by Mark Lloyd
Some time last fall, before the December 12th meeting that gave us the GOP primary, I contacted each campaign and discussed the three Tea Party debate/forums and promised we would keep them fair to all candidates, and I made a personal promise that I would not make an endorsement until after the third debate. The final debate was held in Danville on a Saturday in late March, and before I was able to get into my truck I was asked by four of the seven campaigns as to who I was going to support. I had no answer, but yesterday I put on a campaign button. Being my first real foray into politics I had no idea what to expect, I knew very little about how things really worked in politics, but I must say the last eight months have been a crash course for me. My education has not only been in the questionable operations of Republican party politics, but I have also been actively involved in the Tea Party movement as local Tea Party leader, as vice chairman of the VFTPP, and participating in some national Tea Party organizations. Through all this my eyes have been opened wide. I have been totally disgusted and depressed with some of what I have seen and heard at times, and I have been thrilled, uplifted and filled with “real” hope at times. Through my experiences I have come to have a much better idea to what I am looking for and expecting of a person who represents me.
I have come to know each and every candidate in the GOP primary race, obviously some better than others. The fact that most of their positions are almost identical, I have had to look at them and choose for other reasons. The candidate that I have personally chosen to support on June 8th is Jim McKelvey. I will support him for the following reasons. Jim is a political outsider. He is a self-made successful businessman, he has had to make payrolls, and balance budgets. On several occasions Jim’s deep and passionate love for our country manifests itself with tears welling up, and him having to stop mid-sentence and regain composure. This is something he has been criticized for, but, so have I. So has Glenn Beck, and others I know who are deeply committed to saving our nation. Jim is willing to take his own resources to serve, refusing a salary, and has at times said in public that if another, more qualified, and similarly movitated candidate were to come along he would “re-wrap the bus.” He is not ruled by his own ambition and ego.
Tuesday, I took Jim up on an invitation to spend a day on the campaign trail riding with him on that bus. He picked me up at 6:30AM and were off to the much less traveled areas of the VA5th. Lucky for me I forgot my cell phone in my truck, and I was not distracted by it. We spent a major portion of the day in Scottsville, and it was an absolute pleasure to watch Jim McKelvey actually listen to these good people. He listened, and they spoke to one another like old friends, and I watched Jim learn from them. He is no politician, he’s not that slick. He doesn’t measure his words and tell people what he thinks they want to hear. Jim McKelvey speaks from his heart, and he listens with it. Jim McKelvey may not be perfect, and none of us are, but he is real, he is smart, he is honest, and he is the man I want to represent me in Washington, DC. I’m proud to put on a “Jim McKelvey for Congress button.” I will be proud to vote for him on June 8th, and I look forward to seeing him replace Tom Pellosi-ello.
That is the same impression I got from McKelvey. He is genuine. He is not driven by a party “make-over” team. He is truly speaking from the heart, and he doesn’t have plans of being a career politician. I believe that he is genuine in his desire to get our country back on track. We have had enough BS, politically motivated, poll driven, politicians telling us what they think we want to hear, and still doing what we don’t like. I believe that McKelvey will actually be responsive to the people in the 5th, and not just feed us the party-line talking points. Jim McKelvey is not the second coming, but for a mortal man spending his own money (no big special interest contributions), he is the best man for the job. I believe that Jim McKelvey deserves your vote on June 8th, and your support to defeat Tom Perriello in November!
Nice sentiments and I respect them! After the primary, and assuming McKelvey does not win, I would ask you to spend a day with Hurt on the campaign trail as he heads towards November and the general election. I would hope that you would see that he is just as genunine!
Well, VaPatriot, I have met Robert Hurt, I’ve watched him deal with the public. I would certainly hope he is as genuine as Jim McK, but, I’m yet to be fully convinced. You see, I have only just now after months of trying to decide actually come to a decision. You, on the other hand, have had your mind made up from the beginning. I don’t think Robert is at all the the rotten person I was told he was by some others. I like Robert, but I see Robert as a politician. Maybe one of the few good ones at that. BUT, I’m NOT looking for a politician. Frankly, I’m just tired of that. If Robert does win, maybe he will invite me to take a day with him. I would most likely go. But, we will have to see how things develop, and how things look on June 9th. But, until further notice, I’m in Jim McKelvey’s camp.
