I wrote a post about a potential challenger to Bobby Scott in the 3rd Congressional District. I said:
So while I would never tell someone not to run, I would encourage young Mr. Dillard to look hard at the reality of the district – once Tuesday’s euphoria wears off – and recognize what an uphill battle it will be.
Prophetic? Nope – just reality. And the results prove it.
This year, Scott drew three challengers – and still managed to win with more than 70% of the vote. (And I attribute the wins of Kenny Wright in Portsmouth and Angelia Williams in Norfolk to Scott’s GOTV efforts, which were quite strong this year.)
Congressman Scott will represent the 3rd as long as he wants to. Thank goodness he’s really good at it.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
On until they get him a non-Gerrymandered district.
Him Randy Forbes and Eric Cantor right? Or is it just called “gerrymandering” when the incumbent is black?
add the 1st and 10th … and the 5th too … Tom Perriello’s one term was proof that exceptional candidates in a wave election can overcome gerrymandering
As I said before, one should at least be able to drive between any two points in the district without having to go through another. Of all the VA districts, as squirrely as they are, only Scott can’t meet that qualification.
Except that is not one of the principles of redistricting.
It should be.
If “drive” is the operative word, Tangier Island would need a CD of its own.
Everyone wants to talk about gerrymandering only as it pertains to VA-3. Why doesn’t anyone bring up Randy Forbes district or Eric Cantor’s? It’s the same thing just drawn for a Republican to win — Forbes’/Cantor’s district(s) are a R version of VA-3.
The people had a choice between FOUR candidates in VA-3. They picked one by 70,176 votes after 3 candidate forums, profiles of all on WAVY, WTKR, NBC12, the Daily Press, RTD and the Pilot. The people made a choice by 70,176 votes just as they chose Mr. Cantor over his two opponents.
Don’t try and sit in here and act like the Forbes/Cantor victories are business-as-usual legit but the Scott one is somehow different or “rigged” because the district is predominantly black. The factors in all three districts are the same. I ask you: Can Forbes lose? Can Cantor lose? Can a D win in the 4th or the 7th? Can someone black win in 4, 7 or 1? Why is that exactly?
You think VA-3 is drawn in an interesting way? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet.
SEE: http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/house
Go take a peak at FL-8, TX-5,NJ-12,IL-7,PA-12 and TX-29 and come back and tell me that routine gerrymandering that elects white candidates isn’t alive and well in the U.S. No one talks about that historic gerrymandering. This was the gerrymandering that essentially forced the creation of districts like VA-3 and NC-12. But no one shuts up about VA-3.
And when they redraw the district you want to guess which one they’ll go after?
tell mr. dilard maybe he should consider doing what Chuck Smith did and pick another Congressional District to run in since in virginia you can run anywhere from any place in the state even without living there, as the ninth has found out since they no longer have an elected representative in the Congress that actually is from there. Tell him to maybe like pick The first or second
Ok, get ready to call me crazy……The James Quigley Campaign got around 2% and I’m going to act like I know something.
The fact is Coby is still a young man and 2 years from now might be too early. Even if Rep. Scott retires, a good deal of that infrastructural support will likely be passed on to the next person. Still, I’m not sure it wouldn’t be possible for Dillard.
Here’s my craziness: Among the couple thousand votes James Quigley got, a few were traditionally Democratic voters. Not that it amounted to much. Point is, you can make inroads.
It will take time and networking beyond campaign seasons. It will involve hitting serious issues with frankness that an empty suit Republican would never be capable of doing satisfactorily. I don’t think James will run again, and Coby doesn’t sound so hot to do it, but either of them are “real” enough to do it with enough time and resources.
It just isn’t enough to point to the horrific flaws of what is coming with Health Care reform. Coby has mentioned that Health Care must be addressed. I seriously think we can do far better and not stomp on the Constitution in the process.
You also have to cover issues like eminent domain. The poorest love “big government” until the goals of govt. include uprooting them, because they need their hard earned land for an airport, a Wal-Mart, a Pfizer building that never gets finished, a parking lot for Coca-Cola, a better scenic view in Portsmouth, or light rail. These people rarely get JUST COMPENSATION when their land is taken even for reasons that pass Constitutional muster.
Another issue that we found some traction on was Rights Restoration. Virginia is one of only two states that are so backward on this. If a former felon pays their dues to society and somehow manages to find gainful employment despite a record, they pay taxes. Were we not founded as a country on the principle of “No taxation without representation”? That makes it a federal issue and not just a local one. They are still human beings inherently deserving natural rights they WERE BORN WITH! Give them the vote!
The burden on small business, ones that just start, is quite heavy. Vivian knows how working for yourself can be tough. We want people to work and stay out of jail, just don’t cut too many lawns or we’ll come looking for our cut and then we’ll fine you. Also, there are so many laws in place that only serve to ward off competition to established big businesses. Poor people have to eat. Some like fish. Better fish where you’re allowed, keep the right size fish even if starving, and get your license, because we the government, we want our cut of your fishing too.
Then you have environmental pollution that sometimes not so coincidently ends up putting stuff like mercury into the environment of those least able to defend themselves.
It is hard to run against a gerrymander, Republican or Democratic, but if you start chacnging hearts and minds, network, prove yourself, and build strength long before election day, I believe miracles can happen.
Those who believe “All Politics is Local” is dead would disagree with you.