GOP Debate - #VASen

The third and final debate for the GOP candidates for the Virginia senate seat was held last night.  The four candidates had their chance to make an impression on the voters of Northern Virginia.  For early Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend there was a pretty good turnout.  This was the smallest crowd of the four debates, but it was about 400 people.

The debate had a very simple format, 2 minute opening and closing statements with 90 seconds to answer questions.  Each candidate was asked the same questions.

The cast of characters were

George Allen, former senator and governor.

Jaime Radtke, former employee of George Allen and Tea Party activist

Bob Marshall, state delegate

E.W. Jackson, former marine and minister.

George Allen has been pretty much given the nomination by all media outlets.  Polling is being done between him and the dem candidate Tim Kaine.  So it is looked at as an uphill battle for the other three candidates.  Some have been surprised that Allen agreed to three debates.  But Virginia has a large geographic area to cover and it would be hard to find one centrally located area to give all the voters a chance to hear the candidates.  So the debates were divided up by regions of the commonwealth.

Allen's plan was do no harm.  Which he accomplished.  I don't think he did anything to help himself, but he certainly did nothing to hurt himself.  Allen also lives in this area of the state and has strong support here.  Most people I know are supporters* More on this later.

Jaime's plan was a full frontal attack on Allen.  Which she did from opening statement on.

Both E.W. and Bob spoke from the heart.  You could tell they were not using prepared remarks and canned answers.

Here are some of the notes that I jotted down while listening:

Opening Statements:

E.W.

Virginia has to take the bull by the horns.  Bowing to none.

Jaime

If we don't deal with spending nothing else matters.

Bob

Made many references to Jefferson and abortion.

George

Started by thanking the soldiers who died.  Talked about the legacy of freedom and America's comeback.  He was trying to be Reaganesque.

Now Jaime talked about not allowing congress to pick winners and losers.  Which I found very interesting indeed.  Jaime backed Jeff Frederick for the State Senate last year.  Jeff Frederick used(s) minority status to get set aside contracts from the federal government.  So that is just hypocrisy of the highest order.  You can read about that here.

One of the questions was meant to Perryesque and the candidates were asked which regulations they would try to do away with.

E.W. being a Bishop talked heavily on the regulations being put on the Churches forcing them to go against their consciences.  He also brought up the federal real estate tax that is included in Obamacare that will be collected by the IRS.  He got a good laugh when he talked about how 90 seconds was not enough time.

Jaime didn't really answer the question.  She talked about Dodd/Frank and closing down the depart of ed.  Which I agree with by the way, but it wasn't really the answer to the question at hand.

Bob pushed a flat tax and spent his time talking about car safety and flat tax.

George talked about Obamacare and CO2 regs.  Which goes beyond cap-and-trade because of the all the power the EPA has taken for themselves.

I would have to say one of the most interesting parts of the evening was when Bob was talking about a conversation he had with Senator Mark Warner at a college football game about Obamacare.  According to Bob, Senator Warner was not worried about the constitutionality of Obamacare, or "not his first concern".  Great.  We have a senator that doesn't care if laws are constitutional or not.

There were asked about what they would do about some reforms to the healthcare system they would like to see done if Obamacare is rendered unconstitutional.

I would have to say that George Allen did have the best answer on this.  He was stressing HSA's.  Which I am a huge fan of.  I had one for years and it worked very well.  HSA's were done in Indiana on the state level under Gov. Daniels and reduced costs for the state and the employees were very happy with them.  It is also the type of plan that Whole Foods offered to its employees.  They work.  The rest didn't seem to have great answers to this question, but did stress federalism.  Which I also am a big fan of.  Healthcare reform should be done at the state level, not at the federal one.

I have decided that I am supporting EW.  I made that decision long before last night.  But last night only solidified my belief that I am doing the right thing.  Hands down he won the debate.  He had the room on their feet by the end of his closing statement.  The only candidate that was able to accomplish that.

