On Tuesday, November 4th, at around 9pm Pacific Time, I had the privilege of announcing to a packed Parkway Theatre - where folks from Oakland, CA were gathered to watch the election returns -- "My first grade friend Tom Perriello is going to Congress!!" The whole place burst into applause. Everyone knows how great it feels to know someone who "makes good."
But, my enthusiasm had gotten ahead of me... the lead swung wildly back and forth between Democrat Perriello and the incumbent xenophobe Virgil Goode for the privilege of representing Virginia's 5th which includes our hometown Charlottesville.
But today, Perriello has opened up a real lead - he's at over 50%.
(more on the flip)
Tom and I were friends and rivals in elementary school, Meriwether Lewis. We were the top two finishers in a 5th grade public speaking competition, and we advanced to the regional round. Tom's speech about his teeth-chattering, agony-filled experience breaking his arm at at University of Virginia football game trumped my (admittedly plagiarized from a National Geographic) dissertation on the Maya peoples' love for chocolate... Yup, Tom WON and beat all his 10-year-old rivals. A taste of things to come.
Anyway, let's all give some love to Tom P. for taking out Goode and restoring some sanity to Virginia's 5th.
Wait a sec. Before I get ahead of myself a second time: It's not over 'til it's over. Virginia hasn't certified it yet. Fingers crossed... Let's hope the lawyers are on the scene...