The 12/26/05 edition of Newsweek has a story called "The Virginians," about Mark Warner and George Allen. For now, I'll forego commenting on "Cowboy George," and just get to my 10 Things I Love About Mark Warner. Quotes and factoids are from the Newsweek article.10) Warner "is ending a much-praised term as a socially moderate, technocratic governor." Can we say "AAA bond rating" (in Virginia) as opposed to "deficits as far as the eye can see" (in Bush's America)? Is blazing competence something we want for our country - for a change?
9) "Now he is launching a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on the theory that he knows the key to winning Red State votes." Exactly right. As Warner frequently (and correctly) asserts, Democrats need to compete in more than just 16 "blue" states. And Warner has proven he can not only compete in a solidly "red" state, but he can win there.
8) Warner's a great American success story and visionary, having quickly grasped the "infant technology called 'cellular' phones." Warner believes in "win-win" and is "not bound by old ways of thinking." This is critically important, given how rapidly the world is changing and "flattening," as Tom Friedman says. In other words, Warner "gets it," unlike the present occupant of the White House.
7) The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Mark Warner could very well be the next, especially given the Commonwealth's "changing economics and demographics." Simply stated, if Warner is the Democratic nominee for President in 2008, look for Virginia to turn "blue" and for Democrats to win the White House.
6) Warner has lived in different parts of America - Indiana and even the classic, all-American town of Peoria, Illinois (as in, "does it play in Peoria?"). This gives him a feel for different parts of the country, a great quality to have in a President. Recently, Warner has taken to vacationing in places like New Hampshire and Iowa. Hmmm...
5) Warner already has a strong, grassroots, Draft movement behind him. He also is ranked #2, hot on Hillary Clinton's (high) heels, amongst Democratic "insiders." In other words, this guy's got it goin' on!
4) Unlike me,
3) Warner "is not by nature a fan of traditional political labels." Me neither. At heart, I hate all this "liberal"/"conservative" stuff, and would strongly prefer if we could all just work together in a pragmatic, democratic (small "d") way to make our country and our world a better place. In other words, "Forward Together," as Warner says, as opposed to "Backwards, Divided" as the right-wing Republicans seem to prefer.
2) Warner's role model is Teddy Roosevelt, "a Republican iconoclast known for his can-do spirit, environmental awareness and outside-the-box thinking." As some of you know, Teddy Roosevelt is one of my all-time heroes. If I have to label myself politically, I usually say I'm a Teddy Roosevelt Progressive.
1) Warner is a natural conciliator who can work with pretty much anyone. And after 8 years of George W. Bush's brand of divisiveness, America will need those skills BADLY come 2008.
P.S. On a personal note, it's hard for me not to like a guy who went to high school in the suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut and whose "yen for politics lured him to George Washington University in D.C." As some of you know, I grew up in the Hartford suburbs and went to GW for grad school (in international relations), about a decade after Warner did.