When will people learn that this is a cowardly sign?

Um, are they sure they weren't taken down by municipal employees/vdot people?  They often go around town cutting/down picking up any signs left around after an election.  Two days after E-day sounds like just the right time frame for the town to start sending out workers to cut down all the left-over political signs.  And it's not like they check to see what name, year and office is on the sign first.

...can I have my $500 now please?

...Sam's signs were not in the public right-of-way, he had the permission of the owner of the property, and they clearly indicate that they are for the '08 campaign.

Plus, how often do you encounter state or municipal employees working between 1:00 A. M. and 7:00 A. M. on a weekday?

Finally, I will gladly pay the $500 reward when the thieves are arrested and convicted, as stated on our posters.

Thanks again!

Steve

But I think Goodlatte is about as scared of "Rasoul for Congress" as we are of "Gilmore for Senate."

Please remember that in December of '05, a very knowledgeable and respected politico gave Jim Webb a 10% chance of beating his opponent in the '06 U. S. Senate race.

Here locally, the Democratic candidates for Roanoke County Board of Supervisors and School Board were elected by very narrow margins, but they won.

Keep the faith, and thanks!

Steve

Perhaps.  In an non-Presidential year, I can see it as a possibility.  But with Rasoul?  I'm sorry, I've seen the guy speak twice publicly.  And he seems like a nice fellow.  But he's not the one you want to challenge Goodlatte.  When the local committees asked him not to run, it wasn't because they wanted to "save him for more winnable races", as he said in one of the speeches I heard him give.  They just didn't want him to run.

There's a difference between Webb and Rasoul.  Webb had the experience, the credentials, the attitude even.  It was just that Allen was popular, a presidential candidate, and had TONS of cash.  Webb was given a 10% chance, and only really won because A) Allen put his foot in his mouth repeatedly, and B) Webb was a good enough candidate to siphon off the support Allen lost.  I don't see A happening to Bob, and even if it did B) won't happen for Sam.

I'm actually hearing from certain people (names to remain hidden, of course) that this campaign could actually turnout more GOP voters in that area, taking away Dem chances to win Virginia's Electoral Votes in 2008.

Wrong year, wrong time, wrong candidate.  Sorry to sound cynical, but that's just how I feel.  My gut tells me that this race can only be bad news.

i don't think that sounds like someone who believes themselves to be unbeatable. he was instrumental in promoting the campaign of mike keen for roanoke county circuit court clerk. mike keen only got 38 % of the vote in a strongly republican county. i would be perfectly happy to see him fail to recognize that sam rasoul is a very viable threat. i think that he is too seasoned a politician to do that. i doubt that republicans will be more popular a year from now and he is a true bush republican.

Lets face it. no matter how much we want to believe in a dem beating Goodlatte, Sam is not the guy.

All his candidacy will do is gin up GOP turnout because Goodlatte may feel the need to slap the mosquito. That won't hurt Warner for Senate much but it WILL hurt a Dem Prez nominee's chance of winning the state. VA is a blue state but they have yet to pull the lever on the presidential lever. I believe they will this coming year. But misguided campaigns like Rasoul's will not help. It is the Shenandoah Valley for cripes sake, what do people think will happen.

Lets be smart about this and run someone in 2010 when we have a Dem Prez, a Dem Congress and a serious candidate and make Goodlatte pay for being Bush's little toadie.

We need to defend Democrats' rights to post sign on their own property without their being stolen or defaced.

Two actions need to be taken:

1) Democrats to "armor" or "harden" their signs to make them less vulnerable.  There are a number of ways to do this.  It is not a complete solution, because if a Republican is will to become a bomber or an arsonist then they can pretty much destroy anything.

2) Photographic sting operations.  In areas where there is a pattern of sign stealing, a photographic ambush should be set.  If someone is willing to stay out one night and take a picture of the thief, well, these big signs cost enough that stealing one would be a felony.  Any thief caught and convicted would not only lose their liberty for a period time, they would also lose their right to vote as a convicted felon.

Time to play hardball with the Republican vandals.

We could spend all that extra time and energy talking to voters?

Signs have to be assembled anyway.  "Hardening" takes very little extra time and can often be done with scrap materials, so the extra costs are negligible.

As far as setting photo ambushes, it only takes two or three young folks over the course of a night or two to catch a serial sign thief or vandal.  Its usually the same person or persons in a neighborhood and once they're caught they stop for weeks, months or years.  Campaign signs are expensive so if a lot of damage is being caused it may be a worthwhile investment.

A cost-benefit analysis is in order, to be sure.

we have gone without a candidate in th 6th cd long enough.maybe he's not perfect but he works hard!

I understand the frustration.  I can't imagine in what it's like to live in such a tough area.  But the fact is that a lot of Democrats in the area are concerned that Sam might do more harm than good, even though his intentions are clearly positive.

I'm really curious about how Sam's running for office could do a significant amount of harm.

