McAuliffe For Governor

Terry McAuliffe for Governor (New Journal and Guide)

June 4, 2009
New Journal and Guide

Virginia Democrats will go to the polls next Tuesday, June 9th to vote for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, among other offices. Next week's victors then will run against the Republicans in the November 3rd General Election. These early Democratic primaries, unfortunately, don't have a history of attracting a decent voter turn-out. It may be that citizens stay home because they discount the importance of the June Primary.

Often the Black attitude has been that the June Primary is a vote between Twiddle-Dee Democrat or Twiddle-Dum Democrat, so it really doesn't matter who wins.

Nothing could be further from the truth this year, although on too many occasions, that attitude has been justified.

This year, three qualified men believe each can lead Virginia as the next governor during these critical times. However, only one will move full-steam ahead to challenge GOP candidate Bob McDonnell. That winner must be the strongest of the three.

We believe that man is Terry McAuliffe.

McAuliffe is cut from the same cloth as former Governor Mark Warner, whose success at the state level moved him onto the national scene where he now sits in the U.S. Senate. Terry has already had a day at the national level as the head of the National Democratic Party where his genius and fundraising skills helped get President Bill Clinton elected.

Now Terry McAuliffe wants to bring that level of business expertise to Virginia's state house.

Both Terry and Mark are skilled businessmen who know how to make a payroll happen-important in today's troubled economy and high unemployment rates.

As a successful businessman, Terry McAuliffe knows how to use resources wisely and enlarge opportunities, traits of any good businessman. He has created new businesses for himself, and he will attract new business ventures to the state while protecting existing Virginia businesses.

Terry understands Virginia's heinous procurement record for Black businesses which shows Virginia spends less than 1 percent of taxpayers' dollars with Black-owned businesses.

Early on in the campaign period, Terry began a series of business roundtables across the state, seeking advice and sincerely listening to businessmen and women in the daily trenches about how to meet the economic challenges of Virginia. His forums included Black-owned businesses that are in the thick of the crisis.

Not surprisingly, it is Terry's business strength, his willingness to reach out in a new way to new people that has brought criticism from his Democratic opponents who are steeped in Virginia tradition.

When Terry ran his early campaign ads in the New Journal and Guide in February-and other Black newspapers around the state-word got back to us from an opponent's camp that he was trying to "buy" the Black vote because he was doing a new thing.

Advertising in Black newspapers to reach Black voters is a smart campaign strategy. Terry McAuliffe was doing a new thing to get his name out early to a valuable constituency-Black voters-as opposed to following tradition by recruiting worthy political stalwarts of the Black community to loyally deliver the Black vote to him.

New Journal and Guide is impressed with Terry's enthusiasm and eagerness to improve the quality of life of all the people in Virginia. He is focused, energetic, and hopeful, qualities sorely needed by our local, state and national leaders as we move our country out of its depression.

We are especially impressed with his keeping the high road in a political campaign that has threatened at times to get downright dirty.

When bait was set to drag Terry into an alley cat fight by casting him unfavorably to the Black community because he was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton, instead of Barak Obama, he didn't bite. Have we forgotten that many Blacks were early-and late-supporters of Hillary. Fact is this Virginia campaign is not about electing Mr. Obama.

That he comfortably can be called "Terry" is an indication of the candidate's down-to-earthness.

New Journal and Guide unequivocally believes Terry McAuliffe is the candidate to vote for on Tuesday June 9th and then again on November 3rd to become our next Governor.

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