Tucker Watkins: GO AWAY!

Doesn't that sorry sack of shit otherwise known as Tucker Watkins have anything better to do with his time than trolling the Danville Register & Bee website spreading rumors about the guy who is a Congressman now because of his complete and total bungling of Congressman Goode's reelection campaign?

Maybe exile himself from Virginia, or at least the Virginia 5th? He's done enough already to elect Tom Perriello. His behind the scenes manipulation of the county chairs to favor a primary to boost Robert Hurt's chances may end up guaranteeing Perriello another term. The least Tucker can do for us now is hide under a rock for a long, long time.

Mark my words, the longer Hurt depends on scum of the earth like Tucker Watkins (of Purple Heart fame) and Chris LaCivita (of Switch Boat fame) the more likely the campaign against Perriello will be based not on politics but the dirty personal attacks that Tucker favors. The "brilliant" idea of trying to attack a guy born in the district as a "New York lawyer" failed in 2008 and I'm sure Tucker's next strategy will end the same way. Bradley Rees is spot on:

Bradley Rees, a Bedford County conservative blogger, radio host and former congressional candidate, disagrees with Perriello’s beliefs — but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t respect him.

“Tom Perriello is a man of principle,” Rees said. “He will come out and state his principles on any given agenda item and you can expect him to vote that way … I admire his principles. I admire his stance on what he believes. I just happen to not believe the same thing.

“He is vulnerable because he has a ‘D’ after his name, frankly. There’s a lot of anti-Democrat sentiment. The letters after the name shouldn’t be the important thing. We should focus on their principles.”

People are angry at Perriello for how he votes and being a Democrat. If the campaign is about the candidates as persons, guess what, Tommy Boy is a likable guy! Certainly more than Robert Hurt, who can't be bothered with silly things like debates and talking to the voters.

Tucker Folding Under National Pressure?

Tucker Watkins, just weeks ago:

Watkins said 15 unit chairpersons took a straw vote a few months ago, with 10 voting in favor of a convention.

Today, after Hurt went up to DC to beg the NRCC to do more to help his campaign:

ifth District GOP Chairman Tucker Watkins said Wednesday that he didn’t know how many committee members were leaning toward a convention or how many might prefer a primary. A third possible nominating process, called a party caucus, doesn’t have much support, Watkins said.

So in just days Tucker has gone from knowing that 10 out of 15 unit chairpersons favored a convention to having no idea.

Coincidence? I think not. The NRCC is trying to shove a primary down the throats of the 5th District in order to get Hurt nominated. And Tucker is folding under their pressure.

The problem with politics

I just added Lynchburg Tea Party organizer Dana Hale to the links on the right and wanted to bring attention to this letter to the editor she wrote to the Lynchburg News & Advance. The paper actually published it!

As a Republican defector turned Libertarian after the McCain nomination during the last presidential election, I’d like to express exactly what I think is wrong with the current state of both parties.

Specifically I’m addressing the Republican Party, and the frustration that many Americans are feeling with the political system in general. Upon reading the Aug. 30 article in The News & Advance about the GOP run against Rep. Tom Perriello in 2010, it only took me until the third paragraph to become frustrated with the methods by which the local district GOP hopes to choose a candidate. The local district chairman, Tucker Watkins, said he hopes to be able to select a candidate to run against Perriello who has a higher name recognition with voters. Specifically, he said he was thinking of three Republican state senators, Frank Ruff, Steve Newman or Robert Hurt.

Here is where I feel like I speak for many people who are disenfranchised with the current political system: Why someone with higher name identification? Can’t folks who don’t have great and powerful name recognition be trusted to hold a position of power and influence in our Capitol building? Personally, if my party wasn’t represented on a ballot, I’d much rather send someone to Washington on the basis of his personal principles, rather than how much time they have already spent in office or how many yard signs they’ve had up. I think the Republican Party needs to reevaluate its methods, and while I’m not sure Perriello will see another term in Congress, I certainly will not vote for someone to replace him based on that person’s name recognition alone. If our state senators are doing a good job where they are, then let them keep up the good work!

Please don’t insult the intelligence of the folks in the Fifth District by assuming we aren’t capable of researching candidates and voting based on principles and platform. Find out who else is running, investigate the candidate on your own and let the local committees know you support these new faces. As Bradley Rees, GOP Fifth District congressional hopeful says, “Stand on principle or stand aside!” This may be a call his party needs to heed.

I entirely agree about the need for the GOP, both nationally and in Virginia, to do some soul searching. Picking someone just because they already have elected office and are well known isn't the right way to find someone who will stick to true conservative principles. Tucker Watkins isn't the only voter in the 5th District of Virginia. The candidate he backs shouldn't automatically be crowned king.

Get Tucker Watkins a Map!

Tucker Watkins, former Virgil Goode campaign manager and current Chairman of the 5th District Republican Party, has a busy summer trying to recruit candidates for a run against Virginia's other pretty boy Congressman, Tom Perriello.* Now you'd usually expect the NRCC to step up and take over the recruitment of what has to be a key race for them, but Tucker's wise leadership in 2008 must have reassured them that he knows what he's doing.

Right?

Well as Tucker Watkins is driving around the 5th District and exploring parts he previously didn't know about (UVA is in the district? Wowie!) he might want to bring a map. No, not for him. I'm sure he can figure out how to work a GPS in the car. Or get some poor intern from Hampton-Sydney to do it for him (that's how it usually goes). He needs to hand out maps to the Republican challengers. Apparently they don't know the borders of the 5th District.

Why else would two of the declared candidates against Tom Perriello be at a Republican picnic in Fishersville?

Now I understand the confusion you, the reader, may be in.

Declared candidates?! What are those? I thought the only candidates were Tucker's imaginary friends?

My friends you have been mislead. Despite the media attention on people too afraid to jump into the race, there are actual candidates against Tom Perriello. The first, Bradley Rees, is a working class candidate with strong conservative credentials and an understanding of technology surpassing the predecessor Virgil Goode. Look, he can use Twitter! And he can also read a map because he's been focused on reaching out to voters in the 5th District.

Not so Feda Kidd Morton and Laurence Verga, two other challengers. The pair showed up in Fishersville for the joint GOP picnic for the three local Republican Committees from Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro (SAW, how cute!).

Now this bothers me because Feda and Laurence were candidates I wanted to like. They come from the growing northern end of the 5th District. You know that part Tucker didn't know was added to the district years ago. While Tucker is chasing around State Senators in the reliably conservative end of the district, he's ignoring the work that needs to be done in the northern end. Will it take a Kilgore-esque defeat of the Republican challenger to Perriello for the GOP to learn they need a candidate who can connect with the swing voters in the northern end around Charlottesville, just like Bob McDonnell is winning by appealing to Northern Virginia and Tidewater?

So Tucker, get a map or get lost!

* My apologies to the Glenn Nye groupies out there for mentioning Tom Perriello in a post without mentioning Glenn Nye. Leave no doubt, I'm sure Glenn is the fairest of them all. I know that Glenn's groupies are very insecure and have fragile egos . . . much like Glenn himself.