Divided Ds, motivated Rs, and other ’09 trends

Chris Graham

The formal entree of former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe into the 2009 governor’s race on Monday means all the players are present and accounted for now. McAuliffe, who filed papers today to run for governor, but is officially still only exploring a possible run, will compete for the Democratic nomination with Northern Virginia…

‘Wake up, damn it!’

Chris Graham

For the uninitiated, Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene told it like it was in his world on the Washington, D.C., airwaves on WOL during the late 1960s and early 1970s before succumbing to cancer. The ex-con, who described himself in his boss’s word – a miscreant, because it sounded more sophisticated – would no doubt be…

Yes, We Can!

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham “If I forget everything else when I get old and gray,” a friend told me Tuesday night, “I hope I never forget this feeling.” I understood completely what he was saying, because I had just had a similar thought myself. CNN and Fox News had just called the presidential race in…

Election ’08: Obama, Warner get nod in final pre-election polls

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Gallup and Larry Sabato are calling it a Barack Obama landslide, and a summary of the other major national polls has the Democrat on the verge of making history. Gallup’s final pre-election estimate has Obama winning 55 percent of the vote to Republican John McCain’s 44 percent. Sabato, the University…

White House: Obama will turn Virginia blue

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] He started his general-election campaign here in June after sewing up the Democratic Party nomination, and he’s going to end it here late Monday night. Still want to quibble over how seriously Barack Obama is taking Virginia? “What better way is there to showcase the importance of this state as…

Waynesboro: Warner to visit on Sunday

Chris Graham

Staff Report U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner will make a campaign stop at the Waynesboro Democratic Committee ’08 Election Headquarters in Willow Oak Plaza on Sunday. Warner will stop at the headquarters to talk with volunteers and supporters at 1:30 p.m. Warner will also be in Staunton on Sunday at noon for a lunchtime meet…

Harrisonburg: Obama rallies Valley Dems

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] One news organization estimated that there were 28,000 people all told in and around the Convocation Center on the campus of James Madison University for the Tuesday campaign rally featuring Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama. I don’t know that I could dispute the figure, based on the queue, or…

Waynesboro: Warner to visit on Monday

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Former Virginia governor Mark Warner will be in Waynesboro on Monday to make two U.S. Senate campaign stops. A 4:15 p.m. event is being planned at Rick’s BBQ in Downtown Waynesboro. Warner will meet and greet voters at Rick’s at the free public event. Earlier on Monday, Warner is scheduled…