He also made some fans last night.  Three people who I know went in being Allen supporters and left saying they would vote for EW.  He is very impressive when you hear him speak.  He has the ability to inspire you.  His passion comes through.  Matter of fact, a friend of mine and I went sign blitzing after the debate.  We made sure that voters in Fairfax will be reminded of EW.

Even though I am no fan of Bob Marshall I would have to say he came in second.   He had very good answers to most questions.  He spoke of following the constitution.

I can't really say who finished last between Jaime and George.  George was overly cautious and I heard one person say that he seem "tired".  Not tired today, but in general.  Jaime's answers seemed canned and forced.  She stuck to talking points and you didn't see her, if you know what I mean.  She had a game plan going in and followed it.  I just question if that was the correct game plan.

I will tell you if George Allen doesn't get the nod, it will be national news.  No one is really paying all the much attention to this primary.  They may realize that they are making a mistake.   But I have to say the grassroots is split, so it will more than likely mean it will be Allen.  But I, and many other grassroots activists will be working hard over the next few weeks to show them not to take us for granted.  We have minds of our own and we can be very convincing.  This is race is far from over.

EW Jackson for Senate.  He is good and honest man.  We need more of them in Washington.  Or should I say we need at least one of them there.

Quote of the Day - VA State Delegate Bob Marshall Edition

"TSA was created 4 out-of-work urologists."

Today at the first of 3 debates for the GOP nomination for the Virginia senate race.

See Bloggers Do Make a Difference - FCRC Will Be Giving Free Tickets to GOP Debate

Yesterday I wrote about the local republican party here in Fairfax County, Virginia and the upcoming GOP debates for the open senate seat.  You can read that here, in case you missed it.  


The general gist of the post was that even though I received an email by the chairman of the party stating that the tickets for the upcoming debate in Northern Virginia would be free, the Fairfax County Republican Committee was requesting you volunteer for two hours in order to get your free tickets.  My point was that it was deceptive and wrong to handle it in this fashion.  


I not only blogged about it, but I also used my social networking connections to spread the word about this.  I emailed the Chairman.  I contacted larger blogs too.  Around noon time the head of the FCRC called my friend Phil to let him know that I would be getting my ticket without being forced into doing volunteer work.  


Great for me, but what about the rest of the people in NOVA?  This was never about me getting a ticket, this was about allowing the voters access to the candidates so they can make up their own minds who they are going to vote for.  


For those who don't live in this area you may not be aware of the background.  George Allen is our former governor and senator.  He was the one that made that now infamous Mecacca comment six years ago, which played a part in him losing his re-election bid to the senate.  For some in the tea party and grassroots movement George Allen represents all that is wrong with the republican party.  He is conservative in many ways, but he also did some big government and fiscally irresponsible things during his tenure in the senate.  He is considered by some to be part of the good ol' boys club of the republican leadership that is more interested in power than in conservatism.  They are looking for to elect another of the three candidates who are running.  


They feel very strongly that FCRC is in the tank for the Allen campaign.  Many feel that they were also in the tank for Romney.  While I do know that many are Romney supporters, I can't say for certain that they are "in the tank" for any candidate.  I can't get into the head of another person.  I just can tell you how other grassroots supporters are feeling and discussing with me among others.  


The post got enough of a response that emails and phone calls were flying this morning and this afternoon.  The bottom line is this.  All tickets will be free for everyone without any strings attached.  All you need to do is go pick them up at the FCRC headquarters in Fairfax.  


This is the best solution for everyone.  There are people who are not able to volunteer for the party as they are putting their efforts towards one of the candidates.  There are also people who may be elderly or handicapped, and can't make it to the Fairfax office for two hours.  


This debate is for the voters, not for the party to use as some tool to force get people to volunteer for a few hours.  This came down from on high.  I am not sure exactly how high up in the party it went, but high enough that FCRC has backed down and tickets are available on a first come first served basis.  


For other bloggers out there, the lesson here is that no matter how small your readership may be, if they are willing to put actions to your words, you have accomplished something.  I want to say a special thank you to Smitty over at The Other McCain for helping get the word out on this.  


