(Cross-posted from BlueCommonwealth)
Democrats have worked HARD in Virginia. For slightly more than seven of the last eight years, we've had a Democratic Governor. We wrested one Senate seat away from the odious George Allen Jr. in 2006. We won the remaining Senate seat decisively during the last election cycle. We picked up three Congressional seats during that election as well.
Democrats in Virginia are dreamers - but we're dreamers who understand our state and its regional diversity. If you've never been here, suffice it to say that Northern Virginia is a world apart from Richmond or Charlottesville or Lynchburg in both voter profile and concerns. Running for office here has always seemed a delicate balancing act for Democrats - you have to secure the Northern Virginia area - which is rich with blue votes - and appeal to the light blue and pink areas enough to put you over the top.
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Virginia has never seemed to me to be a big-name type of place. We back our Democrats here because we believe they are the best Democrat for Virginia at that time. We back them because we want to move Virginia towards a deeper shade of blue each and every election. We don't gravitate towards the "marquee" names when choosing which Democrats we will promote, work for, and vote for - we carefully look at the candidate and the race in which he or she is running and assess positions and ability to win. Then we get in gear, roll up our sleeves, and work.
We are not impressed (Terry McAuliffe) with big warchests of money. That's not how we roll.
We were stuck with racist gasbag George Allen Jr. as Governor from '94-'98. Then it got worse (or at least, it didn't get better) and we were stuck with boring gasbag Jim Gilmore from '98-'02. Then the sunlight broke through a little and we elected Mark Warner to serve from '02-'06. Our current Governor since '06 is Tim Kaine - who has also been selected to be DNC Chair, replacing (as if anyone could) Howard Dean.
Now. Let me be perfectly blunt. I consider both Warner and Kaine (and Webb, for that matter) to be quite moderate as Democrats go. Our journey on the "blueing" of Virginia has been iterative. We strive for a more progressive candidate in each subsequent election. Inch by inch, we're moving Virginia forward. And this upcoming Governor's race is definitely included in that process. So let's look at the Democrats vying for the nomination.
Terry McAuliffe
I already wrote an entire diary about Terry McAuliffe. He's not my idea of the next iteration of progressivism in Virginia. I keep hearing conversation that echo the following:
"I don't know, RenaRF. McAuliffe's money is going to matter, because I hear the Republicans are going to BRING IT during the race. They could send $50M in to retake the Governor's office."
Hm... What does that sound like? It sounds an awful lot like what everyone was saying, prior to January 2008, about Hillary Clinton. That she would bring the money. That she was the only one who could combat the Republican money machine. And who was the fundraiser and participant to that message of financial shock & awe... Oh RIIIIGHT. Terry McAuliffe!! I reject utterly that the mere idea that Terry McAuliffe is going to be such a financial rainmaker is the SOLE reason that he should just walk away with Virginia's Democratic Governor's nomination. Virginia Democrats don't want or need the richest candidate - they want and need the more progressive candidate.
Creigh Deeds
Creigh Deeds seems like a sincerely nice guy. When you talk to people involved in Virginia Democratic politics, you hear that repeatedly whether or not they support him. But I have issues with Creigh Deeds in the area of whether or not he is the most progressive Democrat seeking the Governor's nomination. Virginia's blue-trending arc demands a progressive candidate, not another blue dog.
My biggest issue with Creigh is this:
I also asked Deeds his thoughts on gay rights and gay marriage in Virginia. I knew that he had voted to place the Marshall-Newman Amendment on the ballot, which prohibits the recognition of gay marriage and civil unions in Virginia, and then spoke out and voted against the amendment, believing that its broad wording would have unintended consequences for straight couples. Deeds explained to me that he had voted to place it on the ballot, but then stressed that he spoke out against it and did not vote for it. This I already knew, but I wanted to get a feel for how he really felt about the issue. He then explained that he believed that marriage was a religious issue and that the state shouldn’t be involved in religious issues.
So about that Marshall-Newman Amendment...
The Marshall-Newman Amendment also referred to as the Virginia Marriage Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that defines marriage as solely between one man and one woman and bans recognition of any legal status "approximat[ing] the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage". The amendment was ratified by 57% of the voters on November 7, 2006.
That's not just marriage equality being struck down - that's civil unions for LGBT individuals as well.
So jump back up. Creigh Deeds supposedly "spoke out" against the amendment after supporting it. So one can understand a vote that a person re-thinks later on. But Creigh Deeds voted to SUPPORT that amendment not just once. Not even twice. He voted to support it FIVE TIMES (h/t Todd Smyth for the excellent research):
HJ 586 Constitutional amendment; marriage may exist only between a man and woman 02/18/05
Link
HJ 586 Constitutional amendment; marriage may exist only between a man and woman 02/26/05
Link
HJ 41 Sub-Committee - Constitutional amendment (second resolution); marriage. 02/15/06
Link
HJ 41 Full Committee - Constitutional amendment (second resolution); marriage. 02/16/06
Link
HJ 41 Final Vote - Constitutional amendment (second resolution); marriage. 02/17/06
Link
That's not how progressive Virginia rolls. No more Democrat-lite candidates in a state that saw a 14%+ swing from Bush to Obama between the Presidential elections of 2004 and 2008. It's not just more Democrats we're after - it's more and better Democrats.
Brian Moran
So why Brian Moran? I'll give you a few reasons.
- He's a progressive Democrat
- He's a progressive Democrat
- He's a progressive Democrat
Need more? Here you go...