Fighting them in every district is important because it stretches their resources.  When the Dems of this District refuse to fight for their own district, they free up Republican resources to be used against Democrats elsewhere.

The real solution, if indeed Sam is a poor choice, is for someone else to step up so there's a Democratic primary to stir up some interest.  Then let the best man or woman win and take the fight to Goodlatte.

I've already voiced my concerns about Sam increasing Republican turn-out in the heavily Republican sixth.  While this won't really hurt Warner, it'll certainly hurt the Dem nominee for President.

Sometimes, it is better to say nothing than to say something at the wrong time.  Democrats have a chance to win the state AND take down some vulnerable candidates (Davis, Wolf, and Drake).  Goodlatte is by no means vulnerable, and a suicide run might provide his people to come out in bigger numbers, and effect the entire state.

You have given your input and I respect that DG.

The democracy you speak of is for cowards.  When it is time to fight, you want to run?  This has been the case for a decade in our district now.  So many voices NOT represented.  You fail to respect the premise with which our country was founded.

WRONG TIME?  This is the best time for democrats in Virginia in many years. If this is your WRONG TIME, when will YOU fight?  Why don´t we stop being strategic politicos, and start being DEMOCRATS with fire in our souls?

I will see you on the battle lines.

Last year Dems fielded a candidate against Eric Cantor, who really is undefeatable in the 7th, because it was necessary to boost DEM turnout.

If Dems and libs feel abandoned, they'll stay home.  If Sam, or someone else, mounts a campaign in the 6th next year I doubt it'll make much difference in terms of turnout.  Turnout will already be very high because of the Presidential race.  The Presidential race will drive turnout, not the congressional race.

Which means there might be an opportunity.  The Republican brand is damaged.  A lot of people are going to come out for the first time in years and they are going to vote against the Republican candidate (Thanks George W. Bush).

Maybe Sam (or someone else) ends up as a sacrificial lamb, or maybe they pull off an upset.  One thing is certain, Goodlatte will have to open his checkbook.  His staffers will have to stay in the 6th.

In conclusion, 2008 is the year we need to go on the attack, and on a wide front.  Their money is very, very stretched and we can stretch it even further.  If we stretch it far enough,  the Republican Party will break.

Dems are coming out to vote for President regardless.  But in 2008, Republicans may be facing a pro-choice GOP nominee.  That gives them a reason to stay in.  If Goodlatte is challenged, they come back out, vote a straight GOP ticket, and we lose Virginia.

See where I'm going with this?  Republicans are depressed already.  No need to give them a bigger reason to come out.  And Sam is the kind of liberal candidate in a VERY red district that might just piss them off enough to do that.

I had a number of large signs go missing which were posted on private property, but apparently too close to the rights-of ways according the to road crews.  I thought they were lost.  Then I heard from another candidate that he was able to recover his signs from the local VDOT compound.  So I went down there -- and sure enough they had saved the large, expensive signs.  Never hurts to ask.

Thanks, "DD"; we have much experience working with the VDOT, but these signs were located within the City of Salem, which handles its own street maintenance, plus the signs were taken between 1:00 and 6:00 A.M.

I, too, have recovered many signs - mistakenly thought not to be in the right-of-way - from VDOT storage facilities and find them to be very easy with which to work in this part of Virginia.

These signs were stolen and they have been replaced with others that also have the reward posters attached to them, and they have not been taken again.

If we don't catch these particular thieves, it appears that we have at least stopped them for the time being...

Thanks again!

Steve

Why don't we be Democrats with fire in our souls?  Because Democrats like that have a big chance of spontaneously combusting and taking out a lot of other people in the blast radius.  Politics without control and strategy is not what this party needs.  What it needs is to think before it moves.

Politics IS about strategy.  Wait now, strike later.  You talk about battle lines, but clearly know nothing of battle.  If you strike when they are at their strongest, you will only tire yourself out, and make your own demise inevitable.  But if you defend, and defend, and finally once youe enemy is tired wait for the opportune moment and strike, THEN you can attack.  Then you can win.  Glorius battle without victory may certainly be noble, but it certainly isn't smart, and in politics, brains always wins out over blind courage.

I hardly fail to respect democracy, sir, and am offended by your comment that I do.  My mother's family helped found this country, braving unknown territory.  My father's family came from France and Ireland, both escaping religious persecution.  I KNOW the importance of democracy.  And I also know that you have to choose your battles.

I do not doubt your courage or your dedication, sir.  But I do doubt your political judgment.  And for those who call for the irradication of us "strategists" are doomed to repeated failure.  For fire without control is nothing but disaster. 

To me, sir, your campaign is a lot of fire.  But you seem to have ignored the advice of the fire wielders.  I can only hope that your campaign doesn't set Democratic hopes in the Sixth District, and the State in general, aflame.  If it does, that can only be on your own conscience.  Politics is a game of chess.  I sincerely hope you understand that, and you stop playing this game like it's checkers.

