McAuliffe Campaign Releases New Radio Ad Featuring President Clinton

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new radio ad highlighting his experience and widespread support from Virginia organizations and Democratic leaders, including President Bill Clinton.

"It makes a difference who the Governor is. It makes a difference what the policies are and I am telling you Terry McAuliffe was made for this moment in history," President Clinton says in the ad. "He's got more energy than anybody I've ever met, he's relentlessly positive and he really cares about people like you.

The radio ad will run on adult urban contemporary, gospel, and religious radio stations in the Norfolk and Richmond media markets. It was produced by Potomac Waves, a minority-owned and operated media consulting firm based in Washington, DC.

The ad can be heard here.

Tags: ads, bill clinton, clinton, democratic leaders, democrats, macker, mcauliffe, norfolk, president clinton, radio ad, richmond, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 5/28/09

Just like Terry and all of our supporters, the blogosphere is gearing up for Election Day. This week bloggers have been talking about which candidates are looking good in the polls, Terry's latest endorsements, and events leading up to the final week. We're just as excited as bloggers are for the upcoming primary election, which is why we all agree we need to put every ounce of that energy into getting out the vote.

Terry has received numerous endorsements this week, including former Lieutenant Governor Candidate Jon Bowerbank and prominent Virginia blogger Ben Tribbett. Ben explains his reasons for endorsing Terry at his blog, Not Larry Sabato.

This hasn't been an easy choice… But after a lot of thought, I'm going to support Terry McAuliffe for Governor. A few reasons: The national media has been salivating over this race since Terry got into it waiting for a gaffe that they could jump on and blow up. It hasn't happened, because Terry has researched the issues, learned local politics in every corner of the Commonwealth and surrounded himself with a first rate campaign team. I think that indicates that Terry is ready for the General Election... He can take on the toughest fights- and drive the General Assembly to solutions. …we need a Governor to shake things up in Richmond. Terry is the right man at this time to do so… More importantly, Terry is giving people a little bit of that hope we got in 2008 and that kind of optimistic attitude can do everyone a lot of good right now.

Other bloggers are also enthusiastically supporting Terry, including the most recent endorsement from the blog X Curmudgeon.

In the end we had to go with the man we thought would run the best campaign. Of the three Democratic candidates, we think McAuliffe will do the best job running against McDonnell. ...More importantly, however, McAuliffe has run a clean, upbeat, well-oiled campaign. ...Equally important--and a question mark for us at the beginning of the campaign--T.M. has shown a good deal of substance on the campaign trail. We don't think he'd just be an empty suit in the Governor's Mansion if elected. ...Three-four months ago, we couldn't have seen ourselves endorsing Terry McAuliffe. But come November, we're going to need his energy, the money he can raise, and the enthusiasm he can generate.

At Blue Virginia, Lowell reported on Terry’s glowing endorsement from the Richmond Free Press, Virginia’s leading African-American newspaper.

Great news for Terry McAuliffe, as (already strong) African American support for his candidacy appears to be gaining momentum as we get closer to election day (in addition, there was the Richmond Crusade for Voters' endorsement of Terry several days ago). …The Free Press writes that in order to "keep up the Virginia momentum for President Obama's audacious program of hope and change...we must elect the strongest Democratic candidate with the ability to defeat the Republican candidate in the Nov. 3 General Election."

In a diary at Daily Kos, Alankrishnan wrote about President Clinton campaigning with Terry in Herndon and Annandale a couple weeks ago.

President Clinton referred to McAuliffe as his best friend and made it very clear that his support of McAuliffe in this race was not just because of friendship but because of McAuliffe being best qualified to be the next Governor of Virginia. …McAuliffe made a fiery speech calling for unity and working together for the growth and success of Virginia… He thanked all his supporters for the confidence and support in the race and promised he will continue to work very hard to protect the jobs of every one in Virginia …He concluded by exhorting every one to unite under one sign after June 9th, no matter what sign they carried now….I walked around and spoke with several in the audience. Among those I met is a seasoned Obama campaign volunteer in Herndon who is totally convinced that McAuliffe is our best candidate to be the next Governor of Virginia. She is putting together a team of volunteers to help make this campaign.

He also provided video of the event in Herndon:

Tags: ben tribbett, bill clinton, bloggers, blogs, clinton, endorsements, jon bowerbank, macker, mcauliffe, polls, richmond free press, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, weekly blog roundup

This Time, McAuliffe Is Selling Himself

National Journal
May 23, 2009
by Jennifer Skalka

When he turned 52 early this year, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe -- glad-handing former rainmaker of the Democratic National Committee and permanent First Friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton -- fittingly celebrated with a fundraiser lightly disguised as a birthday party. Old pals, including such famous-for-Washington types as lawyer Richard Ben-Veniste and former Rep. Tom McMillen, turned out for the Macker, as he's known.

In the middle of the room stood a five-tier confection -- bright blue and decorated with cardinals, the state bird. A McAuliffe-looking figurine, but blonder, stood atop the cake, which had the state's motto, Sic semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants), draped across it. But when the time came for guests to dive in, a waiter instead delivered ready-to-eat slices of some other goodie from a back room.