Support for bold renewable energy (from an email I received from Brian Moran's wonderful staff):
ALEXANDRIA – Today, Brian Moran announced his support for a mandatory commitment to renewable and alternative energy to create thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth. The announcement is a preview of his campaign’s energy and environmental plan which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Virginia currently has a voluntary goal reaching 12% of Virginia’s energy from renewable resources and Moran’s bold plan will more than double the current standard and make it mandatory – he is calling for a 25% mandatory standard by 2025, making a quarter of our energy from renewable sources.
Virginia can be a leader in the area of renewable energy, and Moran’s bold proposal will put Virginia in the top ten states nationally. Moran’s plan is the boldest of any candidate for Governor.
::snip::
Sources of renewable energy that can meet this commitment include solar, wind, energy efficiency, geothermal, hydropower, wave, tidal, waste to energy, and biomass. Currently, 28 states have mandatory RPS standards according to the Pew Charitable Trust. Five others, including Virginia, have voluntary standards. Seven states have 25% RPS (Ill., Minn., N.H., N.Y., Ohio, Ore. and Vt.), while Connecticut is at 27% and Maine at 30%. Moran supports an RPS of 20% by 2020 on the way to his goal.
Moran presented his approach to environmental issues in a September, 2008 speech, in which Moran said "We must reject the false choice between growing our economy and protecting our environment. We can create jobs by investing in a 21st century energy economy." Link to full speech text: http://www.brianmoran.com/...
Brian Moran has been repeatedly named a Legislative Hero by the League of Conservation Voters. In the General Assembly, he worked for new energy efficiency standards and incentives for renewable energy production.
Brian Moran rejects plans for offshore drilling (via email):
"We cannot solve 21st century energy challenges with 19th century fossil fuel. We need new leadership that invests in energy efficiency and alternative and renewable energy to protect our environment and jumpstart our economy by creating thousands of new, green jobs.
It’s unfortunate that the Bush administration is trying to push through an agenda that’s harmful to our environment, damages our tourism economy, and limits the Navy’s ability to protect America. I urge the Bush administration to respect the results of the 2008 election and put an immediate halt to this reckless last-minute attempt at offshore drilling. George Bush must not use his waning weeks in office to undermine Virginia’s economy, damage our environment, or overrule the express wishes of the U.S. Navy.
Drilling offshore will not produce significant fuel for another two decades and would provide an insignificant portion of our domestic need. This is a distraction that takes us away from the nationwide commitment we need to renewable energy sources and the creation of 21st century green jobs."
Moran opposed new coal mega-plant in Virginia (via email):
RICHMOND – On the steps of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Brian Moran pledged that he will stop the proposed coal-fired power plant in Surry County, Virginia, if elected Governor. Today, he visited DEQ’s office to hand deliver a letter calling for a serious investigation into the proposed plant’s environmental impact. Moran highlighted the release of millions of tons of greenhouse gases which increases global warming and the significant health risks posed by the coal-burning plant. The proposed plant would be about 50 miles from two major Virginia population centers in Richmond and Hampton Roads, in addition to being close to the Chesapeake Bay.
"Across the nation and right here in Virginia our energy future is in a precarious position," Moran said. "It is essential that we make sound decisions and act boldly in defense of our quality of life, not just for ourselves, but for our children, and our children’s children. The proposed coal-burning power plant in Surry should not go forward based on the information currently available to the public. 2009 should be the year that we make unprecedented commitments to clean, renewable energy that can preserve our planet and create thousands of new jobs all over the Commonwealth."
A recent report by the Virginia Sierra Club estimates that a major investment in renewable energy could create as many as 55,000 new jobs in Virginia.
And now on a more personal note - I've had the pleasure of talking to both Brian and his wife Karyn on multiple occasions. At a fundraiser in December, I suggested to Brian that he consider attending the Netroots Nation Inaugural "Yes We Can Party". I don't know what I expected in response - but I certainly didn't expect Brian Moran himself to start discussing with me the importance of the Netroots and both of Markos' books, which he has made a point to read and internalize. I guess after that, I wasn't surprised that the Morans did, indeed, attend the Netroots Nation ball. And let me tell you - I was there, and they didn't just come in and shake a few hands and then leave. They spent the bulk of the evening there, in deep discussions of issues with both blogging luminaria (Jerome Armstrong, Marcy Wheeler, Jane Hamsher) and average bloggers.
Let me just close by saying that the upcoming Virginia Governor's race is pivotal. Virginia has a Constitutional amendment establishing a redistricting Commission on the table. The idea is to establish a bi-partisan commission on redistricting. It has come up before and failed, because the Republicans control the Virginia House of Delegates 55-44. Democrats have a slim lead in the Virginia Senate of 21-19.
What this means is that the Republicans are going to be pouring money into the Governor's race in Virginia. In part because of the redistricting Commission, and in part just because. It's going to be important to support a progressive Democrat in Virginia.
I know many of you come here from all of the 50 states and across the world. There are only two Governor's races coming up in November 2009, and Virginia's is one of them. We have made so much progress here - truly - and each successive and successFUL election of a Democrat positions more and more progressive Democrats. It's not enough right now that we've turned Virginia blue - we need to ensure that Virginia continues to trend progressive.
Please consider making a contribution to Brian Moran, Virginia's progressive Democrat. Even a small amount will help - we all know that. If you can remember, add $.09 to the amount of the contribution to designate a Netroots donation.
Let's keep Virginia blue and turning progressive!!
Update [2009-1-23 12:4:7 by RenaRF]: DAYAM - Rec list! Thanks so much! I want to underscore - while I realize this is Virginia issue, I do believe it's relevant to the entire Daily Kos and progressive community as well. It's important to keep building in every race across the country. So thanks for giving this some light here on Daily Kos!