Malcolm Venable
The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
If there's a rock star among the three Democrats running for governor, it's Terry McAuliffe.
He's got a national profile, a healthy bank account and celebrity friends willing to vouch for his credentials.
Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am gave the campaign its latest injection of star power Monday, making stops in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia and Richmond with McAuliffe
Another dose will come Thursday, when former President Bill Clinton is set to stump for his onetime fundraiser in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.
High-profile endorsements attract attention, yet questions remain about whether they can persuade voters to support McAuliffe in the June 9 primary election.
Lacking McAuliffe's Rolodex, the other two Democrats in the race - state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, and former Alexandria Del. Brian Moran - have relied on endorsements from local leaders to help make their case.
And in a low-turnout election, which primaries tend to be, Deeds and Moran think the backing of officials who voters know will hold more sway than celebrity endorsements.
Barack Obama used celebrities, including will.i.am, to his advantage in the presidential campaign last year.
McAuliffe, however, is in a statewide contest in which his opponents continue to hint that he is somehow a less authentic Virginian than they.
"We believe pretty strongly that Virginia Democrats are looking for someone who is grounded in the commonwealth, someone who is fighting for each local community across Virginia," Moran spokesman Jesse Ferguson said.
"Terry's done events all over the commonwealth, both big and small, with surrogates and without surrogates," countered McAuliffe spokeswoman Lis Smith. "And bringing in those surrogates is just one more way for Terry to communicate his message."
While the effectiveness of any endorsement is debatable, one local marketing executive said celebrity support helps.
"Anytime you can connect yourself to a person that someone else likes, I think that's a plus," said David Rourk, president of Rourk Public Relations in Virginia Beach. "That gets down to the retail politics of becoming 'top of mind' to voters."
In Norfolk on Monday, Courtney Johnson, 23, said she thought will.i.am's endorsement would, at the very least, get young people intrigued about McAuliffe and what he had to say.
But star power had its limits. Johnson was one of about 30 people who stopped by the event. Last month, state Sen. Yvonne Miller's endorsement of Deeds at Norfolk State University drew 50, according to his campaign.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Malcolm Venable, (757) 446-2662,malcolm.venable@pilotonline.com
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Only 30 people showed up, lol!
"But star power had its limits. Johnson was one of about 30 people who stopped by the event. Last month, state Sen. Yvonne Miller's endorsement of Deeds at Norfolk State University drew 50, according to his campaign."
30 people showed up for McAuliffe and his star endorser? Pitiful. Obviously Creigh Deeds would be a far better choice.
McAuliffe--Supported by the Democracy Alliance
McAuliffe received a $25,000 donation from Democracy Alliance Board Member Al Dwoskin. This was reported in the Washington Times on March 15, 2009. The Democracy Alliance is a group of Billionaires (including George Soros) that want Socialism and big government for the United States. They call themselves Progressives.
Go to any search engine and look this up for yourself. The information is out there about their influence on the Democratic Party, but don't expect the press to make the connections for you.
Problem with JP Jones Analysis
JPJones days VEA will endorse McAuliffe because he will promise that teachers will be paid at the national average. The flaw in Jones' analysis is that all four candidates are making this promise to Virginia's teachers.
RSJones
To JWB
Lets be fair. The war may have cost money but the Dems got us into this finacial mess we are in. Don't forget Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. The Dems got rich forcing bad mortgages for people who should have never been approved. Now all that has come back to bite us and the Dems got rich.
Decisions
Mr. McAuliffe is a political hack. Virginian? Not a Virginian? At this point I could care less. Republican? Democrat? Once again, I could care less. I have read his "plans" and I find them ill-concieved and ostensibly philosophically flawed. I would ask that the voters of the Commonwealth ask Mr. McAuliffe to keep his political interests on the other side of the Potomac and not on the James. Please vote.
What a laugh...
But but but but Bush JWB at it again. Perhaps he would like to comment on the size of the 2000 ($235B) surplus as compared to Nobamas nearly 2 trillion deficeit. Perhaps he would like to comment on the need to reduce taxes to spur the economy from the Clinton induced recession that Bush had to deal with. Perhaps he would like to comment on the more dire affects of 9/11 and the need to reduce taxes. Perhaps he would like to comment on necessary expenses (ie: war) versus porkulous spending of the current administration. Perhaps he would like to compare Bush defeceits over 8 years (2 of which with a Dem congress) vs Nobama's in just 4 months. Perhaps he would like to comment on Bush's attempt to reign in subprime mortagages that Dems shot down. Yes republicans have not done their duty in the recent past but I would rather take my chances with the hopefully fiscal responsible vs known socialists.
We can do better
One thing stands out in the governors race. We have basically 4 people running. 3 dems and 1 repub as of right now. 3 of the 4 have spent many years working for the Commonwealth and have a track record we can review when we make our decisions. Sure Terry can go after Deeds or Mc Donald over something in their record. It is because they HAVE a record. And what exactly is his record other than coming in with huge amounts of outside money and outside celebs and try to snow us into thinking he is the man for us.
I hope the democrats see thru this sham and select a worthy opponent to Bob Mc Donald in the primary. And sorry Terry is not it, maybe for Hollywood, but not for our Commonwealth.
Lets tell the big money outside interests that we have excellent public servants right here in the Commonwealth that are capable of running for governor on both sides. We dont need their " help ".
Is he even from Virginia?
I don't think much of celebrity endorsements in general, but in presidential elections I tend to not say anything. After all, everyone is entitled to campaign for whoever they like.
In this case, though, I'd prefer if we just left this among Virginians. Will.i.am is basically here for the weekend. It's like Paul McCartney coming over to endorse a candidate for president; the rest of the world may be interested, but we're the ones who do all the voting.
And yes, that applies to any visiting Republican celebrities, too.
http://youngconservative27.blogspot.com/
What a laugh
I really got a chuckle form the Republican poster about spending. How soon we forget. Maybe he should look around and see what happened to our Country at the end of Bush. The guy went through a surplus and spent like a maniac. Catered to wall street, the rich, bogus war etc. Enough!
Rock Star??
Many of us thought Obama owned the rock star title but maybe we were wrong. There is always room for another rock star but it will be interesting to see what other description the media can dream up for McAuliffe. Perhaps the most accurate one would be unscrupulous opportunist.