Was the strange, towering creation for real? Without dragging a finger through the Technicolor frosting, it was impossible to tell. But as the irrepressible party pitchman-turned-candidate closes in on his first-ever primary, the mystery dessert makes an easy metaphor for what Old Dominion voters must decide about his gold-plated campaign. "If you're lookin' for the same old thing, I'm not your guy to go to Richmond," the transplanted New Yorker, who has developed a new habit of dropping his g's, told well-wishers.

The architect of President Clinton's Lincoln Bedroom fundraising strategy and a fast-talking fixture on cable television, McAuliffe spent three decades selling the candidacies of other Democrats. Now he is concentrating on his own political advancement and on raising enough money to steamroll his party rivals in what may well be the most-watched race of 2009. Already, McAuliffe has raked in more than $5.1 million and hired a staff of more than 100. But he has never served on a city council, never toiled in a statehouse, never run a government agency, never argued with local lawmakers about tax rates or school construction dollars. His governing skills are untested.

Both national parties are closely watching the Virginia contests. Democrats believe that a general election victory would confirm that the state has turned true blue in the Age of Obama; Republicans see flipping both of the governorships on the line this year -- in Virginia and New Jersey -- as a powerful way to demonstrate their rebound. Democrats have won the last two gubernatorial elections in the commonwealth. But to repeat this year, they would have to break a strong pattern: Ever since 1977, Virginia's governorship has been captured by the party that lost the previous year's presidential election. And in former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who resigned in February to run full-time, the GOP has a strong contender.

Eighteen months ago, McAuliffe probably never imagined that his political future would hinge on how well he stacks up in Virginia voters' minds against longtime state pols. But his 2008 presidential candidate of choice, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was foiled by Barack Obama, her White House aspirations heaped into the dustbin of history. Along with them went McAuliffe's chances of becoming, say, White House chief of staff.

Looking for a personal political rebirth as a candidate, the boisterous McAuliffe is using the sales skills he honed at the knees of party giants. On the stump, the man who The New York Times Magazine noted has a "Barnum & Bailey personality" is relentless, loud, and a master of hyperbole.

"New energy for new jobs!" he crows at every opportunity. On a gray and chilly March morning while touring a Lorton waste-to-energy plant with company executives and reporters, McAuliffe, the grip-and-greet connoisseur, sounded every bit the auctioneer.

"I love all waste!" he roared. Incinerated chicken poop, he said, will help meet the state's ever-growing demands for electricity. High-speed rail from Northern Virginia to Richmond and Hampton Roads? He'll make it happen. Higher teacher pay? He's in. And candidate McAuliffe will insert your name, voter, into every sentence.

To those who complain that he hasn't worked his way up in Virginia politics, he retorts, "This is democracy. No one has a birthright in democracy. If you have good ideas, go run. What if they told Barack Obama that? 'Where have you been?' "

McAuliffe is charging into the minutiae of state government with his trademark gusto, but the journey isn't likely to be easy. Even if he prevails in the June 9 primary and the November general election, he will still have to figure out how to get his way in a governorship that is notoriously weak because it is limited to a single, four-year term.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., who has lived in Northern Virginia's tony McLean for 17 years, McAuliffe transformed the primary race merely by entering it. His opponents, former state Del. Brian Moran and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, have long served in Richmond, but they can't match McAuliffe's fundraising clout, seasoned campaign savvy, or political celebrity status. In the first quarter of this year, McAuliffe raised $4.2 million -- more than five times the take of Moran, who served for 13 years in the General Assembly and whose brother Jim represents Alexandria and Arlington in the U.S. House.

McAuliffe's supporters say he will bowl over the competition by launching an air and ground war (he has more than 50 field workers) that won't be easily rivaled, and that will be built on a retooled Bill Clintonesque "It's the economy, stupid" message emphasizing job creation. Detractors predict that McAuliffe's appeal will prove quite limited, that voters will reject him as an interloper. "For Democrats, the key to success is to find a Democrat who appeals to [Virginia's] urban base but who also has strong appeal in rural Virginia," said Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher, a Deeds supporter who represents Tazewell and other counties in the state's southwest. "I think people are going to make their judgment based on reasons other than the number of TV commercials they see."

In the view of veteran Democratic strategist Peter Fenn, McAuliffe's chief task is to persuade voters that his campaign isn't an ego trip. "The real question is, can he prove to the citizens of Virginia that this is about Virginia, that this is about them?" Fenn said. "What he's got to show is, he has the clout and the ideas to deliver for folks -- and not because he's a national figure."

In a turn of the screw not lost on local political observers, McAuliffe is playing down the work for which he is best known -- boosting the Clintons -- to cast himself as an independent voice for Virginians. That is a tricky maneuver, given that McAuliffe is simultaneously trying to cash in on Bill Clinton's star power by appearing with him in Richmond, Roanoke, and the state's Washington suburbs. McAuliffe is doing nothing to remind Virginia Democrats of his ties to Hillary Clinton, who was crushed, 64 percent to 35 percent, in their 2008 presidential primary.

Obama's landslide in that contest signaled the state's lack of interest in Clinton 2.0. So McAuliffe is refashioning himself in the model of, well, Obama -- a post-partisan figure devoted to job creation and renewable energy. But questions remain: Why does the salesman want to govern? And can he win?

