RK ARCHIVE - Good Friends, Good Omens for Brian Moran

You can't make this stuff up.

After an introduction from Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, Brian Moran stepped up to the stump, but he was interrupted. "I could launch into my stump speech, but look at that, there's a real rainbow, and you, my good friends, are the pot of gold." With the stump speech abandoned, Moran shared tales from the old days, picking friend from the crowd and pointing out how each helped him or made a difference in Virginia. "I plan to work for opportunity, and to make sure that everyone in the Commonwealth has every opportunity to make a better future." "My father the football coach taught me the value of hard work and education, but most he taught me the obligation to leave the world a better place, that's my passion, and that's why I'm here. We got here together, and we're going to win together."

Once the speeches broke up, I got a chance to ask Moran's friend and long time supporter, Delegate Adam Ebbin, a few questions. "I think Brian is realistic about the challenges facing all kinds of people in Virginia. McDonnell's approach is more for those who have already made their way. This election is going to be decided in the exurbs and the suburbs. Tim Kaine won there and Jim Webb won there. Brian has a real chance. He's not just interested in winning the statewide offices for the Democrats in 2009, but also in competing to win the majority in the House. We've picked up 12 seats since Brian became the caucus leader. We need 6 more for the majority. If you look at how he's campaigned vigorously in the last few years, enthusiastically helping to pick up seats in the House for Democrats across Virginia, you get a sense of the kind of leader Brian is. He's going to run a great campaign."

A night of good friends and good omens. This all bodes well for the Moran campaign, and we're told that official announcements are coming soon. Stay tuned.

Comments

Deeds had an event last night, too (The Grey Havens - 7/1/2008 10:13:03 AM)

I only heard about it yesterday, otherwise I would have lied to have been there, too.

I think what Adam Ebbin said makes a lot of sense. This will be decided in the exurbs, and I see the argument that Moran will run stronger there. This election may be decided in Loudon county. Whoever wins Loudon wins Virginia.

I'd Like Answers to Your (Lowell's) Questions Too (Matt H - 7/1/2008 10:35:32 AM)

Issues would include positions on payday loans, hotlanes, and if either believes that collective bargaining for public employees is a fundamental right (as codified in the ILO, and signed by the U.S.). With the stroke of a pen, a Gov. in Va. can grant these rights to all public employees via an executive order.

That is an interesting juxtaposition of questions, Lowell (aznew - 7/1/2008 10:48:29 AM)

My gut feel is that those questions would probably have two different answers.

Looking at the landscape today, Deeds is clearly the more electable candidate in a general election. To be honest, I don't even think there is an argument to be made on Moran's behalf with respect to this question.

This doesn't mean that Moran is not electable, but the argument on his behalf, that since Mark Warner was from NoVa and was able to win downstate, Moran will do so as well -- all he needs to do is eat some BBQ and attend a few NASCAR events, is faulty.

Similarly, the idea that Deeds does not attract sufficient support in NoVa is equally faulty, at least based on 2005 results, where Deeds ran pretty much the same as Kaine and Byrne in NoVa.

In the 8th CD:

Kaine - 70%
Byrne - 69%
Deeds - 69%

In the 11th CD:

Kaine - 56%
Byrne - 55%
Deeds - 53%

The general election will, IMHO, be decided by which candidate is able to get more Republican and independent voters, and prevent the defection of Democrats, in the areas of the state outside NoVa.

Moran Needs to Be Like Obama (Matt H - 7/1/2008 11:33:42 AM)

More comfortable with who he is and where he is from. These attributes should make him appear genuine, regardless of the fact that he's from NoVA. He'll never be a NASCAR-faux-macho-man, and he shouldn't pretend to be one (it's like Obama bowling).

The average working voter is neither conservative nor liberal, and is mostly concerned with practical issues, such as having job security, a good education, and a meaningful life. Obama gets it, and his confidence is infectious, regardless of his name, elite education, or family background.

If we truly believe that Obama can win Virginia (and I truly do), it seems like Moran (in his current incarnation) should be a slam dunk in a general election. Ideally strong stances on the issues trump all else.

Good events too (Nate W - 7/1/2008 10:49:10 AM)

As someone who's proud to work for Brian Moran, I want to be sure and let everyone know that Brian also had an event this past Sunday, a meet and greet at Tuscarora Mill in downtown Leesburg. You can check out the coverage here. He also had some great quotes in Leesburg Today about the current special session:

"We're all in this together," Moran said. "We call ourselves a commonwealth. We have to work together."
"All 140 of us, 40 in the Senate and 100 in the House, have our own plan," Moran said. "But at some point we have to realize we're stronger together than we are apart."