I am looking forward to hearing what the Bishop has to say in the debates.  Check out his website.  He is a good man and I think would make an awesome Senator.  


Can I just say that Smitty and I ROCK!!!!  


Thanks to the party for getting the message that it is about the voters, not the party.  We deserve the chance to hear the candidates in their own words so we can decide for ourselves who will represent us in November.  

And The Republican Party Wonders Why They Can't Make Traction in Fairfax County, Virginia

As many know, there is an open senate seat in Virginia due to the retirement of Sen. Jim Webb.  The GOP has four candidates running in the primary.  There will be a series of debates before the primary.  One such debate is in Northern Virginia.  For those who may not be aware, Northern Virginia is progressive central.  The reason that many here are unhappy with Obama is because he has not been left enough.  As you can imagine the republican party has a hard time gaining ground in this atmosphere.  

This race is said not to be all that competitive, George Allen is expected to win the primary handily.  But, the "experts" have been wrong before.  I like George Allen, but there are few other interesting candidates as well.  So I was really looking forward to hearing the debate before making up my mind who I was going to support in the primary.  


As some may know, I no longer can drive for health reasons.  So I have to take the bus to get anywhere during the day.  For those who have never had the pleasure of taking mass transit, the buses don't exactly run the most direct route.  You can go all over kingdom come to get to your final destination.  The bus I needed to take to the Fairfax County Republican Committee office is one such bus.  It is maybe 10 miles, but it takes more than hour to get there.  I then have to walk about a quarter mile to get to the office.  


Today is the day that the tickets are supposed to be available.  Here is a portion of the email that I received, you can read the entire email here:

The third debate will be held on Friday May 25^th at 6:30pm at the Fairview Park Marriott located at 3111 Fairview Park Drive – Falls Church, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Northern Virginia debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Fairfax and Loudoun GOP Victory Centers.

I take two hours out of my day to get to the office to pick up my "free" tickets.  When I get there I am told that I have to volunteer for two hours.  Hmm, here is the definition of free from dictionary.com:

Idioms 44.for free, Informal . without charge: The tailor mended my jacket for free.

 Now, is it just me, or is asking someone to perform two hours of "volunteer" work a form of payment?  So lets go back to dictionary.com and find out what volunteer means:

vol·un·teer

noun1.a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for aservice or undertaking 2. a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

yeah, I think it is a form of payment.  Which means that the tickets are not free.  So I said to the women at the office today that I thought the are free.  She said they are.  Really?  How so?  She then tells me that the email from the Chairman said that volunteer work would be required to get the "free" tickets.  Uh, no it doesn't.  


So I wasted well over two hours of my time and have no tickets to the debate.  When I got back home I sent  the following email to the Chairman:

I am writing to tell you how deceptive the FCRC is.  The below email says that the tickets for the debate are free.  I no longer drive for health reasons, so it took me two hours round trip to get to the office today to pick up my "free" tickets.  Come to find out according to them free means that I have to do two hours of volunteer work.  I even inquired on why the email said that the tickets are free, she said they are free.  How exactly is something free if you are required to work for two hours?  I was told that your email said that they were looking for volunteer help in exchange for the "free" tickets.  Unless I am missing something the below email says nothing about volunteering.  

I have given money and volunteered in the past.  No more.  The RPV will never get another dime or one bit of help from me again.  This is why you can't make traction in Fairfax County.  No one wants to deal with people who are purposely deceptive.  

There is no way for me to get to the office in Loudon County to get my so-called "free" tickets.  So I guess I won't be going to the debate.  But I can guarantee you what I will be doing moving forward for the RPV is a big fat zero.  Never again will I do work for them.  I will not phone bank nor will I give money.  It is not like I was some huge donor by any stretch of the imagination, but every dollar helps when you fighting an uphill battle in a county such as this one.  


Thanks for nothing FCRC.  Lets go back to dictionary.com one final time:

de·cep·tive
adjective1.apt or tending to deceive: The enemy's peaceful overtures maybe deceptive.2.perceptually misleading: It looks like a curved line, but it'sdeceptive.

