Along with over 200 other people, I had the privilege today of watching Greg Werkheiser declare his candidacy for Virginia's House of Delegates from the 42nd District (southern Fairfax County). Besides the great refreshments, I also got to hear an impressive, young, progressive political candidate. As I listened to him speak, I kept thinking, "this guy actually reminds me of a young Kennedy" -- charisma, passion, intelligence, dedication, youthful idealism, soaring rhetoric. Great stuff.After being enthusiastically introduced by Delegate Brian Moran as person of "energy, understanding and commitment," Werkheiser gave a 10-15 minute speech which had the crowd clapping and cheering. Barely mentioning his opponent, conservative Republican Dave Albo, Werkheiser spoke of turning the "bitter pill of partisanship" into "thoughtful seeds of leadership." He quoted from Luke 12:48, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required."
In particular, he told the moving story of how a man named Bill Day believed in him enough to help him attend the College of William and Mary, which his working-class family couldn't even come close to affording. In exchange, Bill Day told Greg Werkheiser that he needed to do three things: 1) get good grades; 2) leave William and Mary a better place for having been there; and 3) put himself in a position to one day do the same thing for somebody else. And this, it seems, forms the basis for Greg Werkheiser's political philosophy: public service as a privilege and a joy ("the fire burns hottest when you are of service to other people"). Wow, you certainly don't hear THAT much nowadays, do you?
In his harshest comments towards his Republican opponent, Greg Werkheiser said that Albo's lack of leadership in Richmond "pains me." Werkheiser also mentioned Albo's attacks on popular governor Mark Warner, and Albo's comments to the effect that he saw his job as representing the wealthy residents of his district. Werkheiser's starkly different view of things is that, to the contrary, a delegate should represent EVERYONE in his or her district, not just the rich. According to Werkheiser, that means representing the district's senior citizens, its firefighters, its small business owners, its students, and its recent immigrants. Everyone.
Towards the end of his speech, Werkheiser spoke of people being tied together in a "network of mutuality," and of how his campaign was about "our obligation to one another." Unlike many politicians, Werkheiser actually convinced me when he said that he had gotten into politics to fight for "a better life for all who are willing to work for it." That, according to Werheiser, is the whole point of public service. I couldn't agree more.
Good luck to Greg Werkheiser, in a race against a right-wing Republican who is highly vulnerable to defeat this year. My prediction, for what it's worth, is that Greg Werkheiser will not only win his race this November, but will then proceed to demonstrate to his district what top-notch leadership is all about. I even wouldn't be surprised if, a few years from now, those of us who were in Lorton today will tell our friends and families about how we "knew Greg Werkheiser when..."