His answer was a very personal one. He spoke of how he is running for Governor because he feels strongly that it is the right time for him to do so given the nature and magnitude of the problems that we currently face. He mentioned that, although he’s been an announced candidate since late 2007, his entire career of public service has been leading up to this campaign.
Talking about the importance of the next Governor’s term, Creigh reminded the listening audience that the next governor will be the one to oversee the 2011 redistricting. Redistricting, of course, has long been one of Creigh’s signature issues.
In the first few exchanges of the program, Creigh Deeds was prepared, laid-back, and succinct. He would sustain these admirable traits for the remainder of the show. At around 7:36, Bob Gibson stated that Terry McAuliffe had called into the show from the road. Terry’s ever-excited voice was immediately recognizable on the other end of the line. He started out by joking about the need for better transportation, as he had gotten stuck in traffic en route to the studio.
Once he joined the program, the next string of questions was directed solely at him. He was given the same opportunity that Creigh had to talk about his reasons for seeking the office of the Governor, as well as the laundry list of problems facing Virginia. Terry started out by saying that what Virginia needs now is pure growth. He said that cutting the budget to free up funds is no longer a practical option, nor is it realistic to suggest that taxes can be raised in such a gloomy economy.
Terry stressed throughout the discussion that the next Governor will need to rev up the “economic engine” of Virginia by incentivizing an influx of new businesses that will create jobs. To do this, he says, the state needs to be run like a business. He then discussed his own successes as a businessman and his long record of breathing new life into failing businesses.
Bob Gibson asked Terry how much money he intends to raise for his campaign. Terry passed on the chance to give a precise dollar amount, saying that he’s not at all focused on money right now, but rather gathering ideas and talking with people at the grassroots level. He did, however, say definitively that media reports pegging his total fundraising goal as high as $75,000,000 are “ludicrous.”
The discussion then moved to Virginia’s role in the 2008 election. Creigh got back into the conversation by saying that the reason Barack Obama won Virginia was because he brought unprecedented attention to the state. Creigh also cited Tim Kaine’s early endorsement of Barack Obama as a major factor in helping Obama establish a base of support.
At that point, a caller asked both Terry and Creigh why they thought they were well suited to work with people of both parties in the General Assembly to advance their agendas. Creigh used his experience to his advantage, citing a long career of working “across the aisle” as a legislator. He mentioned that he has a great number of friends in Richmond from both political parties, which would enhance his ability to govern efficiently.
Terry approached the question by saying that he, too, has been required to work with and reconcile very diverse groups of people during the course of his career, which will help him work with the General Assembly as Governor. Terry also said that, should he be elected Governor, he’ll be willing to work with anyone prepared to “shake things up” in Virginia, regardless of their political affiliation. Terry seized this opportunity to throw a punch at Bob McDonnell by stating that McDonnell has aligned himself too closely with ideologues and worked to stymie progress.
Next, a caller asked both Creigh and Terry what they would do as Governor to help state employees. Creigh and Terry answered the question in almost exactly the same way: We need to grow the economy with new industry and jobs. When we are able to accomplish that, guaranteed tax revenue goes up, helping to ensure consistent raises for state employees. Terry used the opportunity to talk at length about raising teacher pay to the national average, pointing out that 50% of Virginia’s teachers leave the state in the first years of their career in search of better pay and benefits.
At that point, there was a break in the show for NPR news. When the show returned, both Creigh and Terry were in the studio, but Brian Moran had not yet called in. Things got going again when a caller asked what the candidates thought about collective bargaining for state employees. Once again, there was unanimity. Terry and Creigh both expressed support for the right of state employees to “meet and confer,” but they were very clear that Virginia’s “right to work” status has to be upheld, as it draws new industry to the Commonwealth.
By the time Creigh and Terry had weighed in on that, Brian had called into the show. He was introduced. He then wished everybody a happy new year, but jokingly stated that he couldn’t really wish Creigh or Terry a “successful” new year. Brian was given a chance to answer the question about collective bargaining and gave virtually the same answer as his fellow candidates.
Next up was a very articulate question from a caller who was concerned about specific budget cuts to mental healthcare facilities, particularly to one that deals largely with mental healthcare for children. This led to the candidates being asked about the important lessons that were learned from the Virginia Tech Tragedy. As I recall, Brian Moran was the only candidate to specifically discuss the need to permanently close the gun show loophole. This, of course, greatly impressed me.
The next caller’s question was perhaps the most memorable of the show. She started out by telling the three Democrats that she would be voting for whichever of them was ultimately the nominee. She stated that, since they seem to have the same views on virtually every important issue, she was mostly concerned with knowing why each of them think they would be the most electable Democratic candidate for Governor. What a perfect question.
Brian took the first stab at this question, and he handled it very well. Brian stated that he believes he is the most electable candidate. He touted his 20-year record of fighting for Virginia families, as well as his “proven record of leadership.” Creigh took a more strategic approach to the question, saying that he is the most electable because he can win in every part of the state, and has actually run statewide against Bob McDonnell before. He stressed that selecting a Democratic nominee who can “go toe-to-toe” with McDonnell is important. He reminded the audience that, in 2005, he lost by a razor-thin margin despite having been outspent 2-to-1 during the campaign.
Terry started his answer by stating that he wouldn’t be going after Brian or Creigh personally, stating that he has a rule against “speaking ill of Democrats.” He said that he is saving all of his criticism for Bob McDonnell. Terry believes that not being a career politician or Richmond Insider will work to his advantage, as it gives him more freedom to talk about the “big ideas” that Virginia needs. Terry also insisted that he, too, could win in every part of the state. He claimed that he hunts, and has been known to enjoy moonshine from time to time. He then suggested that perhaps he and Creigh would drink some moonshine after the show had concluded. Around this time, the show wrapped up.
I thought it was an immensely interesting program. It revealed that, among the three Democratic nominees for governor, we have three very different personalities, all of whom I genuinely believe have something good to offer the Commonwealth.
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