Vapatriot, I have met Robert Hurt, and he came off to me as a Hollywood type. A coached and “made-up” character, sent from Central Casting to say the right things and shake some hands. Tell us what we want to hear, and expect our support. It don’t work like that anymore, Sir. We have been sweet-talked so many times before, we don’t even listen to that anymore. We look for genuine, from the heart conviction. You say Robert Hurt is genuine, but when the RNC tries to impose it’s choice, over and above the constituents, that is a huge red flag. WE DON’T APPRECIATE THAT AT ALL! We prefer to decide for ourselves, who will represent us. I have one word for you, sir: Kentucky. We are no longer bound to “machine” politics. We will choose our own representatives, and you can either accept that, or be kicked to the curb like Trey Greyson was in Kentucky.
I know this thread is getting hijacked but…..
Robert Hurt is the hand-picked chosen one. The GOP stooges that let this country go are the ones that sat at their desk in the lawyers office and picked Robert Hurt.
Kurt pointed out that Robert Hurt’s record, while not as pristine as I would have hoped for, is still a record that should rank as acceptable in anyone’s book. If Robert Hurt should win the primary I will support him whole-heartedly.
BUT my preference is not to vote for the candidate ‘blessed’ by the GOP to be representing my district in DC.
For me, 1st choice McPadden
2nd choice McKelvey – because even though weaker than McPadden he is NOT the handpicked GOP lapdog. The downside is this guy could get blown away by the Periello machine. Tom Thumb will be digging dirt in Franklin County!
3rd choice Robert Hurt, he can still beat Tom and he will vote the way I would vote most of the time.
The others are all out of this race, despite what Hurt’s poll of the enormous sum of 300 (read pathetic) voters. Can you see Boyd, Verga, Ferrin or Morton beating Tom Periello? Not a chance. McKelvey could easily lose to Periello too.
So
I want Periello out. Hurt and McPadden have the best chance of beating (read they ‘will beat’) Tom Periello. The others would not.
Do you vote for Robert Hurt, the little darling, hand-picked apple from the GOP tree?
Or do you vote for Mike McPadden, a real, everyday person. Who also just happens to really understand the Constitution and how smart the founding fathers were.
I have made my decision.
Sam Adams: You don’t speak for me when you say “we”.
Mark Lloyd: Well written, sir.
Hey, look everyone, there actually is someone who disagrees with me. (What a shocker!) Someone afraid to use his/her own name to do it. For those that know about this website and some others. There are two of us that are involved. Myself, and Kurt Feigel. Yes, we use our REAL names. Kurt and I do NOT agree on everything, however, we tolerate each other as friends do. @NotMarkLloyd, many things are posted that I would rather NOT have to deal with, but neither Kurt, not I, will stop someone for submitting a real opinion the at least ONE of us deems pertinent to a reasonable discussion. So, the bottom line is that this IS my site, and I do control some of the content. If you would like to take the time to do the same then YOU, NotMarkLloyd, can do the same. Kurt is the internet Guru, and I know just enough to mess things up so he can fix them. But, I will post my opinions, on my site, and you can comment, or not. I will try to be fair to all serious content contributors.
BTW-It’s too bad that you’re sad.
I like Mike McPadden but if McKelvey wins the primary I will work hard to get him elected. If Hurt wins the primary I will work hard for Clark/Goode which ever one runs against him.People are sick of career RINO’S.
@Will: This message brought to you by Nancy Pelosi.
YodraN I have voted for the lesser of two evils for the last time if Perriello wins because of a Rino then maybe in two years people will see the light but I really don’t think Hurt will win the primary. So let me be clear I will support ANY of the other candidates EXCEPT Hurt he will NEVER get my support.Hurt is a career RINO.
Which you have every right to do. And Queen Nancy thanks you for it.
But maybe you’re right… I mean, you can’t really do that much damage in just 2 little years, can you?
