Happy Labor Day! I was once again happy to be with friends and loved ones in Buena Vista (pronounced byoona – don’t mess it up) celebrating Labor Day with Virginia Democrats! We began the day with a packed breakfast; according to Ron Gravatt, former chair of the Buena Vista Democratic Committee and current executive board member of the Lexington-Rockbridge-Buena Vista Democrats, turnout was the highest it had ever been. Omens are always good when you can sell out tickets to an event at 7:30 in the morning. We heard from dynamite speakers including Sen. Creigh Deeds who represented us for many years and will always be a friend to Rockbridge County, our amazing candidate for Congress Ken Mitchell, and US Senator Tim Kaine, beloved from the mountains to the coast. They hyped us up and closed us out with a harmonica and guitar performance of “This Land is Your Land”. Then, it was time for the parade.
Our group, over 200 strong by the end, marched through the streets of Buena Vista with joy in our step and freedom in our hearts. We met voters, gave bright cheers, and showed the entire town and the nation that though we not always win locally, that though we might be in a “red” area, that though others might write us off, that the heart of the party and the heart of democracy itself is strong and beating proudly right here in rural Virginia. Our parade was made up of organizers, of union workers, of teachers, of healthcare workers, of volunteers, and of patriots, and we didn’t have to bus them in from all corners of the Commonwealth like the Republicans did for their meager numbers (at the pavilion, we outnumbered them just like we did last year, no caravan necessary). Our contingent was made of local folks who have been fighting tooth and nail for years to carry the Democratic banner here, and friends? They let that banner fly today.
Then it was time for the speeches. I want to take a moment to thank Mayor of Buena Vista Tyson Cooper for MCing – he did a phenomenal job. I also want to thank law enforcement; we like to have fun, but we don’t want anyone getting hurt.
The speeches began with Governor Glenn Youngkin, who I assume thought this would be a walk in the park for him. We promptly told him to take that walk through Glen Maury Park right on back to his mansion and to never come back. His speech was nothing but pure partisan drivel. Youngkin has no great accomplishments, and in the twilight of his term, he tried to make some up as if everyone else in the room couldn’t see right through him. He’s as flimsy as a piece of rice paper, especially when he tries to speak for working people on Labor Day of all days. Upton Sinclair called; The Jungle wants its labor policies back. We booed him off the stage as he tried to figure out his lefts and rights in real time. The sad thing about it is the reason he couldn’t understand the seating orientation is because he’s so self centered – it’s about the view of the people, not the politician.
Tim Kaine and Ken Mitchell really are class acts. Their speeches were to the point – they weren’t in Buena Vista to play he said she said and they weren’t there to make a spectacle of themselves. What Kaine and Mitchell did was stand up for us, the working class rural folks who make up the 6th Congressional District and Virginia, and tell the audience what their policies have done and will do to continue making our home a better place. They inspired the crowd with hope, reverence, and the assurance that they are giving their all to get the job done. We’ll reelect Senator Kaine, send Ken Mitchell to Congress, and together with future President Harris, they’ll buckle down and deliver for our communities.
Hung Cao was too chicken to show up. No one was surprised.
Then we come to Ben Cline, our local insurrectionist. Cline should really stop coming to these events. He fled Lexington for Botetourt because he knows his home county sees right through his grifting and his lies. No one wants to pay a Congressman six figures to sit on his ass all day and vote no on literally anything that could help his constituents, and yet he still believes he’s entitled to a red carpet roll out. Just stay home Ben. His speech consisted of seesawing wildly between claiming that Virginia was the best it has ever been because of Youngkin and himself while simultaneously claiming the Biden admin had destroyed our Commonwealth. Which is it, Ben? Having issues discerning reality? I think his habitual lying has finally caught up with him. He also held up a pair of Adidas slides and said VP Harris really needed them for her policies; either he was making a weak Bush joke or Ben really stays so sheltered in his MAGA silo that he doesn’t know what a pair of flip flops is, let alone owns a pair. Maybe he’d do better if his handlers took him for a trip to the beach to socialize him.
Lt. Governor Winsome Sears was next to take the stage, and what followed was approximately ten minutes of some of the most awkward tryhard performance art I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness. If she was auditioning for a comedy in the vein of 19th century minstrel shows, she would have nailed the part. I knew we were in for a show when she screamed “Good morning BWAYNA Vista” and when the audience groaned (as they should), she repeated her mistake even louder.
Devoid of any class, reason, or respect for her office, Lt. Governor Sears launched into a tirade of one liners and squeals so loud she nearly caused the speaker system to malfunction. As we laughed at her little show, she repeatedly kept throwing her arms to the wind and gyrating as she gave her best telenovela impression of Kamala’s iconic “I’m speaking” line. Finally, in a sorry attempt to repeat her 2021 lie (bestie needs to get some new material), she claimed that the Democrats told her to “go back to Jamaica” and that the entire city of Buena Vista was racist for telling a Black woman to get off the stage. As I stood in the very front, a Black woman standing side by side with another Black woman, looking Lt. Gov Sears and the Republicans in the eye as she claimed that WE were the racist ones for telling her to stop lying for once in her life, I found myself feeling a deep and profound sadness for her. It was an absolute caricature of a political speech, and I wish Winsome Sears all the best in her quest to gain some self respect without making a spectacle of herself.
Sen. Chris Head’s speech was nothing short of a repeat of his tantrum from last year, followed by his very best Trump impression as he has no real personality or policies to speak of, let alone any material accomplishments to show for the year he’s represented this district. If he needs help with his speeches, perhaps he should consult ChatGPT – even a robot could do a better job. Once again, the Republicans have sent a seat warmer to office to collect a check and do nothing.
What followed were a few nothing to write home about speeches from Independent and Libertarian candidates, both attempting to appeal to the Republicans on the other side of the room with inflammatory rhetoric. One of the candidates, the one who’d arrived in a vehicle with California plates, even offered to fistfight Ben Cline. Though we agree on nothing policywise, I’d pay for ringside tickets.
Del. Ellen Campbell popped on stage for about 45 seconds to cool things off with a noncommittal handwave towards the Republican ticket. Despite her lack of courage to speak with her chest, she was the sanest GOPer there.
Once again, thanks to the work of local organizers, the 53rd annual Buena Vista Labor Day Parade and political speeches were a resounding success for Democrats, for the town, and for all those who love democracy and hate liars and crooks. I hope to see some of you reading this marching with us in support of our new statewide ticket next year; it’s always the most important (and most fun!) political event in the Commonwealth.
