Campaign on the Republicans' Record and win with the FACTS

By: Dianne
Published On: 10/13/2007 7:42:46 AM

In the recent RK online blog with Tim Kaine, the Governor was asked: "With 50 days to go until the election, Democrats have not established a conspicuous central theme for the 2007 elections.  Do you believe one will emerge or will these battles be fought individually, locally, and without a core, central theme?"

The Governor responded: "Put Virginia First We have a central theme. Democratic leadership has made our state the best managed state in America, the most business friendly state in America, and the state where a child born today is most likely to have a successful life.  If Virginians want to continue reaping the type of accolades received by the Warner and Kaine administrations, it is important to elect legislators who share those values and who are committed to solving problems."

While what Governor Kaine says is true, it's a real struggle for working Virginians to keep pace when Virginia's Republican legislators have (i.e., the Virginia General Assembly) failed so miserably to support working families. 

I'd suggest that Democrats use some of the facts  found on one of RK's "advertisers", the AFL-CIO website about how "well" the working folks in Virginia are doing. 

VIRGINIA'S WORKING PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING:

***More than 650,000 Virginians live in poverty, and the number of Virginians living in poverty has increased by 12.8% since 2000.

***More than a million Virginians are uninsured [healthcare]. The number of uninsured Virginians has increased nearly 35% since 2000. (my comment:  the national average was only 22%!!)

***Last year, the Virginia state legislature rejected a former VA AFL-CIO president for the Governor's cabinet, citing his support for bargaining rights for state employees.

***The Virginia state legislature has kept Virginia a "right-to-work-for-less" state. This law keeps wages down and undermines health and safety protections for workers.

There's even been a 4.5% DECREASE in pension coverage in Virginia since 2000!  Let's stop talking in generalities in campaigns.  There are real and shocking facts that show that Republican legislators don't give a wit about Virginia's working families and voters need that information!  Republicans are NOT GOOD for working families!

Comments



The Most Important Fact: Virginians are good people. (The Grey Havens - 10/13/2007 12:18:46 PM)
The most important fact that needs to be said over and again, is this:  Virginians are good people.  They work hard.  They play by the rules.  They get the job done.  They care about each other.

The sickness of greed and hatred in this country are not Virginia values, no matter how much Republicans put forward laws based on that false premise.  Virginians are courageous and generous, capable, and strong.

That fact makes the ones stated here unacceptable to the people of the Commonwealth.



Facts and Figures (Evan M - 10/17/2007 1:50:55 PM)
I agree, the Republicans cannot win on the facts, which is why they invent "issues" like immigration and Greenway tolls when jobs and health insurance premiums are the real issues.

Every time they bring up a new false issue, we need to bat it down with factual analysis, and tie it back to the real (Democratic) issues in the race.

After all, reality has a well-known liberal bias. :)