AG Race: Word On The Street

I'm hearing from ground that at the upcoming Advance, the John Brownlee campaign is using campaign funds to pay to bus and register supporters to the event so they can vote in the AG straw poll.  Like much of Brownlee's campaign, this is another example of smoke and mirrors used to make him look stronger than he is.  Not to mention it is inherently dishonest and against the spirit of the Advance.  Its suppose to be about the chance for candidates and activists to get together and work together to move the party forward.  Of course there are disagreements and rivalries, but in doing this Brownlee is trying to make it look like the activists and committed grassroots Republicans support him over Senator Cuccinelli by packing the court, so to speak.  He is trying to use ringers to stake claim to the support of the grassroots activists.  Now he might have some, for sure.  But what I want to know is why Brownlee feels like he needs to do this, if its true?  Does he not think the activists support him?  Is he trying to silence their voice within the party by cherry picking scabs at the Advance?  If Brownlee wants to prove to the grassroots that he has deep support, why doesn't he take on Cuccinelli on an even field at the straw poll?  It an inherent sign of weakness that concerns me if Brownlee feels like he has to reduce his campaign to this just to win a straw poll.  If he needs to do this, how will he stand a chance against Steve Shannon?

Its clear who has the real strength, the real experience at building a winning electoral coalition with conservative principles, and who has the real stomach to fight Democrats with ideas and beat them on their turf - that being Ken Cuccinelli.  Ken has won three straight elections in Fairfax county, each time be targeted by state Democrats and out-of-state special interest groups, and each time he stood tall and won.  And he never had to make ideological compromises to do it.  And he's never had to bus in supporters to make him look stronger than he was.  He just used hard work, a great message, and tremendous organizational skill.  And that is what we need to bookend the McDonnell-Bolling ticket.  

Comments

[The Northern Virginia Conservative]

Sort of like what the Ron Paul campaign did at last year's Advance. I'm a big fan of Paul, but I didn't appreciate them doing that.

[Fairfax Insider]

How do you feel about the fact that neither McDonnell nor Bolling want Cucinnelli on the ballot with them?

[Chris]

I don't particularly like it, but its also not their call is it? Its up to the party at the stat convention, isn't it? Haven't we had enough of this preordained tickets after losing over and over?

Besides, once they see the base excitement and organization Ken brings I think they will get over it.

[200 Grande]

Fairfax Insider,

What proof do you have to purport as a fact that McDonnell or Bolling do not want Cuccinelli on the ticket? Notwithstanding blog-trolls such as yourself, neither has made any statement to that effect.

Care to enlighten us?

[Joe]

You mean Brownlee is doing the exact same thing candidate for LG and AG did four years ago?

Yeah, Chris, Joe is right. This seems like YOU are "cherry picking" an activity that previous candidates have done, just to cover a personal bias that you have for Cuccinelli. If you support Cooch, fine, but at least give us a better reason or reasons than, "Brownlee is paying supporters to vote in a straw poll."

The real question is, if you are using this tactic to try and smear Brownlee, what are you hiding about your support for Cooch??

[RedVirginia]

Here is the proof that McDonnell is in the bag for Brownlee. McDonnell uses Phil Cox, the senior vice-president of Americans for Prosperity, as his consultant. So does Brownlee. McDonnell is Cox's biggest client. Of course McDonnell is behind the Brownlee campaign, you would be brain dead to deny it.

Steve Shannon is an instantly likeable fellow who is a natural at campaigning. I've had neighbors who put out yard signs for the Republican candidates + Steve. He's a lot like Chap as far as garnering crossover voters. Neither of them are extreme people. Of course, statewide office is a little tougher than running in just one district where you have deep roots.

Still, I have to ask which of the THREE Republican candidates will be able to run against Steve most effectively. Steve's got fine qualifications. You have to have someone as good as him, but with some added appeal. I do not know enough about all three Republican AG candidates to pick right now. I think I lean toward Cuccinelli, but I also believe Shannon will be a difficult guy to beat.

[novamiddleman]

For those of you that couldn't make it to the Fairfax Meeting this week. All 3 candidates spoke. All of them did a really nice job. It should be an excellent debate session for those that are going to the Advance. I'm saying all this so people keep an open mind throughout this process

[Bruce]

As a Cucc supporter I have no problem with what Brownlee is doing to organize for the advance.

Straw polls are often a way for candidates to get publicity and to demonstrate their ability to organize and fundraise. Straw polls are not a way to sample support from those who would otherwise attend, they are a way to see who can get MORE people to attend.

And especially as we will be nominating at a convention next year, I believe the ability to convince someone to ride a bus to homestead and the ability to raise the funds to provide them with that ride are good measures of the strengh of the candidate.

This is why the Ames straw poll in Iowa before the presidential caucuses can actually eliminate more people than the caucuses - it is all about strength of organization and fundraising. If you can't compete there, you can not compete statewide or nationally.

Of course, if only one candidate organizes and no one else runs or tries to run, sometimes it the results are ignored. But ask Rudy Giuliani if ignoring races he thought were too parochial so he could focus on big, urban states was effective.

[Daniel]

keep drinking the kool aid, CON Cuccinelli folks. Your candidate is a walking disaster.

[Gnarly]

I'm still very much uncommitted in this race, but what Brownlee is doing here is impressive to me. It shows he's serious about being organized and making his mark among the activists (and not just the same old crowd that comes to this boring drink-fest every year). It's commendable that his campaign is energizing some new folks and getting them involved.

Has anybody seen the election results from 2008 lately? We need to have ALL of our 2009 candidates start organizing busloads of people and getting them involved in the process NOW!