YodraN alot of damage can be done in two years but if we are going to have a rep. voting for tax increases and to give the same rights to same-sex couples that domestic partners have then I would rather they have a big D beside their name not a R.
Except we’ve been over this, Will. You don’t know how Hurt would vote. He’s definitely not my first choice, but he’s signed a no tax pledge, and other than his one vote on the Warner tax hikes, he’s been preety good regarding taxes. And Hurt agrees with you on (I’ll lowball) 80% of the issues. Perriello agrees with you on (I’ll highball) 30% of the issues.
So you’d lay down and surrender those 50% of issues just because Hurt MIGHT break his pledge and vote for a tax increase?
To me, life’s about more than taxes, and I believe that Hurt (who again, isn’t my first choice) would vote in agreement with my opinions on a whole host of issues that affact my everyday life. He might get one or two wrong, but Perriello will get dozens, if not hundreds wrong. It’s more than R and D politics for me.
Look at it this way… should I refuse to vote for McPadden, should he win the nomination, just because we disagree on a couple of issues? I don’t think so. We’re close enough that, while I’ll stand up and tell him he’s wrong when I disagree, we’ll be in agreement the vast, vast, vast majority of the time. Perriello and I won’t be. And I’m not willing to sacrifice another two years to Nancy’s agenda. So McPadden (while not being a perfect candidate in my opinion) will get my support.
YodraN im not saying your idea is wrong.It isn’t just the two votes im talking about. It is the fact that Hurt seems to have a problem standing up to the Democrats when things get tight.Mike McPadden I feel will not have any problem sticking up for the people of the 5th. Doesn’t it bother you just a little that Hurt is the only candidate that WILL bring out a 3rd party candidate ? Jeff Clark and Virgil Goode both have said if a true conservative wins the primary they will both support that candidate.If as some people have said that the real issue is to remove Perriello from office then I don’t see how supporting Hurt is the smart thing to do.Im not trying to say you are wrong and Im right I could be wrong but Hurt won’t get my vote in the primary or the general election.
YodraN who is your first choice ?
That’s a good question, WW, and one I’m daily trying to figure out. I am stuck between Boyd or McPadden.
does anyone think that Goode will run as a 3d party?
just my opinion here: after Goode lost to Perriello, I would not think that Goode would want to get in the race as a 3d party that would effectively split the conservative vote(or to put another way: the anti-lib/Dem/progressive/Obama vote) & might send Perriello back for another 2 years. I would think that of all people in the 5th, Cong. Goode would not want to see Perriello go back to DC.
but I do not know the Congressman so cannot offer anything but mere observation.
I’ve been behind McPadden for a while. He’s definitely my first choice. However, I’m increasingly interested in Boyd. I don’t think he presents well in debates, but the more I read from him the more I like. Unfortunately, I think his presentation issues that I saw in the debates would hurt him in the general.
As for the general? I don’t know if I could press the button for Hurt. I don’t like him folding to the democrats due to a “crisis”. Every time I turn on the news, the Washington D’s are declaring a new “crisis”. It’s b.s., but it does capture votes, occasionally even republican votes. I don’t think Hurt will fall for it, but he has before.
I dunno. I probably will in the end. I did it for McCain.
Kelly I sure would have a problem voting for Goode if he ran third party. He had his chance to get in this game and chose not to. If he had almost all of the candidates would have dropped out. All he will do is split the vote and ensure a Perriello win. I don’t think he will run though. We have him on tape saying “NO”.
OddsMakers on Virgil Goode running as a third-party candidate: 0%
He’s already said he will not run. If Virgil Goode did run, he’d lose all of my respect for him and he’d also lose a lot of respect from others.
I have NO DOUBT that McKelvey will beat Periello! He has my full support, and I look forward to him against Periello, for surely it will be OUR victory! McKelvey does not seek this for himself, but that he has been called to do a service for all of us. We are in serious, critical times, and we need him to help us get through it. I get the feel of “politician” from all of the other candidates, except maybe Feta. Jim has whet it takes to defeat Periello,, without any question!