I attended the Norfolk City Democratic Committee meeting tonight. Unlike our Virginia Beach counterparts, we only meet once a month, on the first Wednesday.
One of our speakers tonight was a Webb representative. This is the very first time anyone from the Webb campaign has visited the NCDC meetings. (I believe a Virginia Beach supporter of Webb has been coming to the NCDC breakfast, which occurs on the first Saturday each month. As I have a hard time getting up that early, I haven’t made the breakfasts in a while.) I was just glad that Webb finally realized that the NCDC existed. Norfolk is primarily a Democratic city and one would think that a candidate for the Democratic nomination might feel it important to spend some time here. I’m not knocking the Beach, but there just aren’t that many D’s at the Beach to start with. (In the June 2005 primary, Norfolk had 7,381 voters while the Beach had 3,059. Of course, neither of these are numbers to write home about.)
I always feel sorry for candidate representatives. They are going to get questions that they just can’t answer, because, well… they aren’t the candidate. This was no different. A number of questions were asked that the representative couldn’t answer. In a couple of cases, he started to give his own opinion. To his credit, he often said that he wasn’t sure of Webb’s stance on a given issue and offered to find out and get back to the questioner with the answer. I was a little surprised that he didn’t have any Webb material to hand out – no palm card, no fliers, no bumper stickers, no signs – nothing.
After the meeting, he and I chatted outside for a while. The man is a passionate Democrat, with a capital D. I found that refreshing. He acknowledged that Webb should have been to Norfolk by now (he was here for a campaign kickoff downtown near the Wisconsin but hasn’t been here since, although he is coming into Norfolk this weekend). I expressed my concern regarding what I perceive to be the divisive nature of this campaign and the threat that Webb supporters are making online to not support Miller should he win the nomination. He told me that he was concerned about these things as well. He said that he believes we Democrats have to unite behind the nominee because the overall goal is to beat George Allen.
There was no yelling, no hyperbole, no name calling. Just two people having a conversation about the Senate race, each respecting the other’s viewpoint and concerns. I wish the Virginia blogsphere could have been there, to see how reasonable people can carry on a conversation. Because, in the end, it is about beating George Alllen.
With just a few days left to go before the primary, let’s try to remember that. And be nice to each other.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
vjp, people know how to sift through the chafe and find the wheat on the internet. just cuz harris “internet guru” miller got beat up a little is no reason to call foul. harris launched the neg ads and mailings. he gave his own punches and got some to. i think the “webb guys are meanies” is disengenous. you have to remember, harris has been a target on the internet for over a decade. he has a sad record: 20 percent reduction in women IT labor force. is that progressive democratic values?
harris looks pretty silly complaining at the end of the game.
Who said anything about Harris complaining? I’m the one complaining.
I’m sick and tired of all the bullshit that has come from the Webb supporters over the last few months. I’m appalled at the constant reposting of Webb talking points in every damn post. This is what the R’s do to D’s all the time. This time, it’s the D’s doing it to each other. Karl Rove ain’t got nothing on you guys – y’all took a page out of his book and ran with it. When someone described Webb supprters as “the enemy within” today, I tried to defend them as being just overzealous. I am no longer sure that is the case.
vjp, beyond overzealous? harris is/was a highly paid lobbyist who made money attacking IT workers. that was his job. so for millions of americans it’s “my job or harris’ job”. it’s a real easy choice. harris kicked people in southparts for years. seriously, he’s just getting a taste of his own medicine. thousands of folks said “okay, the party blesses harris … let’s check him out on the internet … wtf? NO WAY!!!” how do you expect them to react. oh… crushing cesar chavez, that’s cool. replacing american workers… hunky dory … representing diebold to can the paper voting trail … i’m okay with it. Heck no, they got mad. sorry for getting mad but it’s a very human emotion when you google “harris miller”. harris went of and made his fortune funding republicans and cooking up up bogus white papers and schmoozing with is cato institute buddies and then yelps “i’m the real democrat”? c’mon. anybody that works at a keyboard is threatened by harris miller. some of them fought back.
Just more proof of what I said.
i’m sorry for getting mad. again, i think most folks can read between the lines when the rhetoric gets thick. you do have a point, though, perhaps it’s time to quietly settle the issue on tuesday and drink a toast to beating allen on tuesday night, regardless of the outcome.
Be careful Vivian. I believe “xyz” was banned on RaisingKaine for spamming the blog with anti-Webb distortions. Read through other blogs and he/she has some anti-Webb stuff there too. “xyz” is no Webb supporter.
hey, viv’s right. rally behind your guy in a positive way hope the best man wins.
(fingers crossed for my guy).
Thomas Paine Patriot? Naw, that guy’s funny.
Twisted funny. Bad college boy humor kind of funny. But funny. He just posted too much (kinda like me).
Again, sorry Viv. We’ll catch ya in Nov. when we whoop on Allen!!!
Drop by RK, i think the “preview” button there and moderation keeps the noise level down ( a little bit at least). Opp viewpoints welcome. You want some combat, do “Not Larry Sabato” : Sick, sick stuff.
V-
If you and I can get along, I’m sure anything is possible within the Democratic Party. 🙂
I’m far from a Democrat, but if I was running Webb’s show, I’d blow off Hampton Roads too, and live in Northern Virginia. That’s where the numbers are, and Webb will carry a military city without breaking a sweat. He needs to go fishing where the opponent’s fish are.
Just my opinion.
Webb supporter Bullshit?? The enemy within? All for using Google properly and finding out some horrifying facts on Miller? And all for wanting to get Allen the hell out of office
If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.
But glad to know that you’d vote for someone who put out the word you were racist and a jew basher. Shows your true colors I guess.
That’s it. I’m done. I have tried to be conciliatory, tried to talk in good terms about both candidates. And for people like you, Stomp, that is not enough.
My true colors are that I’m a DEMOCRAT And on June 14, I’ll still be a Democrat.
Vivian –
You are a class act.
I wish others would follow your lead.
And, by the way, I’m for Webb next Tuesday but if Miller wins the nomination, I’ll be with him 100%.
I’m with ViIvian on this. It has gotten way out of hand. Whoever wins on Tuesday will have my vote as well, because that’s the way DEMOCRATS behave. The question is, after all this how will the Democratic Party in Virginia be?