?
- Why should I care?
- Can’t campaigns think of more creative ways to reach people and bank votes instead of phone banking and door knocking?
- What makes him think that a total stranger over the phone will convince the recipient of an unwelcome phone call to vote for his guy?
- Is this guy and his boss ever concerned that phone bankers can come across as scammers over the phone?
- Did this guy think I was gullible enough to commit to voting for his guy based on a superficial 30 second elevator speech from a total stranger?
- Why did this guy start talking and never even pause to give me a chance to say “hello” back?

When given the chance to speak 30 seconds later, I asked the guy, “do you want a tip?” He was taken aback. This was not how his script was written.

I said, “try to engage the caller because you just sounded like a robocall.” He said, “oh, ok, thanks, so can [name redacted] count on your support?” I said, “I have been where you have been before. I have worked in this business for far too long. You can’t even begin to comprehend.” I was so tempted to say, “do you know who I am?!” Haha. I continued, “[name redacted] and I are on a first name basis. He knows what I think. I don’t need to tell you.”

The caller said, “great, so can you tell me if [name redacted] can count on your support?” Frustrated, I hung up. I attempt to recreate the peace I had on Capitol Hill that was so intrusively disrupted. (Yes, I do notice the irony of hanging out on Capitol Hill and complaining about political hacks!)

Political candidates, staffers, and activists; listen to me. As a recovering political hack who broke out of the political bubble to experience a semblance of real life (A political colleague of mine on the same boat calls us “The Walking Dead.”), I have discovered living on the other side of the phone and the door that our campaign tactics are rude, intrusive, annoying, bothersome, condescending, and selfish. Do not call me and disrupt my dinner unless you are a friend because only friends can interrupt me anytime without repercussions. Worse, do not knock on my door and force me to walk all the way from my home office to the door only to discover that a total stranger with an elevator speech is trolling for votes. Where I grew up, we would not even think about opening the door to total strangers due to the crime and home invasions that were going around.

As I wrap up this soliloquy, a song by the King, Michael Jackson, came on at Good Stuff Eatery that best sums up the people’s declarations against phone bankers and door knockers…”Beat It.”

It is 2013. The private sector continues to innovate rapidly, yet campaigns are still using 20th century strategies of outreach. Businesses today have long given up on cold calling and door-to-door selling to make sales. Yet, political campaigns and the politicians themselves still have an inordinate amount of fun cold calling people and selling door-to-door. Most people do not appreciate it and it shows up with great frequency on the campaign data reports as “not home” or “refused.” Think of better ideas for outreach, please.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling sent the following e-mail to his supporters today.

Dear Friends,

In the next two weeks I have to make a very difficult decision. I have to decide whether or not to seek the office of Governor as an Independent Republican. Because you are a friend and trusted ally, I am writing to ask for your advice as I make this difficult decision.

When I suspended my campaign for the Republican Party’s nomination for Governor I indicated that I wanted to be a more independent voice for Virginia, speaking out more objectively on the important issues facing our state. Over the past several months, I have done just that. I have sought to call us to a higher purpose, focusing more on policy and less on politics; and more on the next generation than the next election.

The reaction to this more mainstream approach to governing has been amazing. Over the past few months I have been contacted by business and community leaders from all across Virginia and encouraged to re-enter the race for Governor as an Independent Republican, and I have been objectively assessing that possibility.

Let me assure you that I have not entered into these deliberations lightly. I have been a loyal Republican for the past 25 years. No one has done more or sacrificed more for the Republican Party than I have. But quite frankly, this is a challenging time for our party and I’m concerned that our party is headed in the wrong direction. That’s why there has been so much interest in an Independent Republican campaign.

It is clear to me that there is a great deal of uneasiness about the candidates the two major political parties appear poised to nominate, and a lot of people in our state are looking for a better option. The people of Virginia want a Governor who will provide mainstream leadership, keep his focus on the big issues facing our state and work with Republicans and Democrats to solve problems and get things done.

Throughout my 22 years of public service I have developed a record of doing just that, and as Governor I will keep my focus on the issues that matter most to our state – continuing the progress we have made in growing our economy and creating jobs and providing more opportunity for our citizens by improving education and addressing other important issues like transportation, public safety and health care.

I think there is an opportunity to make history in Virginia this year. We can send a message about the need to return more civility and a more mainstream approach to politics and governing. I know it won’t be easy to win the governorship as an Independent candidate, but with your help I believe it can be done.

Everywhere I have traveled over the past few months I have been encouraged by friends, some former foes and even strangers on the street to run for Governor. People are tired of politics as usual. They know we can do better and they want a more mainstream choice.

And the polls also suggest that there is a great deal of interest in a credible, mainstream, Independent candidate for Governor. Here is the link to a Memorandum from our pollster, John McLaughlin, that summarizes some of the key findings of our internal polling. I think you will agree after reading John’s Memorandum that with the proper resources this is a race that can be won.

Two things are clear to me: 1) there is a realistic opportunity in this campaign for a credible Independent candidate, and 2) I can run a credible Independent campaign that can draw strong support from Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

However, I know how difficult independent campaigns can be, and I know I cannot win without the support of the people who have stood with me over the years – people like you. That’s why I’m writing to ask for your advice as I make this difficult decision. Here’s what I need to know:

First, I need to know if you believe that there is a realistic opening in this campaign for a credible Independent candidate, or, are you satisfied with the choice between Mr. Cuccinelli and Mr. McAuliffe?

Second, I need to know if I can count on your support if I decide to run for Governor as an Independent Republican?

You can share your thoughts with me here.

I hope you will respond today and give me the benefit of your advice. You are a trusted friend and ally and your feedback would mean a great deal to me.

It has been a privilege to represent the people of Virginia in state and local government for the past 22 years. During that time I have done my best to stand strong for the conservative values we believe in, while working with Republicans and Democrats alike to things done in Richmond. I think that’s the kind of leadership we need from our next Governor, and with your help that’s the kind of leadership I will continue to provide.

Thanks again for your friendship, confidence and support.

Sincerely,

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Bill Bolling