With respect,
Dan Geroe

Everyone is already coming our for the presidential election.  Your argument might have had some merit in 2006 when people might have been convinced to stay home and not vote for Allen.

But turnout is going to be higher this coming year, as it is in every presidential election.  May as well give them a Democratic option.

And consider Nachman's race against Cantor: that actully brought out a lot of libs in the 7th who had felt abandoned and probably helped Webb.

As for questions of "strategy," Dan I think you are stuck in the world of local tactics.  A fight for the 6th might be doomed, but it isn't pointless.  This coming year especially, Democrats have a chance to swamp the Republicans with the 50 state strategy, not conceding anywhere to the Republicans, pinning them down and forcing them to spend money they don't have.

The 6th may be a diversionary front in the national war, but these diversionary fronts could, in the aggregate, be the key to a huge national Democratic victory.

But I will respectfully state that I think Rasoul is the wrong candidate. 

Turnout might NOT be maxed if the GOP nominee is Pro-Choice, a la Rudy.  These uber-conservative Virginians may stay at home and pout, especially if Hillary isn't the nominee.  Sam could throw a kink into that scenario, one that could give us Virginia.  Hell, any bad candidate who is a horrible fit for the district could do that.

Look bub. I don't know where you are from. But calling people cowards in Virginia is not a smart thing to do. Just because I think you are being foolhardy in your run against Goodlatte does not mean I am a coward. It means I am smart about getting Democrats elected and you are not.

It is not the wrong time for many Democrats in Virginia, It is just the wrong time for your campaign. You are not the representative of every Democrat who has to get elected in the state, much less Goodlatte's District. I refuse to let good Democrats be smeared by you just because they want to be smart about running in areas where it will hurt more than it helps.

God help us if the presidential election is as close here as the Webb/Allen race was. What if you turn out an extra 15K of GOP voters who would have sat home had you not run a hopeless race. What if those 15K are what hands the state to the GOP yet again and we lose the momentum we have gained with Warner-Kaine-Webb. (See...I can do hyperbole too.)

I have to respectfully disagree with you and side with DanG and WillieStark. I would also ask that you not hint at Dan being any sort of coward.

Maybe, in some odd scenario, Goodlatte can become vulnerable. 2008 is not the year and Sam is not the candidate. Lets be honest, as close as things have gotten in Virginia, and as Blue as this state could stand to become with electing a Democratic President, the last thing we need is an energized GOP base in the valley. We have a few candidates who will have a solid shot at winning Virginia in '08. As Willie said, we don't want to putt Goodlatte in a situation where he needs to "slap the mosquito". No district in Virginia is nearly the vermilion shade of red that the 6th CD in the valley is.

Steve, I like you and I think you've done some great things for your area and firmly believe you will continue to do so. But the Webb/Allen comparison doesn't hold water here.

Also, I was at the same speech as DanG commented about earlier. The one when Rasoul explained that the local committees asked him not to run, and it wasn't because they wanted to "save him for more winnable races", as he said. They flat out just didn't want him to run. Thats a pretty bold sentiment. Are those Democrats cowards, too?

Thanks, Mike; I guess I'm just the eternal optimist, plus I have seen how hard Sam Rasoul has been working.  I was 29 when I first ran for public office, and I was defeated, but I haven't lost since then. 

At each juncture of my political career, I was told that I didn't have a chance, etc.  With hard work, I proved the critics wrong.  I have observed that same work ethic in Sam Rasoul.

Recently here in the Roanoke Valley, we've elected excellent Democrats from the school board level to BOS to HOD to State Senate, and at first many of them were given little hope of winning.

I must remain optimistic since, quite often, it works...

Thanks again!

Steve

he has money and staff that will be used to defend his own seat. if he isn't defending his own seat he will be allocating resources to influence other races. their are issues that resonate locally and i beleive the rasouul campaign is doing research on those issues right now. goodlatte has been on the wrong side a few too many times but attacking him will require a well documented fact checking and policy analysis effort. goodlatte is very good at talking around the issue and making it sound to most as though he actually addressed and is concerned about the issue. sam rasoul has been working hard and working smart. he has the ability to meet goodlatte and pinning him down to the specific shortcomings of his record and his leadership. oh, by the way, this is the roanoke valley. 

I think we must realize that Bob really hasn't campaigned in these parts for quite some time. People tend to know of him but not really anything else. The race here will make him start from scratch in many ways. It is true that he has the staff and money, but can that translate into a ground game? And will people stick to someone who really has not done that much.

It is also true that national opinions and the course of the Bush presidency will greatly alter the tone of the campaign and Goodlatte is locked in to supporting that sinking ship. Now more than ever is the time to challenge him in this area. It is because we have not given him a fight for a decade now that he has become so entrenched.

As for the stolen signs, I would imagine such things are only going to occur with greater and greater frequency. This shows me that some are quite stirred up by Sam and his run.....not exactly the actions of people who are comfortable with their position.