Still Spinning

When Hillary Clinton walked into the cavernous main hall of Washington's National Building Museum last June to belatedly bow out of the 2008 presidential campaign in front of thousands of die-hard supporters, she was accompanied by the Goo Goo Dolls' song "Better Days," which wraps up with "Tonight's the night the world begins again." The line was intended to herald the dawn of the next chapter of Clinton's public life. But it was also a fitting tribute for her campaign chairman, McAuliffe, who stood in the back, still spinning to the television cameras for his longtime friend even as she walked off the stage.

On the stump in Virginia, McAuliffe often says that he always intended to run for office but that his life took a long, exciting detour. Immediately after college in 1980, he stepped into national politics as the finance chairman of President Carter's re-election campaign, and eight years later he raised money for then-Rep. Dick Gephardt's first presidential bid. McAuliffe is best known, of course, for becoming a confidant of Bill Clinton and masterfully milking Democratic cash cows. According to several published reports, McAuliffe raised at least $300 million for the Clintons over the years -- for Bill Clinton's two White House campaigns, for his legal defense fund and his library, and for Hillary Clinton's successful 2000 Senate bid. McAuliffe even helped arrange the mortgage for the couple's $1.7 million post-presidency residence in elegant Chappaqua, N.Y.

Bill Clinton rewarded McAuliffe by joining Gephardt and others in endorsing him for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee in the wake of Al Gore's failed White House bid. McAuliffe won easily over former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson.

Leading the party from 2001 to '05, McAuliffe built, as he likes to recount, a massive $535 million war chest and modernized the DNC. With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, his was one of the most visible faces of the Democratic Party. He sings his own praises with enthusiasm: "When you don't have the White House, you're the guy on television every day setting the tone."

During that time, McAuliffe was eager to prove that he wasn't just a fundraiser, that he could do message, too. Still, his legacy was clear. Gephardt, who was an usher at McAuliffe's wedding two decades ago, says, "He raised more money for the party and left the party in better shape for the [2004] general election than anyone ever has."

That year produced another disappointment for Democrats, though, when they lost to George W. Bush for the second time. McAuliffe, ever the optimist, knew that another Clinton was waiting in the wings. He signed on as Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Then, when McAuliffe realized that the product he had long pitched would no longer move, he did what any salesman might. He found a new commodity and a new spiel. His world did indeed begin again.

"I think people respect the loyalty that I showed to Hillary right up until the end," McAuliffe told National Journal. "I didn't cut and run. I don't cut and run. I'm a loyal sticker. I'm proud of her. I love her. I think she's fantastic. But the day she said, 'Terry, I'm done,' ... I never looked back."

Smooth Operation

McAuliffe insists he's not running for governor simply because he had time on his hands once Hillary Clinton's campaign derailed. He had previously given serious thought to seeking office, he says, either in his native New York or in Florida, his wife's home state.

But Hillary Clinton's loss undeniably ended a major chapter in McAuliffe's life. A father of five, he became a rich man during his years as advocate for the Clintons, turning a $100,000 investment in Global Crossing, the telecommunications company that ultimately went bankrupt, into at least $8.1 million. (His campaign says that a widely reported $18 million figure for his Global Crossing profit is incorrect.) He also ran a Florida construction company, American Heritage Homes, which he sold for an undisclosed amount. During an April rally at a Richmond farmers' market, President Clinton said of McAuliffe, "Yeah, he's made a lot of money. He did that by taking care of other people." Details of the multimillion-dollar ventures never make it into McAuliffe's Virginia stump speech. He prefers to regale listeners with tales of his success in resurfacing driveways as an entrepreneurial 14-year-old.

McAuliffe launched his bid for governor much as Hillary Clinton started her Senate campaign in New York. For two months he traveled throughout Virginia, meeting voters from Emporia and Waynesboro to Wise and Melfa. The listening tour was a formality. No one doubted that he would run.

He has created a campaign machine that only a skilled party veteran could craft in short order. McAuliffe's effort is built around business roundtable discussions (an attempt to tap into the constituencies that moderate Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine successfully wooed), regular telephone town hall meetings, and text messages to attract the state's young, tech-savvy Obama voters. McAuliffe periodically signals he can identify with regular working folks -- by suiting up to toil at the Fairfax City Fire Station or pitching at an African-American barbershop in Richmond and in Roger Brown's Restaurant & Sports Bar in Portsmouth. Meanwhile, his team has cranked out detailed position papers on jobs, energy, transportation, and education.

The McAuliffe camp boasts well-known consultants from Hillaryland, including Mike Henry, Clinton's deputy campaign manager, and Mo Elleithee, a respected spokesman. They run a smooth, moneyed operation. They have already aired a half-dozen TV spots and attracted major union endorsements -- from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, as well as the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters.

But doubts remain that McAuliffe is well enough versed in clubby Virginia politics to accomplish much if elected. Richmond's entrenched network of civil servants and homegrown pols is hard to buck, and Republicans dominate the Legislature. The glamour of winning a marquee competition could quickly fade.

"I think there's sometimes still a sense that he hasn't paid his dues," said Harris Miller, a Moran supporter who ran for the Senate in 2006. Despite his own superior fundraising, Miller lost to political newcomer Jim Webb in the Democratic primary. "As I proved," Miller says, "you can outspend your opponents and still lose."