   [dih-sep-tiv]  Show IPA


Yeah, I would say that about covers it.   


This isn't so much that I am not willing to do volunteer work.  I have done plenty.  I can list plenty of examples of work that I have done.  Matter of fact I was at the FCRC's office not all that long ago doing data entry work for the delegate conventions that are coming up.  This is about principle.  If you are going to send out an email saying that the tickets are free, they should actually be free.  


Linked at The Other McCain.  Thanks, Smitty (Who by the way is a member of the FCRC)

Updates on Virginia GOP Senate Debates - Dates, Locations, and Ticket Info

Want to unsubscribe? Click this link.

Pat Mullins, Chairman 

Friends-

A few days after our successful 2011 elections I announced that RPV would be hosting a series of U.S. Senate Republican debates this spring to allow all Virginians to hear directly from our terrific candidates.

I am happy to announce that the dates, times, and locations for those debates have been finalized and I want to invite you to attend.

The first debate will be held on Saturday April 28^th at 3:00pm at the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Convention Center located at 2801 Hershberger Road – Roanoke, Virginia.  The debate is open to the public and seating is on a first come, first serve basis.  Doors will open at 2:15pm.

The second debate will be held on Friday May 11^th at 6:30pm at the Cavalier Hotel located at 4201 Atlantic Avenue – Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Virginia Beach debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Virginia Beach Victory Center. You must have a ticket to attend.

The third debate will be held on Friday May 25^th at 6:30pm at the Fairview Park Marriott located at 3111 Fairview Park Drive – Falls Church, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Northern Virginia debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Fairfax and Loudoun GOP Victory Centers.You must have a ticket to attend.This debate will also feature questions submitted through Facebook from people all across Virginia. You can begin posting questions on Monday, April 16th at www.Facebook.com/VirginiaGOP.  You will be able to vote on a specific question to be asked at the debate beginning on May 14th atwww.RPV.org/2012Debates.

I hope you will consider attending one of these debates and hearing directly from our Republican Senate candidates.  For more information about the debates, please visit www.RPV.org/2012Debates.

Sincerely,

Newt V. John King

I wonder how long he prepared this comeback?  He had to know it was coming, and it was no surprise that it was question 1.  


I don't think it was out of bounds to ask it, but you have to love Newt's ability to stand the heat.  


Here is my view, cheating is a sign of character.  There is no way around that.  But the truth is that this is old news.  He doesn't run from, he doesn't excuse it, and it seems that he has changed his heart and his life.  The two people who got hurt the most by his behavior, his children, have let it go and it is time the rest of us do as well.  I feel sorry for his second wife.  She slept with a married man, broke up a marriage, hurt two children, then acts shocked when he did the same to her.  There is such a thing called kharma.  

Twitter Response to GOP Debate

This was interesting.  Romney didn't come off as believable.  Going by this, Newt did better than Santorum.

Newt Vs. Juan Williams One of the best moments of the GOP Debate

SNL Take on GOP Debate

They do mock these debates well.  Again, a little over the top on some, but all and all very funny.

Dennis Miller on Occupy Wall Street, the GOP Debates, and Halloween

I have been on a self imposed TV hiatus.  This weekly segment is one of the things that I really miss.  Luckily, I remember to look up the videos from time to time.  This is Dennis Miller at his finest.  Enjoy:

Fox News Google GOP Debate

Ok, first, the debate was way toooooooooo long.



I personally feel that Perry did better. I am not sure that is a popular belief though. He still did some damage to himself tonight with his answers on in-state tuition and immigration. I feel that as a governor of a border state his view is different from others. He has a very long border with Mexico and the economy of his state is very intertwined with immigrants be it legal or illegal. I do not agree with in-state tuition for illegals. Is it a deal breaker? Not really because that is not a federal issue, that is a state issue. So as president it wouldn't have anything to do with him. I also do agree with him that the policies that will lead to fixing our porous borders have to be done on the federal level and will require boots on the ground.


Newt is a smart man and a good debater. But I do feel this was his weakest performance yet. He could potentially be a good VP candidate. Can you imagine him debating Joe Biden? That would be classic.


