Herrity vs. Fimian: Spin, Spin, Spin

Doesn't his family name (0.00 / 0)

give Herrity a boost? We may be a transient area, but there must be plenty of people who recall his father with fondness (we even have a road named for him, do we not?); or, has Pat's record on the Fairfax BOS not made him friends out of the friends of his father? Is Pat really doing poorly?

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by: Teddy Goodson @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 12:47:50 PM UTC

It could. (0.00 / 0)

The Herrity name is well known and could compensate for Pat's thin record of accomplishment and anemic fundraising. We'll see.

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by: lowkell @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 13:41:49 PM UTC

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I think you should look up the definition of "anemic". (0.00 / 0)

Because you're definitely not using it accurately.

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by: VA Blogger @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 13:53:57 PM UTC

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Definition. (4.00 / 1)

From Merriam Webster: "lacking force, vitality, or spirit (an anemic rendition of the song) (anemic efforts at enforcement) b : lacking interest or savor : insipid (anemic wines) c : lacking in substance or quantity (anemic returns on an investment) (anemic attendance)"

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by: lowkell @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 14:00:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jack Herrity has been gone for decades (0.00 / 0)

So transient area or not, when you add the 20 years since he's been on the board, plus the population increase, plus the demographic shift even in Springfield district, most people simply weren't around or old enough to care when Jack was running the Board.  

The Herrity name has even less awareness in Prince William, which does make up a very sizable chunk of the 11th.  Fimian did better there than in Fairfax in 2008, as was to be expected.

Pat has done a pretty poor job as he immediately took on the "petulant child" attitude when he took office.  Missing meetings, leaving meetings, whining when he doesn't get his way.  For a guy who's only had the seat for less than 2.5 years, this congressional primary is the second time he's attempted to run for a different office.  So, he's not exactly working hard for folks in Springfield since he's just using his Supervisor's seat as a booster seat for other attempts.

All in all, I expect Fimian to win the primary and then go on to lose to Connolly.  I do look forward to a nice spring of Herrity nutbars bashing Fimian nutbars though.

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by: NotJohnSMosby @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 14:54:58 PM UTC

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You're not a Springfield constituent (0.00 / 0)

Herrity's office has good constituent service and has been commended by local papers. Your partisan, hackish take is, as usual, not founded in fact but in your ideological zeal.

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by: VA Blogger @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 16:28:12 PM UTC

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Ok (0.00 / 0)

That's your viewpoint as a Herrity supporter.  I don't know him that well, just his mother - who's a Democrat, by the way, and was a Deeds supporter last year.

Pat has done nothing but whine the entire time he's been on the board.  For the first year he was in a minority of two, now a minority of three, but he's done relatively little.  Springfield is by far the most Republican district in Fairfax, although it to is trending more moderate.  Even the reddest precincts down there are only in the high 50s for RPVI, so relatively speaking, Springfield isn't as solid for Republicans as districts like Mason and Hunter Mill are truly solid for Democrats.

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by: NotJohnSMosby @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 20:30:16 PM UTC

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Name dropping (0.00 / 0)

I've lived in the 11th now for over a decade, and had no idea who Jack Herrity was until I started posting on blogs.  The word "transient" doesn't really quite describe way life in NoVa is like -- it's a subject I continue to harp on.  One the street where I lived in Gainesville, out of 18 homes, only two are owned by original owners 10 years later.  On the street where I live in Fairfax, a much more stable neighborhood, five of twelve homes have turned over in the past five years.  Name recognition in such a world doesn't last very long, and the way to reach these voters is different than what we've been doing for the last 20 years in targeting voters and as get out the vote strategies.  Both parties have a lot to gain by tapping into recent "relos" and both have a lot to lose if they don't.  

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by: GretchenLaskas @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 16:52:24 PM UTC

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Good points, (0.00 / 0)

especially about the changing demographics, at least in Fairfax. Changing demographics refers not merely to the many moves-in and moves-out, but to the composition of the voters, which represents a challenge to the Establishment in both main parties, IMO.