McAuliffe's outsider status is underscored by his lack of giving to in-state candidates -- and his bountiful fundraising outside of Virginia. Between 1997 and early 2008, he did not contribute to a single candidate for state office, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Since late last year, McAuliffe has personally given a total of $6,500 to three candidates -- two running for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and another running for delegate. His campaign committee has given $94,530 so far this year, largely to the state Democratic Party. Asked why McAuliffe ignored Virginia candidates in the decade before his own run, a campaign spokeswoman noted only that McAuliffe, as DNC chief, shepherded $5.1 million of party money to Kaine's successful 2005 gubernatorial campaign.

The largest portion of contributions to McAuliffe's campaign have come from Washington, followed by Los Angeles; Fairfax County; Cook County, Ill.; New York City; and Orange County, Calif. Top gifts include $276,000 from media magnate Haim Saban; $250,000 from film producer Stephen Bing; $100,000 from Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television; $101,000 from Hyatt Hotel heir J.B. Pritzker; and $25,000 from Donald Trump. In his National Journal interview, McAuliffe said that Virginia supporters would see his vast network as an asset: "People would probably say, 'He's a pretty good salesman, probably has a lot of great relationships throughout the world, and would use those to grow our economy.' "

But rival Moran calls McAuliffe a "hyperpartisan national Democrat" with too few ties within the state. "I actually have relationships beginning on day one," Moran said. "Everyone says, 'I'm going to reach across the aisle.' I actually have." But the day-one argument, as McAuliffe could vouch, didn't work in Virginia, or nationally, for Hillary Clinton.

State Rep. Gerry Connolly's straw poll demonstrated that money often trumps experience. The St. Patrick's Day traditional feast brings out Democratic activists, and throngs showed up this year for the corned beef and potatoes, and to vote. McAuliffe's campaign purchased 400 tickets, about half the final vote count. But, more important, he turned out his supporters, many of them young, first-time attendees. McAuliffe won with 58 percent of the vote to Moran's 30 percent and Deeds's 12 percent.

His opponents and their supporters were steamed, even though the ticket buying didn't violate any rules. "I think it sucks," said Moran backer Howard Carlin of Herndon. "It's just really unfortunate that McAuliffe had to win it by doing that sort of thing." McAuliffe is unapologetic. "At the end of the day, it's about getting people to show up and vote, isn't it?"

A Mix of Old and New

The White House would be extremely pleased to follow up Obama's 2008 primary and general election successes in Virginia by keeping the state's governorship in Democratic hands for another term. Voter interest in the race, which features the state's first contested Democratic gubernatorial primary since 1985, is unpredictable. More than 977,000 Virginians voted in last year's Democratic presidential primary, but two years earlier only 155,784 came out for the Webb-Miller Senate primary. Most political observers think that high turnout -- signaling the continued participation of young people and sporadic voters whom Obama's "change" message lured to the polls -- would benefit McAuliffe. If turnout is low, the contest will probably be decided by party regulars, people more apt to have connections to Deeds or Moran.

McDonnell, who has no primary competition, is waiting in the wings for the Democratic nominee. He served in the Army and attended law school at Regent University, founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. National GOP leaders, including 2008 presidential candidates John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mike Huckabee, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, have already descended on Virginia to raise money for the social conservative. McAuliffe spokesman Elleithee describes McDonnell as "a lifelong right-wing ideologue who has learned how to speak moderate."

Virginians think more highly of McDonnell than of any of his Democratic rivals, according to a recent poll by Daily Kos and Research 2000. The survey also found the Republican running ahead of each of the Democrats in head-to-head matchups. He is the only one of the four to have won statewide office, edging Deeds by fewer than 400 votes to become attorney general in 2005.

Even though Obama was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia since 1964, the commonwealth remains a mix of the Old South and the new, rural and urban, high-tech and low-wage. This year's campaign seems to be turning on the economic issues dominating the national debate, but deep divides remain over social issues, such as guns and abortion, that have proven pivotal in some past elections.

With suburban Northern Virginia having tipped the balance to the Democrats in last year's presidential race and Webb's 2006 Senate contest, McDonnell intends to fight for moderate votes, according to Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman who is his volunteer campaign chairman. "I do think there will be a lot of voters, a lot of centrist and moderate voters in the suburbs who voted for Obama who will vote for McDonnell. There's no doubt about that," Gillespie said. "People saw Barack Obama as someone who could fix things, who could solve problems. And people see Bob McDonnell as someone who can fix things and can get things done."

If McAuliffe gets the chance to knock heads with McDonnell, both will be vying for the Mr. Fix-It title. Trailed by a pack of reporters, McAuliffe donned hard hat and safety goggles to peer into the Lorton waste-conversion facility packed with thousands of tons of stinking garbage.

The trash would be burned and eventually turned into energy to light up Virginia. McAuliffe, who told the plant's managers that he had tried to build this facility's twin in Syracuse way back in 1980, looked as if there was no place on earth he would rather be than here, inhaling the sour fumes.

"This gets me excited!" he bellowed into the abyss. "This is your future. This is as good as it gets."

Tags: 2009, bill clinton, clinton, democratic national committee, dnc, economy, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

At the Farm Park, a Small Crop of Interest

The Washington Post
May 14, 2009
By Marc Fisher

The regular weekday visitors at Frying Pan Park come for the tractor ride and a look at the goats and the pigs. Yesterday, immediately next to the pigsty, there was a bonus attraction: the former president of the United States and his buddy, who is running for governor of Virginia.

