Think about it: If I had not run in the 2003 Primary, I would have gotten a free ride. This is Arlington, after all, where 20 of our 21 local elected officials are Democrats. Without a Primary, I would not have had to- write a 20 page program
- learn to ask for money
- learn to craft my message
- learn to focus on my candidacy, not my opponent's
- knock on 11,414 doors in less than six months
- learn to introduce myself and state my reason for running in 30 seconds
- be comfortable talking to complete strangers
- explain the function of the position for which I ran
- convince party outsiders that I was the right candidate
- learn that there is bigotry, yes, even in Arlington
- learn how to debate
- write a campaign song
- wear out two pairs of Reeboks...
Anyway, you get the idea. Running in a Primary allows Jim Webb to improve as a candidate: he will become an even better communicator, comfortable with his program, and he may discover skills that he did not know he had. Jim will find out amazing things about voters and their reasons for voting for him. There is no single event that prepares a candidate better for the General Election than a Primary. No matter how badly we want the opponent to drop out, he should stay in the race.
Ingrid Morroy
Commissioner of Revenue
Arlington, VA