As expected, one day after his new term began for county supervisor, Gerry Connolly is announcing an exploratory committee for Congress, according to The Washington Post.
Interesting take on his credentials and possible campaign theme:
He spent 10 years on the senior staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before being elected to the county board. "I won't pretend that it's an easy decision," Connolly said. "But the United States is at war. I cannot address the issues of war and peace in my current job. We have a lot of work to do to repair the damage done during the Bush years."
He has the local experience (with a mixed record at best), but the foreign relations experience is interesting to emphasize. It looks like he'll focus on foreign policy, but I wonder if he's a cycle too late. As we see from the presidential primaries, economic issues are taking center stage now while foreign affairs have receded a bit.
He has sixth months to battle it out with Leslie and Doug and if we're headed for a "change election," who represents the most change?
If you were a campaign adviser to any of the three Dems, what would your main themes be for each candidate, given their backgrounds?
Oh yeah, 7 weeks ago.
Don't machine candidates make you want to throw up?
If you were a campaign adviser to any of the three Dems, what would your main themes be for each candidate, given their backgrounds?
There are no second acts in American lives.In politics, we've seen what happens when that advice is ignored: Richard M. Nixon and Bush 43 following Bush 41.
Doug- "new blood" "I've been in the military"
Gerry- "I'm Gerry people know me" (name recognition) and use the Tom Davis play book (County Chairman of well run county and overall intelligent guy)(I am talking book smarts here))
The real question is where Gerry can do the LEAST damage - as Overlord of Fairfax County or as a freshman nobody among many U.S. Representatives. Sadly, the answer is probably that we'd be better off with him in Congress than in charge of Fairfax. Then again, it would be a promotion for him, and there is no way he deserves it after selling Fairfax County to the highest bidder. Err, scratch that, after giving away the County in a secret no-bid deal.
Before the story was taken down, the comment section behind it was 100% negative towards Gerry. Is that why the WaPo took it down? Are their Fairfax County reporters that protective of Gonzo Gerry?
I hope that I'm wrong about this; I really think that the Post is a pretty good newspaper.