Most of the park's visitors chose the pigs. (A helpful sign assured all that you can't catch swine flu from visiting Porky.)

The farm park just east of Dulles International Airport in Herndon is a magnet for young mothers looking for a diversion for their preschoolers. The campaign visit by Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe was certainly the buzz of the afternoon, but most mothers weren't sticking around to see the politicians.

It wasn't that they dislike Clinton or McAuliffe; a post-presidential glow has settled upon the Man From Hope, and most Fairfax residents I spoke to had only the vaguest notion of who McAuliffe is. Rather, what most park visitors shared was a sense that they'd done their politics thing last year, and they were glad they had, but they're not remotely ready to dive back into that sea of division and controversy, thanks very much.

"I personally just burned out on the presidential race," said Sherri Pudner of Reston, who was at the park with her daughter's preschool group. "I don't really know anything about any of the candidates for governor."

"I had my fill of politics last year," said Karen Kelleher, who lives near the park and was helping out her mother, a preschool teacher. "It's a little silly and pointless to have a former president come in when it's just a governor running. Seems a little over the top."

But as dog-tired as many Virginians may be of campaigns, the fact remains that the Democratic primary will be June 9 and one of three candidates will be selected to run against Republican Bob McDonnell. Virginia rarely sees contested party primaries for statewide races, and when they happen, they draw notoriously low turnouts. So the strategists for McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds don't necessarily mind when their appearances elicit tiny audiences; what they care about is figuring out who will actually vote and then finding ways to target them.

The bingo moment comes when someone like Jennifer Breseman shows up. Breseman, a young mother from Reston, hasn't followed the governor's race and doesn't know beans about Moran, the former delegate from Alexandria, or Deeds, a state senator from Bath County. She's heard of McAuliffe but knows only that he was Clinton's fundraiser. Seeing the ex-president come out to embrace his friend is working for her: "It definitely makes me more favorable to him, knowing that it's worth it for a president to come here for this." (Breseman chuckled over the steps she had to take to explain to her little ones whom they were waiting to see. What finally got them to understand was when Mom said that this was "Hillary's husband." "They've heard of her," Breseman said, "but they weren't born when he was president.")

Mo Elleithee, senior strategist for the McAuliffe campaign, sees no downside to bringing in the former president, even if Clinton lost to Republicans both times he was on the ballot in Virginia, even if Barack Obama trounced Clinton's wife in last year's Virginia primary. "Having Bill Clinton here helps people wake up to the fact that there's a primary coming," Elleithee said. "He can be a validator as a governor who has created jobs in tough times."

Clinton made exactly that pitch in his five-minute speech to the 211 people who stood four deep to hear him. (The appearance did attract four TV news crews, not bad in a governor's race starved for media attention.) "Everybody says, 'Oh, Bill Clinton's got to be there because of what Terry McAuliffe did for him' -- and that's true," the ex-president said with a devilish grin and a knowing nod. "But this is more than that." He touted McAuliffe as a truth-teller who will "talk about the lemons" as well as "the ice cream," and who will keep spending under control as he creates incentives for businesses to move to Virginia.

In a race against two legislators whose support is deepest among the political activists who tend to dominate in a low-turnout primary, McAuliffe is counting on Clinton's star power to rally voters who might otherwise not stir themselves to go back to the polls so soon after November's historic vote.

"I was a totally apolitical person until last year, when I worked for Obama," said Nancy Muniz, a retiree who came out with her husband, mainly to see Clinton. "He's been forgiven for his indiscretions by now, so we wanted to see him. As for McAuliffe, well, I don't know much. We're still trying out this politics thing."

The irony of this race is that McAuliffe, who worked his tail off to defeat Obama in Virginia's primary last year, wins only if he can persuade some of those Obama-inspired political newbies to get back in the water.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, frying pan park, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe

Bill Clinton rejoins McAuliffe for Virginia campaign encore

Washington Examiner
May 13, 2009
By William C. Flook

Former President Bill Clinton stumped for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe across Fairfax County on Wednesday, striking a fiscally hawkish tone as he described his close friend and longtime adviser.

Clinton, arriving characteristically late to a rally at Herndon’s Frying Pan Park, framed McAuliffe as the man to balance spending and restraint in the governor’s mansion, and who would “tell you the truth when something can’t be done and money can’t be spent.”

It was a clear overture to independent voters who haven’t made up their minds which, if any, of the three Democratic hopefuls they will vote for. McAuliffe faces former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria and State Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County in a June 9 primary.

Independents could be one of McAuliffe’s biggest obstacles. While a Public Policy Polling survey this month gave him a sizable overall lead over the two challengers, it also found him lagging Deeds and Moran with the unaffiliated voters.

Other polls have shown Moran leading the primary race, with Republican Bob McDonnell ahead of all three Democrats.

McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, served as Bill Clinton’s chief fundraiser during his presidency and was chairman of Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign last year.

“Everybody knows this guy raised a lot of money for me,” Bill Clinton said. “Every nickel he raised, he has talked to me about how to be careful spending it.”