Michele Bachmann did a better job with her answer on Gardasil this time around, but too little too late. She did nothing to help herself today and her candidacy will not lead to the nomination. She does look fabulous in red though.


Ron Paul did a very good job tonight. I agree with him on many fiscal issues and the rights of the states. He didn't answer many questions on foreign policy so that is a help with many in the republican gop base, as that is where he loses much of his support.


Rick Santorum is another very good debater. He also would make a strong VP candidate. But he did nothing that will bring him to the upper tier of candidates.


I was happy to see that Fox decided to include Gary Johnson. I have felt is was very unfair to include Huntsman and leave out Johnson. He did nothing to help himself. He will fade into oblivion after Iowa, if he makes that far.


Romney again proved that he can debate on the issues. I don't like his answers on Romneycare, mainly because they are not even truthful. To me he really hurt himself with the GOP base by going back to his answer about an executive order to give waivers on Obamacare. That will not solve the problem. It must be repealed on the legislative level otherwise the feds will still be required by law to fund it. But part of his plan in these debates is to do no harm, and he did accomplish that.


Huntsman gave some good answers, but he does stray from conservative principles and that is a deal breaker for me. But he held his own tonight.


Hands down the winner of tonight's debate was Herman Cain. He sharpened his answers, he has done his due diligence on the issues and his 9-9-9 plan is something that I could get behind. I don't like everything about it, but it is a start. He will get more people to notice him and will more than likely drive some cash flow to his campaign. He is a likable man and has a compelling and very human life story. General election voters like that. I looked up the stats on the blog and see that some hits have come in where he stands on the issues, so he did himself some good tonight. I personally believe that the best he can hope for is the VP slot and I do believe that he would fill that role well. I firmly believe that the job of the VP during a general election campaign is to be the attack dog, and he will do that very well. He is an articulate man who can draw a crowd in. I have seen him speak three or four different times and it is something to watch live.

The Tea Party/CNN Debate

Winners:







Newt hands down won the debate to me. He was articulate and had some great zingers too.






‘President Obama Scares Them Every Single Day’






Michele Bachmann's performance was much improved over last week. She also didn't look like she had bed head, so that was a help too. I personally think she went too far with the Gardasil attack. I think many in the country don't necessarily object to the drug, but do object to the mandatory nature of shot. Personally, my biggest objection is that he did by executive order. That doesn't sit well with me.






Rick Santorum is very good debater. He still has no shot at the nomination, but he would make a solid VP pick, especially if the worst possible scenario of Huntsman getting the nomination comes to pass.






Huntsman should be hanging his head in absolute shame when asked about how women are treated under the Taliban basically he said, it sucks to be you, now go away. Disgraceful.






As usual Romney avoided all the tough questions and did no damage. He didn't win, but he didn't lose.






Herman Cain had some very good moments. But, a Tea Party audience is tailored made for him. I dont' think it will bring him up to the next tier of candidates, but it will help with his fundraising I am sure.






Ron Paul, was well, Ron Paul. If you agree with him, you think he did great. If you are not inclined to agree with him he looked like a fool.






The biggest loser was Rick Perry. He had a hard time defending himself against the attacks that came from all angles tonight. He did especially bad on the Gardasil issue. He said he was offended that Bachmann thought he could be bought off for $5,000. It almost sounded like he could be bought off for a higher amount. (not saying that is true, but it sounded a tad like that, to me anyway). I personally agree with him on the fence issue. It would be outrageously expensive and wouldn't be all that effective. They would just dig under it, the drug tunnels are testament to that. But he will have some problems on immigration. He is perceived as weak on that issue. I met someone recently who grew up in Texas in a small town. Due to where she lived and the land her parents have she told me that like it or not, the right needs to accept a worker's visa. They are necessary. She said that people who don't live it, have a different view of the immigration problem than the governor of a border state will. She is a conservative who doesn't want to see amnesty, but has a perspective that I certainly don't understand living in the mid atlantic and in an urban setting.






