There are so many ways for me to discuss how I've found the the Virginia 2005 elections and the Democratic Party to be positive and motivating, I barely know where to begin. Lowell asked me to share some of this with the readers of RaisingKaine. I must admit that I do so with a little trepidation, since it's such a personal story. But I feel I have gained so much out of my experiences, I want to share them in hopes they might inspire action and dedication from others as well.Let me speak from my own perspective. I was recruited to help Tim Kaine's campaign while working on Chap Peterson's Lt. Governor primary election effort. At first, I was a little dubious about Kaine, not knowing much about him as a candidate. Since then, every day I have become more and more impressed by all the things Kaine stands for and has done during his public career. There is just so much to admire in his record! For instance, I am greatly inspired by Kaine's experience in turning Richmond from a down and out urban crisis to an up-and-coming trendy city, by his leadership efforts to improve the state's educational system (actually making the Lt. Governor's job something meaningful for a change!), and by the innovative way Kaine dealt with Richmond's crime problems with Project Exile.
It all points to a background of exceptional competence.
By contrast, when I look at Jerry Kilgore, I see a candidate whose only experience in public management (as Secretary of Public Safety for two years under George Allen) established a record of ongoing scandals, corruption and even oversight to the physical abuse of children (ref, Department of Justice investigation). Kilgore's record as Attorney General was largely ineffectual as well, marked chiefly by judicial favoritism. Frankly, it amazes me that Jerry Kilgore was the best candidate the Republican Party could possibly find to run for Governor this year, given that his background is so exceptionally dubious.
Currently, I work the campaign from a distinctly local end. I'm a precinct captain, I volunteer for my local delegate candidates and I host a campaign worker. All of this gives me a fairly close grassroots perspective on the inside workings of the campaign. What I get is a view from the periphery, though I am fortunate that I can interact fairly frequently with candidates and staff.
Right now, my perspective is that the race is in a dead heat, but with the Democratic campaigns actually gaining significant positive momentum. As the election gets closer, I am sure the negative attacks will increase, but I don't think that's really all so scary. The fact is, negative attacks are just a characteristic of modern elections--and these days, Democrats aren't just going to sit back and take it!
Having said that, it IS interesting that it was the Kilgore campaign that began by throwing the first negative attacks. Some folks attribute the relentless Kilgore negativity to his media advisor, Scott Howell, but frankly, I can see this as more characteristic of the way Kilgore has behaved throughout his entire professional career. If you look closely, you can see that Kilgore has a long history of attacks and battles, then quitting when things got tough and avoiding responsibility for the consequences of his "leadership." For instance, I'm not holding my breath waiting for any accountability for the Kilgore campaign's use of non-existent references in their latest negative television advertisement.
To be honest, the Democratic campaign insiders I know aren't really afraid of Kilgore's attacks, since Tim Kaine doesn't have any skeletons in his closet -- if anything, his past is much more virtuous than even the campaign has portrayed. As a noted philosopher (ok, Fat Albert) once said, "He who throws mud only loses ground." Kilgore is mudslinging and losing ground. Ultimately, it's because Kilgore can't arm himself with the truth--but Kaine does.
This campaign has been a genuinely great experience for me, since it's made me feel much more connected to my local community. I've met great people and made real friends. I've also become extremely impressed by the folks running for office. Most are exactly the opposite of the cliches of corruption and exploitiveness that folks presume from politicians. A closer look at most state offices reveals that the pay stinks, the workload is huge and there's an almost unimaginable level of personal abuse hurled at you. What I have found is that most candidates are highly idealistic people who endure tremendous personal sacrifice out of commitment to help their communities.
Even the Republicans can be decent, if misguided. For example, I found the staff of our competitor for local delegate race to have a surprising degree of decency, civility and even friendliness. A few days ago, I found that some kids had pulled the plastic sleeves off our competitor's sign wickets at a back-to-school night activity. I looked at the empty wicket, considered what I expected from the other camp, then put the plastic sleeves back on.
Earlier at that same event, I had had a long conversation with a rather committed Republican. I'd shown him statistics proving that losing the car tax actually made Virginians pay more overall taxes under Governor Gilmore. I had also discussed Kaine's religious convictions and experience working in Honduras. All of this got him engaged, but it still wasn't enough to get him to vote for any Democrats.
Then this man saw me restore my opponent's sign. He came up to me and said that although my argument was strong and meeting our local candidate impressive, seeing me fix the sign convinced him to support the Democratic ticket. Ok, it was just one vote--but what a phenomenal experience!
That's what working this campaign has done for me. I now drive around town and I feel a real sense of being an engaged member of the community. People wave at me on my way to work and greet me in the supermarket. That's enormously motivating.
When push comes to shove, I don't want Republicans as my elected officials, but I would never want to lose them as my neighbors. Yes, they definitely do want easy fix policies without consideration for consequences, but I'd rather have them here where I can start to show them how much better everything can still get.
The bottom line is that I see this election as an opportunity for all Democrats and for all Virginians. There are unlimited volunteer opportunities, but by far my favorite is the simplest: engaging everyone I know to think about what's at stake. So, I hope I leave RaisingKaine readers with that, if nothing else. I am confident that if we all bring the issues forward among our friends, neighbors and families, there's no way the Democratic candidates can fail to win.