McAuliffe, while promising to increase teacher salaries, offer tax incentives for renewable energy use and pay off the college loans of nurses and educators serving “high need areas,” did not explain how he would pay for the goals. He vowed not to propose tax increases while the economy remains sour.

“I don’t believe in raising taxes in a down economy,” he told the 300-person crowd in Herndon.

McAuliffe’s detractors have alternately dismissed the Clinton connection as a vestige of his time in national politics and used it as fodder for the argument that he lacks experience in Richmond that would qualify him for executive office.

He later spoke at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, economy, fairfax, frying pan park, herndon, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Clinton and McAuliffe Stand Together in Herndon

Loudoun Independent
May 13, 2009
By John L. Geddie

For Democrats of a certain age, there is nothing closer to a quasi-religious experience than getting to hear Bill Clinton speak in person. That is at least partially why Terry McAuliffe, one of three Democrats vying for the gubernatorial nomination, brought out the big guns in the closing weeks of the primary campaign.

Even from a distance there is an obvious easy comfort between McAuliffe and Clinton, breed from a close working relationship between the two—most notably McAuliffe’s management of Clinton’s ’96 re-election campaign and strong support of Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

For his part, Clinton was mindful of the perception that his appearances with McAuliffe is payback for McAuliffe’s strong support in the past. While saying that “I’ve never had a better friend than Terry McAuliffe,” Clinton also told the audience about how he had quizzed McAuliffe about how the Virginia budget process works when he initially expressed interest. Clinton told the assembled audience that he was surprised and impressed by McAuliffe’s early understanding about how the state government operated.

Being able to manage state government through tough times is something else that Clinton knows about. As he reminded the crowd, before he was President, he was a governor. Both McAuliffe and Clinton voiced their support for the federal stimulus planned championed by President Barack Obama. However, it was strongly noted (to the crowd’s delight) that how successful the federal stimulus money is depends on who the next governor is.

Terry McAuliffe broke little new ground during the rally, instead focusing of the numerous goals and priorities that his campaign has laid out for a term as Virginia Governor. McAuliffe reiterated several recurring themes from his campaign, including “I go into a job wanting to be number one,” and “I don’t want my fair share. I want more than my fair share”—implying that this type of political lobbying and pushing from a candidate with new ideas is something that will not happen with his opposing candidates of both parties. McAuliffe’s policy emphasis remained on creating jobs using green technology, increasing per pupil education spending, alternative energy and high speed rail. High speed rail is also a White House priority, although McAuliffe talked specifically about high speed rail to both Richmond and Hampton.

Making the most of his rallying time, McAuliffe went out of his way to speak well of his primary opponents—Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds—calling them “great fellows” and saying that any of the three candidates running in the Democratic primary is far preferable to the Republican candidate Bob McDonnell. Perhaps transitioning to the tenor of a general election, McAuliffe called McDonnell on the carpet for “working against” the policies and reforms of Democratic governors Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

Referring to McDonnell’s recent opposition to President Barack Obama’s receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame University, McAuliffe said, “We don’t have time for these divisive tactics.”

McAuliffe also criticized McDonnell for supporting the House of Delegates’ recent decision to reject $125 million in federal stimulus funds to extend unemployment insurance to part-time workers and those seeking specific job training. “Your money is now going to another state,” said McAuliffe.

Rousing perhaps the strongest crowd response of the event, McAuliffe raised the issue of the national figures who have traveled to Virginia to support Republican Bob McDonnell, referring to recent events with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Noting that the Republicans are now planning events with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McAuliffe said that he far preferred being able to bring in Bill Clinton.

If the primary election turns on star quality, McAuliffe should do very well. Each candidate plays to their strengths. While Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds are certainly expected to display intricate knowledge of how the state legislature works and know the names of the each county chairman. With McAuliffe’s experience as a businessman, fundraiser and former Democratic National Committee chairman, McAuliffe has the bar set high for him in terms of fundraising and bringing in high-profile endorsements and speakers from the national stage. So far, he has failed to disappoint.

The event drew a respectable crowd, estimated at over 300, at Herndon’s remote Frying Pan Park. However almost immediately after the Herndon rally, McAuliffe and Clinton almost set off for the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College where the duo presented their plan for Virginia to a crowd of approximately 450. Watching the preparation and post-rally breakdown, the large number of young people that McAuliffe has invigorated and integrated into his campaign is notable. The crowd attending the event seemed much more diverse in age and ethnic background. One older volunteer, Alan Krishnan, has been an McAuliffe supporter since before the candidate’s actual announcement. Called one of the campaign’s “super volunteers,” Krishnan is a former Moran contributor who became a McAuliffe convert after meeting him during last year’s campaign for Gerry Connelly.

Asked what made him change his support from Moran, Krishnan said, “He [Moran] is a great candidate, but over the last 12 months, the world has changed.”

Krishnan went on to say that reading McAuliffe’s book was a major factor in his support. He also added that he was pleasantly surprised that McAuliffe is just a “regular person” from humble beginnings who is “living the American dream.”

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, herndon, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 5/1/09

Welcome to this week's installment of the Weekly Blog Roundup. Bloggers wrote about the wide variety of gubernatorial events this week, including multiple debates, Terry's support from Bill Clinton, and reflecting on Terry's Business Plan for Virginia.

