White House ’08: The Obama Effect

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected] Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from an Obama-Biden supporter about the Wilder Effect – or what some folks call the Bradley Effect, the basics being a major-party candidate who is African-American whose support in pre- and post-election polling registers higher than actual performance in the polls….

Local Politics: Elrod, Cox vie for leadership roles in Lexington

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] I know Mimi Elrod and David Cox because of Ben Cline, or more to the point, because they both ran against Cline for the 24th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, Elrod in 2002 and Cox in 2005. Democrats then, Elrod and Cox are running as independents in…

Local Politics: Ready to RockDem in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The ballot in Harrisonburg on Nov. 4 is mighty crowded, with two dozen or so names covering races from the White House to Harrisonburg City Council promising to keep voters inside the curtain for a minute or two or more on Election Day. The crowding means that you…

Sanford D. Horn: Nation burns while Congress fiddles

Contributors

Op-Ed by Sanford D. Horn A la Nero, fiddling while Rome burned, so, too, the nation burns as Congress fiddles while not in session. The Democratic-lead Congress said they will work on solving the current economic crisis after Election Day. This is clearly a partisan tactic in hopes the stock market continues spiraling toward hell,…

The Valley Blue Dog: Notes from the dirty campaign trail

Steven Sisson

Column by Steven Sisson Our presidential campaign has sunk lower than the Wall Street stock index. Down, down, down … Republican operatives have historically gone negative in losing campaigns to drive down voter participation and denigrate their Democratic opposition. Guess what? Dinosaur-like GOP president nominee John McCain is losing to a first-term senator. The Blue…

Waynesboro: Moran stumps for Obama, Warner, has eyes on ’09 prize

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The last time Virginia went Democratic for president, gas was 25 cents, The Beatles were about to make their debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Ronald Reagan was still a Democrat, and Brian Moran was 5 years old. “A lot has changed, but this year, Virginia is going to elect…

Local Politics: Are we all losing our minds?

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected] Dinah Gottschalk is a volunteer in the Waynesboro Democratic Committee. She’s a committed Democrat, a lifelong Democrat, and she’s been working hard this campaign season at the local Waynesboro Dems election headquarters in Willow Oak Plaza with me and dozens of other Waynesboro and Augusta County Democrats. She was, to…

Business and Politics: Bailout rescue passes House

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] And just like that, we had ourselves a bailout rescue. The House voted 263-171 today to pass a compromise $850 billion plan to buy up securities from Wall Street lenders to take pressure off the financial and credit markets, just four days after a vote on a similar legislative proposal…

The Valley Blue Dog: Do as I say, not as I do?

Steven Sisson

Column by Steven Sisson It’s becoming clear as mud after last night’s debate that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is worst running mate since Thomas Eagleton in 1972. McCain’s political strategy ensuring women will vote for the Republican ticket because Palin’s sexuality is condescending to say the least. To quote Charlie Chan, the “mud of bewilderment…