My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot last Thursday. It is the second of a three-part series on why I think the move to November for local elections is a bad idea. (Part 1 is here.) In this article, I look at another important element of successful campaigns: people. There's no doubt that … Continue reading ICYMI: Limited resources for local candidates
It was good to see a column from Margaret Edds in The Virginian-Pilot last Sunday. There are few who know Virginia politics like she does. I always learn something. The current opposition [to Medicaid expansion] is not an outlier to Virginia politics. Rather, it fits within a long continuum, stretching back at least to the … Continue reading Edds: Virginia’s long history of refusing to pay
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. Norfolk and Chesapeake have two different systems of electing local officials. Norfolk uses the ward system while Chesapeake uses an at-large system. With both having elections Tuesday, I thought it might be useful to compare the two systems, taking into account that one had a … Continue reading ICYMI: Get with the data
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. In it, I propose a civics education academy. Watching candidates struggle to answer questions at the forums I've attended hasn't been fun. (Videos of two of the forums can be found here and here.) Patrick Wilson mentions some of this in his article today. The … Continue reading ICYMI: How to help voters and candidates learn
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. The dereliction of duty is the member's failure to do what is best for the citizens of Virginia. Over a year ago, I pointed out that the creation of the MIRC and how it basically meant that Medicaid expansion wasn't done. As I watched last … Continue reading ICYMI: The legislature’s dereliction of duty
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot last Friday. In it, I talk about two things that occurred last Wednesday that may have an affect on the case against former governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen. The first was the brief from the five former AGs, which I mentioned here. I still … Continue reading ICYMI: Drop corruption charges against McDonnells
Who says bipartisanship is dead? Not these five: Democrats Andrew P. Miller, Mary Sue Terry and Stephen D. Rosenthal join Republicans J. Marshall Coleman and Mark L. Earley in the filing, arguing that the “expansive interpretation of federal law” on which counts 1-11 are based “is completely alien to any legal advice that any of … Continue reading 5 former VA AGs: Dismiss McDonnell corruption charges
In a poll released this morning, Quinnipiac found support among Virginia voters for medical marijuana to be 84%, although that support does not extend to recreational use: Support for legalizing marijuana for personal use is 46 percent, with 48 percent opposed. Democrats support the measure 58 - 35 percent, with Republicans opposed 68 - 27 … Continue reading Q’Pac: 6-1 support medical marijuana, 50% marriage equality
A Quinnipiac poll released today has current U.S. Senator Mark Warner up 46% to 31% over presumed Republican nominee Ed Gillespie. Lots of talk about Warner being below 50% - and while that is something to consider, another number jumped out at me: Wait - who are the 18% of Dems who haven't heard enough … Continue reading Warner has work to do
Ronald Reagan paraphrased John Adams when he said, "Facts are stubborn things." Adams had continued: "whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot last Thursday. In it, I discuss something that has … Continue reading ICYMI: Facts aren’t optional
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 