Bowers as LG? I Don't Think So

Deeds (0.00 / 0)

His disaster was more a case of personality and unpreparedness in the face of media scrutiny. There's nothing about his origins that should be a natural handicap, unless someone has a very stupid prejudice against people from rural areas.

As far as personality, Bowers has him beat on that. Of course, this is based on my own interaction with him. Not sure how he'd handle the Washington Post or anyone that isn't from the Roanoke Times. He'd probably be better off staying Mayor.

That isn't to say I wouldn't vote for him. Given the choice between him and a guy who's education plan would likely just involve a lot of talk about iPhone apps and "innovation" (read: vouchers), I'd vote Bowers. At least he had the guts to back raising the necessary revenue to fund a school system the past 3 years (2009 was when the "Eat For Schools" restaurant tax came in, right?).

Periello can do better than LG.  

I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.

~Will Rogers

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by: Paba @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 13:32:23 PM UTC

Restaurant Tax (0.00 / 0)

I believe it was 2010 when the meals tax was raised. Unfortunately, the council made the tax have a two-year sunset and now has let it lapse. No restaurants lost business because of the 2% increase. Plus, the state continues to push costs for education and other public services back to the localities and the tax really helped.

David has baggage left over from leaving the party, becoming an independent and beating a sitting Democrat, and then becoming a Democrat again. Much of that is gone in Roanoke, but it would an issue in a state-wide primary.

Creigh Deeds had many flaws that we didn't know of at the time he won the primary. Rightly or wrongly, I know many people who have read his dismal performance as proof that people from rural areas can't win statewide. It doesn't have to be true to affect outcomes. They also point to Jon Bowerbank's loss in the nomination fight of 2011.

As for Chopra, nobody knows him at all in much of the state. Perhaps other candidates will try for the nomination. I, for one, hope so.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 13:51:42 PM UTC

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Chopra (0.00 / 0)

While it's true that some party insiders are pushing for "geographic balance" on the ticket (which is bullshit) or some other form of diversity, I think it's going to be Chopra, in the end. No complaints here.

Bowers needs to come up with a more convincing argument for LG than "geographic balance" if he wants to be taken seriously. Didn't he only narrowly win reelection in Roanoke? It seems like he'd struggle in a lot of the more affluent suburbs in the state that we have to win.

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by: FreeDem @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 14:06:09 PM UTC

Won Handily (0.00 / 0)

David was never in the position of possibly losing the mayor's race after he easily won the firehouse primary for the Democratic nomination. However, you are correct. He needs far more than just "geographical balance" as a reason to be on the ticket as LG candidate.  

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 14:12:44 PM UTC

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Really? (0.00 / 0)

I'm underwhelmed by a 52%-48% victory for an established incumbent in a safe Democratic city. The Roanoke Times also endorsed Lucas, and they'd usually endorse any Democrat with a pulse.

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by: FreeDem @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 14:54:43 PM UTC

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Old Feud (0.00 / 0)

There is a long-standing "feud" between some in on the paper and David Bowers. He had a formidable opponent this time in Mark Lucas, not just a party flack. Add to that the fact that there were some in the Democratic Party who sat the election out because of David becoming an independent in order to get back in the mayor's office when he beat Nelson Harris. As is usual in the May municipal elections, turnout was pathetic. David Bowers wasn't an "established incumbent." He was someone who ran as an independent, then switched back for this race to run as a Democrat.

By the way, the paper does not "endorse any Democrat with a pulse." If that were so, they wouldn't have endorsed Chris Head over Freeda Cathcart.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 18:53:24 PM UTC

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If Bowers decides not to run ... (0.00 / 0)

He may have cooked his goose for another term as mayor. He betrayed his very conservative benefactor Peter Via who donated $75K to his reelection last year. Via did so on the premise that he was not using the office as a springboard to higher office.

Via won't make that mistake again when Bowers runs next time and he needed that money for a real strong opponent in Lucas. If he is challenged again by someone with Lucas' credentials or better Bowers will lose. Bowers won by 360 votes as I recall and that isn't much.

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by: ValerieInRke @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 21:21:15 PM UTC

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Turnout (0.00 / 0)

Sadly, in local elections the turnout is pathetic. You may be right, though. David would be smart to stay with simply running in Roanoke where people are happy to have a ribbon cutter with a big, Irish smile and a nice personality. If he gets too much ego and runs for higher office, he may find he has reached the limit of the possible.  

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Fri Sep 21, 2012 at 23:35:30 PM UTC

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2008 (0.00 / 0)

They endorsed Sam Rasoul. Can't get more pathetic than that. I guess it really goes to show what the Cathcart campaign was about if they couldn't even get the Times' endorsement.

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by: FreeDem @ Sat Sep 22, 2012 at 14:33:36 PM UTC

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Corporate Tool (0.00 / 0)

Bob Goodlatte is a corporate tool who promised that he would not run for more than 5 terms because he believed in term limits. He is far over that. He also touts his "Balanced Budget Amendment," then he votes for various budget bills for federal departments that exceed the limits of his supposed budget limit. He is the master of pork for his district. He is a phony a**hole who has lived his adult life  on the federal dole while bashing the paymaster that gives him his paycheck.

Of course, the Roanoke Times endorsed a fresh face to represent the 6th District. Anything would be better than "Mr. Corporate Tool."

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Sat Sep 22, 2012 at 23:42:19 PM UTC

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You mean BADlatte? (0.00 / 0)

Yeah, he's pretty much the pits. The question, as always (broken record) is, why does anyone vote for him?

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by: lowkell @ Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 00:12:00 AM UTC

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