Two former governors would be Virginia's next senator
Date published: 5/12/2008
THEY ARE BOTH FORMER gov- ernors whose administrations were defined by financial issues. They both sort of ran for president this year. And they both would like to succeed John W. Warner in the U.S. Senate when he retires next year.
Other than that, Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore are about as different as Virginia politicians can be.
Mr. Warner left office on a high note with voters. He proved innovative in his approach to priming the pump of economic development. As his signature achievement, the Democrat claimed a major tax increase to put the commonwealth's fiscal house in order.
But Mr. Warner could not have reached that goal without the assist of a Republican state senator, the Fredericksburg area's John Chichester. Then-Sen. Chichester's proposal for an even larger tax increase made Mr. Warner look like the moderate. Had the governor failed on this critical vote, his legacy would be far more mixed.
As for Mr. Gilmore, his ticket to office was a bumper-sticker call for repeal of the car tax. As good as that sounded to many voters on the campaign trail, the commonwealth has been trying to balance the books ever since.
Even without that black mark on his record, Mr. Gilmore would be facing long odds in this year's election. First, he has to push back a challenge for the GOP nomination from his right flank, in the form of social conservative Robert Marshall, a Republican delegate from Prince William County.
Then he'll have to shake off the effects of a presidential run that, rather than raising his profile, came close to turning him into a laughingstock. With a minuscule campaign treasury and no noticeable niche in the crowded GOP race, Mr. Gilmore never produced a reasonable rationale for running for president.
Mr. Warner isn't totally in the clear either. His on-again-off-again run for the White House was reminiscent of New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's Hamlet-like indecision on whether he really wanted to run. Having a reputation for not being able to make up your mind is not generally considered a campaign asset.
So off we go with the Democrats favored to add a Senate seat from the increasingly purple state of Virginia. But keep in mind it's a long way to November.
Mark Warner?(posted by
SMF
, May 13, 2008 7:06 am)
Isn't he that Govenor who skyrocketed our taxes? Isn't he the
Govenor that misplaced $600,000,000.00 in his budget and it
took 2 years to find it? Ya he was really good for Virginia!
The only reason the car tax wasn't ever completely abolished
was Mark Warner!
Warner is the man(posted by
varetiree
, May 12, 2008 11:23 am)
Having been a member of a local board of supervisors while Jim Gilmore sat as governor, I saw first hand the devastation his "No Car Tax" ploy had on the state and local budget. His shortsightedness caused such financial ruin that we are still trying to recover from this fiasco. Mark Warner brought his business perspective to the capitol and worked to bring partisan politics together in order to move Virginia forward. He will no doubt continue to work the same way when he fills John Warners shoes!
Mark Warner is a smart, forward thinking, results oriented candidate. Gilmore is not.(posted by
Chiswald
, May 12, 2008 9:06 am)
Gilmore was a bumper sticker candidate who couldn't deliver on his "no car tax" platform. He was such an embarrassment even his own Republican party dropped him as national chairman.
Jim or Mark?(posted by
CBVAUSA
, May 12, 2008 7:14 am)
Both candidates have positive attributes, but both have raised concerns within the electorate. Warner's legacy, while governor, can accurately be described as four years of refereeing battles within the Virginia Republican Party, while it can be accurately said that Gilmore, while governor, did not. Both think of themselves as more popular, in touch, and smarter than they realy are, and either would most likely become a mediocre senator. But maybe that's what we need, future Presidential candidates running.