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by: Teddy Goodson @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 17:39:59 PM UTC

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Communications (0.00 / 0)

Not to mention how we communicate with each other.  I know most of my neighbors by sight (I had typed "site" -- talk about Freudian slips!) and think they are nice neighbors, but I'm not close friends with very many of them even though I've lived here for nearly five years.  But in that same period of time, I have tons of friends that I've made online -- and not simply "cyber friends" but people with whom I interact in person on a regular basis.  But the beginnings of those relationships did not take place with face-to-face contact.  That's going to be a challenge to politics as usual, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on.  I'm probably an extreme example, even for the frequently relocating GenXer who loves the net, but if there is anywhere you're likely to find more people like me, it's NoVA.

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by: GretchenLaskas @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 18:16:19 PM UTC

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Isn't a large hunk of Herrity's Springfield Supervisor's District in the 11th? (0.00 / 0)

He doesn't have to rely on Dad's name recognition there.  Dad's name would help him in Sully & Braddock.

He'll need $$ in PWC.

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by: martinlomasney @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 13:36:21 PM UTC

He needs to talk to Ken (0.00 / 0)

"Herrity also appears to be spending a lot of money on overhead and consultants. Rookie mistake?"

Cuccinelli assures us that he was able to bring in his Constitution-altering lawsuit against Obamacare for just $350.  (Or was that $150?  I think they had to retract the earlier claim because the filing fee alone was $350.)  Why waste money on a bunch of fancy "experts" who actually know Constitutional Law, when you can get the text of a lawsuit for free from unpaid help coming out of some Bible college law school, or other wingnut academy?

I'm sure the management geniuses in the Republican/Tea Party can figure out how to bring in a winning campaign for a mere House seat for significantly less than $350.  

You're right, Herrity needs to fire all those consultants who are wasting his money, and turn to the wise elders of his party, folks like our AG, for all of his messaging and money management advice.  That's my advice to Herrity, which I offer gratis, for all that it's worth.

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by: Glen Tomkins @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 13:46:53 PM UTC

Low figures (0.00 / 0)

Those figures, from both candidates, look really low to me. I realize that some Republican will tell me that he's thrilled with the numbers (dems would likely try to spin the same) but speaking as an individual, if my candidate had either of those numbers at this point in the game, I would be concerned. This is an expensive area in which to run, even in a primary.  Money isn't a make or break factor, obviously, but no one likes going without it.  

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by: GretchenLaskas @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 15:39:26 PM UTC

Any info. on when/where (if) they will have their 1st (only ?) debate ? (0.00 / 0)

I think a debate would be the most fun event we could witness. Neither has a clue about what a sitting Congressman actually has to do, so they will exposing their own and each others' ignorance as they make up stuff and try to make it look like fact.

I live at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville and if they do have a debate here I'll certainly enjoy attending and watching them make fools of themselves.

Speaking of my community, my hero Charlie Deane (remember 9500 Liberty ?) who is PWC Chief of Police lives at Heritage Hunt (an active adult community)it was probably just a coincidence that Cief Deane lives here but I noticed about a week after we saw huge Fimian signs along the curb strip just outside the HH gate they were all suddenly gone. PWC only allows campaign signs to be placed on public rights of way two weeks before a primary or general election. At least one advantage of Pat having no money yet to pay for signs is that he doesn't have to worry about having his signs removed when he puts them up too early. Actually, I have seen Herrity signs in Fairfax County so Pat does have a few.

This GOP primary is a fun thing to watch. I guess Fimian will have to spend some of his money he loaned his campaign pretty soon.

                         T.C.

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by: Tom @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 16:55:40 PM UTC

They've already had several debates (0.00 / 0)

Including at Heritage Hunt and will have a few more before the primary.

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by: VA Blogger @ Fri Apr 16, 2010 at 18:39:00 PM UTC

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