At his blog The Daily Dogwood, Josh Chernila provided some afterthoughts on Thursday’s debate in Lyric, the first statewide debate sponsored by and for the netroots community.

Finally, McAuliffe is definitely the one to beat in this race. He is in the best position to take on McDonnell, has very strong and well-considered positions, and is really running by far the best campaign in Virginia politics this year. His common sense solutions will draw a stark contrast against McDonnell's radical ideology in the fall.

In a post at Virginia Tomorrow, Bob Holsworth commented on the two rallies held in Richmond and Roanoke on Monday at which President Bill Clinton came out to support Terry.

[Clinton] said that McAuliffe’s background as an entrepreneur and a businessman was precisely the right kind of experience that Virginia needs today… McAuliffe obviously possesses excellent candidate skills. He’s put a critically important issue- jobs and economic recovery- at the heart of his campaign. He exhibits the kind of energy and enthusiasm that convey a sense that he not only really wants the job, but that he’ll work 18 hours a day if he gets it. And, as one reporter told me, he has far more depth than a background as a fundraiser normally implies.

Lowell at Blue Virginia reported on the support for Terry at last week’s Virginia Education Association debate in Hampton.

From today's Washington Post, it looks like Terry McAuliffe's message is playing well with teachers -- at least ones who attended last Thursday's Virginia Education Association debate at the Hampton convention center: “But it was Terry McAuliffe who appeared to convert the hall, earning sustained applause and bringing some delegates to their feet by tying each education-related question to his campaign's central theme: As a successful businessman, he knows how to create jobs.”

On Blue Commonwealth, diarist Sora Dina associated speaking to children about college with Terry’s ideas for strengthening Virginia’s education in his business plan for Virginia.

Terry McAuliffe wants to encourage creativity and innovation in the classroom, expand the availability of online Advanced Placement courses, and continue to prioritize transitions between high schools and colleges, and between two-and four-year colleges, ad between returning college students and the workplace….After reading chapter four "Excellence in Virginia's Education from Early Childhood to Competitive Employment" in its entirety, it is clear that the third through fifth graders I spoke to will have a better opportunity to reach their educational and career goals and objectives under Terry McAuliffe's leadership as Virginia's next governor.

At Blue Virginia, Lowell also reported on the meet and greet event held at our Virginia Beach field office, where Congressman Bobby Scott came out to introduce Terry.

On a sunny afternoon, folks from all across South Hampton Road forfeited the beautiful weather for an opportunity to meet and talk with Terry McAuliffe when he stopped by his Virginia Beach Field Office for a Meet and Greet….The enthusiasm from Terry was equally matched by the enthusiasm from the voters. He couldn’t go more than a couple of minutes without applause breaking out from the listeners, cheering on his big ideas to keep moving Virginia Forward.

Tags: bloggers, blog roundup, blogs, business plan, clinton, debates, economy, education, macker, mcauliffe, scott, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, weekly blog roundup

Clinton lends political clout to McAuliffe's bid for governor

The Virginian-Pilot
April 28, 2009
By Warren Fiske

RICHMOND -- Yes, he does owe Terry McAuliffe a huge political debt, former President Bill Clinton said Monday.

But that's not the sole reason he came to Richmond to endorse McAuliffe's bid for governor, Clinton added.

"Look, everyone knows he's one of my closest friends," the 42nd president said at a rally at a downtown farmer's market. "So look, I'd be here regardless. Everyone knows that.

"The press says, 'Oh well, Terry McAuliffe has raised millions of dollars for Bill Clinton. He has to show up.' And that's absolutely true," Clinton told the crowd.

"... But here's what I really want to tell you," he said. "I am here today for reasons that go way, way beyond that."

Echoing McAuliffe's campaign theme, Clinton insisted that his ally would do a powerful job creating jobs and improving Virginia's economy.

"He was made for this moment," Clinton said. "He's been a great businessman. He's been a tremendously effective political leader. He has energy, he's creative, and he cares."

McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, faces two rivals in a June 9 Democratic primary: state Sen. Creigh Deeds and former Del. Brian Moran. The winner will face former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Republican, this fall.

Clinton's appearance was hardly a surprise. McAuliffe was a top fundraiser for the former president's national campaigns. He was national chairman of Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid last year. Bill Clinton contributed $10,000 to McAuliffe's campaign in January.

Scenes of the two men embracing under the market's rustic sign - and of Clinton reciting a history of McAuliffe's entrepreneurship beginning as a teen - may lend themselves to television ads during the late stretches of the primary.

McAuliffe is hoping Clinton can galvanize support in a primary that is expected to generate small voter turnout. While Deeds and Moran have relied on their long involvement in Virginia politics to win local endorsements and piece together grass-roots support, McAuliffe has banked on national connections to raise far more money that his opponents and air a steady stream of television commercials.

"One of the things they're trying to do is overcome the sheaf of endorsements Deeds and Moran have by saying one Clinton is worth 100 local officials," said Bob Holsworth, a political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Richmond police estimated 400 people attended the rally; the McAuliffe campaign subsequently called reporters and insisted that the number was at least 600. Later in the day, Clinton and McAuliffe appeared at a smaller event in Roanoke.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, economy, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, richmond, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Gov. candidate, Bill Clinton hit energy, jobs theme

Associated Press
April 27, 2009
Bob Lewis

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton told Democrats that if they liked the way America grew jobs under his watch, they'll love what Terry McAuliffe does as Virginia governor.