Did Perry lose badly enough to lose the nomination? No. But he needs to improve if he wants to keep his frontrunner status.

York Questions Bachmann on Submissive Wives

Byron York is getting some jeers around the conservative blogosphere for his question of Michelle Bachmann.

(Sorry, this was the only video on You Tube that I could find of this and I am not being allowed to upload anything but You Tube Videos for some reason).

I actually think that this is a fair question.  Bachmann makes no secret of the fact that she is an Evangelical Lutheran.  She talks about her living her life by biblical principles.  Not everyone in this country understand what this means.  There are many misconceptions about what her faith is and a woman's role in it.  This question was not of bounds since this is a statement that she has made.  He asked her about her own words.  If she wants to be President of the United States her words matters.  One of the things that always bothered me about the treatment that Barack Obama received during his run for the presidency is that he wasn't asked about his own words and his own past actions.  Much of it was glossed over by the mainstream media.  Maybe he wouldn't have gotten elected has more people known what some of his words were.  Maybe more people wouldn't have the false impression that he is centrist.

These are questions that will be asked if she is the nominee, she may as well answer them now. 
As for one statement that I heard that Hillary would never have been asked this question, I can't imagine Hillary ever publically saying that she was submissive to her husband.  There is no comparision. 

York asked a fair question.  I have said before, language matters and this was the language that she herself used.  She needs to be held accountable for her words.  Simply because she is a woman and a conservative doesn't mean that she should get a pass on that.  All politicans need to be held accountable for what they say and what they believe. 

Good for Byron York for being willing to take the heat and ask tough questions. 


Her answer was brilliant by the way: 

“Marcus and I will be married 30 years coming this September. Submission means respect,” she said. “I respect my husband and he respects me as his wife. We respect each other and love each other. We have five wonderful children and 23 foster children, and I am very proud of him.”

I just heart Michele. 

Herman Cain Declared Winner of South Carolina Debate

Herman Cain won over a great deal of people tonight if this focus group is any indication.  He also seemed to be the winner based on what I saw from traffic on twitter and facebook. 

Personally, I also was very impressed with Tim Pawlenty.  I thought much of what he said made a great deal of sense.  I especially liked that he flat out said he was wrong about cap and tax.  There is also a misunderstanding of his record on that as he only wanted to examine it, he never put into place.  Once the numbers came out he backed off.  He also backed off long before he made his way into presidential politics.  I am reading his book right now, I highly recommend it. 

First GOP Presidental Debate Announced

Nancy Reagan announced that The Reagan Presidental Foundation will be hosting the first debate for the GOP candidates for the run at the presidency in 2012.  No exact date has been released but it is due to take place in the spring of 2011 at Reagan's library in Simi Valley. 

Now, we have not yet had anyone "officially" announce for president.  But today Gov. Pawlenty has a OP/ED piece in The Union Leader.  One of New Hampshire's largest papers.  In this piece he uses the analogy of our government spending spree like that of an open bar at wedding.  Many people will drink much more if the drinks are free than if you have to pay for them.  I have been known to do that a time or two myself.  The point being that Pawlenty is going to run, there can be little doubt about that. 

I do believe that Gingrich is also going to run, this would be his last chance to do so due to his age; but he has little chance of getting the nomination.  Herman Cain has been very public about his desire to run, but he is relatively unknown and has never held public office.  While he has been a successful businessman, it will be a long row to hoe for him.  I personally, would love to see him debate Obama, that would be a sight.

Gov. Palin is still playing coy about running, but I find it highly unlikely that she won't run.  The way she is raising money with her Pac says that she is using it to build a grassroots list.  Obama has shown how sucessful that can be when trying to raise money. 

Congressman Pence will be running for a different office in 12; either Gov. of Indiana or President.  We will have to wait to see which.  That would be the only logical reason why he has given up his leadership position in the house. 

Who else do you expect to see on that stage?  With such an early date, it should be quite crowded.  Especially when you consider the "shellacking" that President Obama and Dems just took, Obama looks like easy pickings to be a one term president.