MASON CONSERVATIVE

Sully Update: John Litzenberger Is Also For Real

John Litzenberger's kickoff was (finally) held today and from what I'm hearing it was a smashing success.  Estimates puts total attendance around 100 people total, which is amazing for an event at a winery on a Tuesday at 6 pm.  The people there were also interesting as apparently there were very few politicos but rather mostly friends and colleagues of Litzenberger's from community associations, civil groups, and local sports volunteers.  Since this is a firehouse primary, this is a very good sign for Litzenberger.  His event had probably had more people than Guevara and Schoeneman combined.  

Also worth noting, Pat Herrity's member on the Planning Commission, Peter Murphy, was there supporting Litzenberger.

Establishment Bearing Drift: Don't Give RPV Money. Establishment Jeb Bush: RPV, Here Is $10,000

In the words of Happy Gilmore, "talk about one of your all-time backfires"

Matt Hall wrote an impassioned plea that Virginia Republicans should refrain from giving RPV money because its being taken over by those mongrel hordes of tea partiers who, heaven forbid, operate without paying out huge dues to consultants.  I'm not sure how he squeezed close to 1,300 words out of an argument that boils down to "don't give RPV money because Eric Cantor said so" but I was a young blogger once who thought more was better, so I guess I can see it.  

Bitching and moaning aside, this is great news for RPV.  The #1 priority of John Whitbeck has to be getting as much money out of this presidential primary as humanly possible.  The Virginia primary hasn't meant a damn since 2000 when Jim Gilmore famously said "The McCain Straight Talk Express has run out of gas" in Virginia.  In 2008 Mitt Romney dropped out right before the Potomac Primary, and we all know the disaster that was in 2012.  As a swing state, this primary has to count and RPV needs to monetize that.  Big kudos to Jeb Bush, seriously.  All Republicans (well, not all) should welcome Bush for this and thank him.  I would think Bearing Drift would be a little more careful posting articles about RPV and fundraising.

This really is a juvenile post that somehow wraps the argument that we need to starve RPV around a theme that all Republicans need to work together and ROI.  I know, it was bizarre.  What we really need is a strong, independent RPV that runs itself so we aren't reliant on a congressman and his consultants who couldn't even be bothered to hold town hall meetings.  Is that who we want to follow?  We need a state party that is active across the entire commonwealth, can raise money independently, create a physical and technical infrastructure that will help all candidates regardless of where they come, from within Grace Street.  I think Whitbeck is doing great so far, and leveraging Virginia's unique position in presidential elections will be key to getting RPV back in the black and moving it forward.

Huh?

This has to be the weirdest campaign flier I've ever seen.