In the first of two stops Monday, longtime friends and political comrades Clinton and McAuliffe defined energy and jobs as the dominant issues in the campaign.

Clinton told about 350 people at a Richmond rally that McAuliffe was right to push offshore wind energy and technologies to turn poultry waste into power.

Later in Roanoke, he told about 250 people that the only way to put Virginians to work with a good wage over the next 10 years is to change the way the nation produces and consumes power.

McAuliffe said those jobs are his key to addressing revenue needs for public school and transportation.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, richmond, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe

Bill Clinton, Terry McAuliffe make Roanoke campaign stop in race for governor

The Roanoke Times
April 27, 2009
By Michael Sluss and Mason Adams

Former president Bill Clinton and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe spoke to a crowd of about 250 in downtown Roanoke this afternoon, asking for support and touting McAuliffe's job and energy plans.

The pair spoke for a little less than 30 minutes in front of Fire Station 1 on Church Avenue Southwest. The stop was their second after a morning rally in Richmond. Clinton, who was clearly the draw for most of the Roanoke crowd, said McAuliffe would move aggressively on job creation and new energy development to put the state on the front edge of the nation's economic recovery. Clinton also said McAuliffe could keep the governor's mansion in Democratic hands in an election that will have national political implications.

"The Republicans see this an opportunity to make some gains and set the stage for 2012," Clinton said during the Richmond appearance, which drew a crowd of about 400, according to Richmond officials. "Terry McAuliffe sees this an opportunity to make sure that Virginia leads the way in America's economic recovery."

McAuliffe is playing his political trump card by campaigning with Clinton six weeks before the June 9 Democratic primary, hoping to separate himself from state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County and former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria. The winner of the intraparty fight will face Republican Bob McDonnell, the former attorney general, in the November election.

McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, headed the fundraising effort for Clinton's 1996 re-election bid and chaired Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. But Clinton said his visit to Virginia is about more than returning a favor to a friend.

"I'd show up here regardless," Clinton said. "The press says, 'Oh, well, Terry McAuliffe raised millions of dollars for Bill Clinton, he's got to show up.' And that's absolutely true. But here's what I want to tell you: I'm here today for reasons that go way, way beyond that."

Clinton, a former governor of Arkansas, said governors will play key roles in the nation's economic recovery and said McAuliffe's plan to create jobs, particularly in emerging renewable energy fields, can accelerate Virginia's economic rebound.

"Governors will have an enormous impact on the speed of the economic recovery, the number of jobs that are created, the kinds of jobs that are created and whether ordinary families will actually be benefiting," Clinton said

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, economy, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, richmond, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Bill Clinton campaigns in Richmond for McAuliffe

Richmond-Times Dispatch
April 27, 2009
By Jeff Schapiro

Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning across Virginia today for his political ally and top fund-raiser, Terry McAuliffe, who is standing for the Democratic nomination for governor in the June 9 primary.

Clinton joined McAuliffe for a mid-morning rally in Richmond’s Farmer’s Market, telling a crowd the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee is ideally suited to be Virginia’s next governor. McAuliffe’s campaign said about 600 signed in for the event, but Richmond police this afternoon estimated that 350 had attended.

Clinton cited McAuliffe’s success as a businessman and investor, his leadership of the DNC and his ability to work with Republicans.

“He’s the right sort of bipartisan guy,“ said Clinton, with McAuliffe standing to his left. “He’ll reach out to Republicans, but he’s not the sort of guy who will let people jack you around.“

Clinton also said McAuliffe would be a superior partner with President Barack Obama. Clinton said it’s important that governors be able to work closely with the White House if the economy is to recover.

McAuliffe, who headed to Roanoke with Clinton after the Richmond appearance, attacked the all-but-official Republican nominee, former attorney general Bob McDonnell.

McAuliffe said McDonnell has an “idelogical agenda that will divide people.“

McAuliffe is vying against former delegate Brian Moran of Alexandria and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County for the Democratic nomination.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, economy, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, richmond, roanoke, t-mac, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Join President Clinton and me

I am excited to announce that the man who created more jobs than any other President in US history is coming to Virginia.

President Bill Clinton will be campaigning with me across the Commonwealth next week, and we want to be there with you -- the committed activists helping me build the biggest grassroots campaign infrastructure that Virginia's ever seen in a gubernatorial race.

Enter today and you could win a front row seat to one of the biggest and best political events in Virginia this year. You'll get to hang with us at the event, and we'll take a great photo so you can prove to all your friends that you were there.

Click here to enter today, and it could be you.

Opportunities like this are such an important way to say thank you for all the hard work and tireless support you've given this campaign.

People are focused on jobs, and I don't think anyone has more credibility to talk about job creation than President Clinton. Working together, I know that we can follow the lead of all of those who have gone before us - Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and yes, President Clinton - to create jobs and put our state and our nation back on a strong economic footing. You're a huge part of that process.

I want a committed member of our grassroots community to join President Clinton and me next week. We'll take a great photo together. Click here to enter today, and it could be you.

Tags: bill clinton, clinton, grassroots, jobs, mcauliffe, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia