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June 13, 2005

My endorsements for the 2005 Virginia Republican Primary

I know I just posted the little bit about the direction of this blog, but being from the great Commonwealth of Virginia, this topic is of the utmost importance.

Like many other Virginia bloggers, I have been racking my brain for weeks over who to vote for in tomorrow's primary. This was a very difficult decision, coming down to a near last-minute decision. I can honestly say I would vote for any of these candidates, but these are the three that I believe should be in office.

Attorney General: Bob McDonnell. This pick was the hardest one. In the end, I have to say that I was not pleased with Steve Baril's negative tactics (though I will argue that McDonnell needs to better counter the attacks than by staving off the subjects).

Lieutenant Governor: Bill Bolling. I know I just said that I distrust negative politics, but Connaughton also can't claim innocence in his political tactics either. Also, Sean Connaughton got an endorsement from the Daily Press; if the media believes that bringing in a less conservative candidate is the only way that "Republicans will be sending a message that they're serious about campaigning and governing on a responsible approach to balanced government", then looking other options is the far wiser move.

Governor: I guess this is the easy one to guess. While George Fitch has made a valiant effort and appears to be a great conservative, I have to go with Jerry Kilgore. He also holds these qualities; his advantage comes from simple name recognition. I think Fitch would have made an excellent candidate for Lieutenant Governor or Attorney General, but Kaine holds an immediate advantage on Fitch, meaning an uphill battle the whole way. With Jerry Kilgore running, the name recognition factor is taken out completely.

Note that this is only my endorsements for tomorrow. Should any of the races fall for the opponent, I will put my full support behind that candidate. Because, as the late Ronald Reagan once said, "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.”