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Election Recommendations
Nov. 3rd, 2008 05:45 amI'm not really enthusiastic about most of the races in this election. That isn't all that surprising in the presidential race, since I haven't been enthusiastic about a presidential candidate since John Anderson back in 1980. I will vote for Obama, largely because McCain has shown every indication of pandering to the Christian right elements of the Republican party. His choice of Palin as a running mate reflects a serious lack of judgement and his disdain for women's rights (and other civil rights) is evident. My reservations about Obama have to do with his lack of experience. But I can also argue that my favorite president of all time, Woodrow Wilson, had no significant experience either. (He was governor of New Jersey for one term and President of Princeton University before that.) And I do think Obama has a respectable list of advisors.
The race I am enthusiastic about is for the Senate. Both candidates in Virginia are former governors. While I didn't move here until after Jim Gilmore's administration, it's been the conventional wisdom in the state for some time that Gilmore ran the state economy into the ground and Mark Warner rescued it. Warner is exactly my type of candidate - centrist and pragmatic. (In fact, he describes himself as a "radical centrist.") He understands that nobody likes taxes but they are necessary to pay for services. He was capable of working well across party lines here and I think he will do the same in the Senate.
The 11th Congressional district is, alas, another one where I am faced with lesser of evils. I don't much care for Gerry Connolly, who has been the Fairfax County supervisor for a while. But his opponent, Keith Fimian, is emphasizing his belief in trickle down economics, which I think has been largely discredited. I'm also concerned that Fimian is advertising his lack of any political experience as a virtue. And, finally, I have gotten a lot of robocalls from Fimian's campaign.
By the way, the really interesting thing in the 11th district is that this is one the Republicans are likely to have lost for themselves. Most people in Northern Virginia are fairly moderate (this is, allegedly, the richest district in the country) and would have voted for Tom Davis had he run for reelection. And why did he choose to retire? He was quoted as saying, "We have such an opportunity to put together a coalition that's good for Virginia. Instead of opening up the party to people who agree with them on many issues, they've decided to have an admissions test [on abortion and taxes]. And that's not a winning formula for them or for Virginia."
Which pretty much sums up why I'm not voting for any Republicans this time out. It's become a party that no longer welcomes moderates. Today's GOP would have no room for the likes of Jacob Javits or Lowell Weicker. I'm not even sure it would make room for Abraham Lincoln.
Finally, the only local issue on the ballot here is a bonds measure for parks. I would normally support this, but I'm not convinced it's a good idea with the current economy. It's not like Fairfax County is underserved with parks as it is. Borrowing money for luxuries like an observatory in Great Falls can wait.
The race I am enthusiastic about is for the Senate. Both candidates in Virginia are former governors. While I didn't move here until after Jim Gilmore's administration, it's been the conventional wisdom in the state for some time that Gilmore ran the state economy into the ground and Mark Warner rescued it. Warner is exactly my type of candidate - centrist and pragmatic. (In fact, he describes himself as a "radical centrist.") He understands that nobody likes taxes but they are necessary to pay for services. He was capable of working well across party lines here and I think he will do the same in the Senate.
The 11th Congressional district is, alas, another one where I am faced with lesser of evils. I don't much care for Gerry Connolly, who has been the Fairfax County supervisor for a while. But his opponent, Keith Fimian, is emphasizing his belief in trickle down economics, which I think has been largely discredited. I'm also concerned that Fimian is advertising his lack of any political experience as a virtue. And, finally, I have gotten a lot of robocalls from Fimian's campaign.
By the way, the really interesting thing in the 11th district is that this is one the Republicans are likely to have lost for themselves. Most people in Northern Virginia are fairly moderate (this is, allegedly, the richest district in the country) and would have voted for Tom Davis had he run for reelection. And why did he choose to retire? He was quoted as saying, "We have such an opportunity to put together a coalition that's good for Virginia. Instead of opening up the party to people who agree with them on many issues, they've decided to have an admissions test [on abortion and taxes]. And that's not a winning formula for them or for Virginia."
Which pretty much sums up why I'm not voting for any Republicans this time out. It's become a party that no longer welcomes moderates. Today's GOP would have no room for the likes of Jacob Javits or Lowell Weicker. I'm not even sure it would make room for Abraham Lincoln.
Finally, the only local issue on the ballot here is a bonds measure for parks. I would normally support this, but I'm not convinced it's a good idea with the current economy. It's not like Fairfax County is underserved with parks as it is. Borrowing money for luxuries like an observatory in Great Falls can wait.
