Ray McAllister on the "Yuppiefest"

On the Democratic side, Jim Webb got some good press - although much of it was inaccurate, talking about "hundreds" of pro-Webb signs and not that 7,000-8,000 that were actually in the ground. 

Harris Miller?  Well, he basically got ridiculed for his brief, half-hearted appearance, with no signs, no beer truck, no bluegrass band, and no supporters (whoops, sorry, he had the same 2-3 paid staffers with him he always has). 

Here's Ray McAllister of the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the event, which he says has turned into a "Yuppiefest":

If Allen was the main draw, former Navy Secretary James Webb was the main surprise. In June, Webb will face off against Harris Miller, a former trade-association executive, for the Democratic nomination to run against Allen in the fall.

Webb supporters won the traditional "sign war" by lining incoming roads with thousands of political signs. Allen supporters maintained that, because some of their signs were bigger and placed farther from the event, theirs was the more logistically impressive effort.

Webb's campaign also brought its own band -- the Locust Mountain Boys bluegrass band -- to compete with the event's official band -- Bustin' Loose. Webb gave an impromptu speech saying it was the "absence of leadership at the national level" that had persuaded him to run.

Though Miller attended the Shad Planking, much of the talk by others was about his campaign's failure to put up campaign signs. A spokeswoman said the campaign had spent its resources instead contacting potential voters in Richmond yesterday.

Huh?  Miller could spend $30,000 or so of his many millions to buy some signs, get a beer truck, and be respectful of a 70-year-old Virginia tradition?  Amazing, for someone who says he's from Appalachia and will fit in nicely with rural Virginians.  We sure didn't see that yesterday, that's all I can say.

[UPDATE: Our readers are awesome! I just had to highlight this brilliant comment from Loudon County Dem - Josh:
"Allen supporters maintained that, because some of their signs were bigger and placed farther from the event, theirs was the more logistically impressive effort." 
..many where reported as far away as Iowa and New Hampshire...  

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