WaPo: Virginia Democrats are "Invigorated"

By: pitin
Published On: 7/21/2006 9:55:13 AM

Cross posted at The Fairfax County Young Dems Blog and at DailyKos


Recently the Washington Post came to the same conclusions that many of us have been feeling for a while now, that the Democratic base around the Commonwealth and the entire country has become invigorated.

This column Now, a Word About the Invigorated 11th District Democrats by Lisa Rein, was actually a response to her own column two weeks prior in which she described how Leslie Byrne might run in the 11th district in the open seat that Tom Davis will vacate in 2008 to run for Senate.  Problem is, as I wrote in this diary, Tom Davis is currently vulnerable and has a serious challenger this year in Andy Hurst.  Additionally, the Washington Post columnist didn+óGé¼Gäót mention Andy Hurst even once, as if Davis was running unchallenged this year, and we were all looking forward to 2008.
Well, that particular writer was WRONG as she soon found out.  Instead, many a Democrat from unknown voters to George Burke, Chairman of the 11th District Committee wrote letters to the editor expressing their dismay that Andrew Hurst was not even mentioned a single time in Ms. Rein+óGé¼Gäós column.

I was stunned by "Byrne's Back and Looking to Run" [Fairfax Politics column, July 6]. While speculating about political races in 2008, Lisa Rein inexplicably failed to mention the Democratic challenge that Andrew Hurst, winner of last month's Democratic primary, has mounted in the race to unseat Rep. Thomas M. Davis III in the 11th District this November.
Mr. Hurst has restored my hope in Congress's potential to actually benefit my family in ways that matter -- with his proposals to make college tuition more affordable and address traffic congestion and energy consumption while protecting the environment, to name a few.

After this barrage of letters Ms Rein was forced to write an entire column about how +óGé¼+ôinvigorated+óGé¼-¥ the 11th District Democrats are, not just the old little +óGé¼+ôcorrection+óGé¼-¥.

Here are the juicy parts+óGé¼-ª

President Bush's popularity remains low, and Fairfax County has leaned Democratic in recent state and federal elections, so Democrats hope this is the year that Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, who is considered a moderate, will be vulnerable in the 11th District.
Their intensity showed in an outpouring of reaction to a column ("Byrne's Back and Looking to Run," July 6, the Fairfax Extra) about the political ambitions of Democrat Leslie L. Byrne, the former congresswoman and state senator from Falls Church.

If you made it this far (down this long diary, I do apologize) and you want to help get Andy Hurst elected you are lucky in that there are three things from which you can choose to help out.

1. Hit the old +óGé¼+ôRecommend+óGé¼-¥ button on the right side of your screen to help get the word out that the 11th District of Virginia has just become a competitive race.
2. VOLUNTEER!!This perhaps is the most important thing you can do.  Andy has been out knocking on doors since August 2005 and we should be helping him
3. CONTRIBUTE to Andy Hurst.  Andy needs our help on this one too.  While it is true that Andy has already raised 2.5 times the 2004 Dem candidate did through election day, he is also refusing to take PAC money making individual donations his only source for campaign funds.

Comments



Little Help Guys (pitin - 7/21/2006 11:14:05 AM)
Hey guys, need a little help on this one. as of 11:27AM the DailyKos version of this diary has 24 recommends, which leads me to believe it's only 3-4 recs away from making the rec list, and getting us Virginians a little bit more national attention,

please Click on over and hit the recommend button if you have a DailyKos account.



Done! (kevinceckowski - 7/21/2006 11:43:32 AM)
Virginia is so far down on many people's radar screen it is not funny. Hope the DSCC does NOT forget about us after all we have gone through thus far with them.

I saw one poll where we are like 14th on the radar screen, maybe moving up one spot after the primary.

Another article says the race is boring!  I am sure it will liven up, but maybe that is the strategy all along.  Don't make any waves, small turnout, march to the WH.

But Allen has used up nearly 2 million bucks and its not even Labor Day.  Go figure?!!



Thanks for the rec (pitin - 7/21/2006 12:50:05 PM)
As a commenter (Woody) put it on one of my previous diaries on Kos

...Virginia, right now the state looks like the Normandy beaches in the long war to retake the South.

Could not have put it better myself.



Great line... (Arlington Mike - 7/21/2006 1:08:10 PM)
That's a great line, and I think there's some truth to it.  We're seeing the bits and pieces of change here.  And even if some of it is the result of changing demographics in NOVA, not changing minds, it's a great start.  Just the fact that folks like Davis, Drake, Wolfe, etc. are going to have to fight for their districts is a great step in the right direction for a long-haul process to rebuilding Democrats in the South.


We have to take the Post to task (Andrea Chamblee - 7/21/2006 3:06:12 PM)
for calling Davis a "moderate" without question every time they name him.  Just because he votes for stem cells, something that the vast majority of his constituents believe in, is not enough to make him moderate.


Amen Chambelea we know Davis is not moderate.... (bladerunner - 7/21/2006 3:21:01 PM)
That's right Chambelea, we all know that Davis is not a moderate. I've already taken that to task with the Post. Like I said it's going to take One hell of an effort to convince the Post that Andy is the right guy. We all know it--Like I say Davis has an UN-HOLY alliance with the Post. It might stem from his little sharade of Voter rights for DC or just your basic good ole boy friendship that he has with a big wig at the Post. You know the K street boys. After all the Post headquarters is not far from K Street. I am willing to bet the best you'll get out of the Post is non pick you call it kind of race--they just can't say anything bad about him. But that's Okay the voters know that they're sick of Bush/Allen/Davis. Andy Hurst is an amazing candidate that is going to be taking over headlines as the Fall approaches. You watch.


Sorry I butchered your name.......Andrea (bladerunner - 7/21/2006 3:21:56 PM)


No worries (Andrea Chamblee - 7/21/2006 3:32:33 PM)


Davis is a national figure (Ambivalent Mumblings - 7/22/2006 10:04:21 PM)
I believe people should also consider the attention Davis has received nation wide. He is the head of the reform comittee (where he hasn't done much besides take more than 298 times as many donations as his election opponents) and from '98 until '02, Davis was the Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. So is a rather prominent figure in the Republican Party.

Nonetheless, he is beginning to be viewed as volunerable. Some moderate Republicans have even expressed support for Hurst.

Andy - I agree with Bryan. I think you'll make a great Congressman, and I'm [a] Republican.
Andy Hurst is the first legitimate opponent Davis has had to face, and he must do so in a time when the District has frequently been leaning towards Democratic Candidates.

I agree that Hurst must be given more attention. In a way, you could consider Hurst the Anti-Tom Delay. In my opinion, Hurst has done well by making it clear that he will attempt to ensure Congress will once again go about its business in an ethical manner. As he continues to express his opinions on various issues, he has further established himself as the right candidate to be elected into the US House of Representatives.