Blog post

March 29, 2009 [LINK / comment]

McDonnell launches campaign

Bob McDonnell formally began his campaign for governor on Saturday in the Annandale part of Fairfax County, where he lived as a child. It was the first stop on a multi-city blitz. He chose as his campaign theme "New Jobs, More Opportunities," and he characterized the ambitious agenda he laid out as having "big, hairy audacious goals." He also warned that Virginia's status as a Right to Work state is under attack from Big Labor, criticizing the "Employee Free Choice Act" (a.k.a. "Card Check") bill that was introduced by the Democrats in Congress. See bobmcdonnell.com* and the News Leader.

You can listen to a podcast interview with McDonnell at Bearing Drift. McDonnell evidently is new-media-savvy.

Given his reserved personality and formal style, hitting the campaign trail and getting into the political fray will require McDonnell to make some adjustments in his approach. He seems to have just the right balance of friendliness and dignity -- charisma and executive "gravitas." Some Republicans are mad that McDonnell suggested that RPV Chairman Jeff Frederick step aside, but McDonnell has rock-solid credentials as a conservative. What's more, he is eminently electable, and it would be foolish for anyone in the party to snipe at his very promising campaign.

Jim Hoeft thinks that McDonnell may be trying to cut a deal with Frederick, hoping to avoid a party split. (Too late for that!) One possible replacement for the RPV Chairman is Sandy Liddy Bourne, daughter of G. Gordon Liddy. Some pro-life activists object to her because she supports a woman's right to choose abortion in certain limited cases, which is close to my position on the matter.

* SPELL CHECK: "Phillipinnes" should be "Philippines."

Fine British oratory

If the Republicans had a spokesperson half as eloquent as this Tory MP rebuking Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Barack Obama would not get very far with his big-spending leftist agenda. Watch youtube.com; hat tip to Megan.