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What the heck is going on in Virginia?
Some old fashioned RatF*@king, that’s what.
Virginia politics this year has been interesting to say the least.
Politics can come with lies, tricks, and even video. This year, in Virginia, we’ve had some shenanigans, and I’ve been watching somewhat goggle eyed.
One such major loci of activity has been Virginia Beach.
What I’m noticing is which stories are being promoted in the state’s major papers, and which ones are getting very little political coverage.
The amplification and the near silence are both stories, as I see it.
How does a reporter who always scrutinizes Democrats, and never Republicans, acquire a letter of apology proffered to the state’s Democratic Party from a Democratic candidate? How?
And what’s up with some powerful Democrats who, upon finding such coverage, immediately run out, fall on their sword, and start babbling at the press about how they think the newbie Democratic candidate is exactly similar to Trump?!
Really? Hyperbole much?
Seriously, W.T.F?!
When a story of said apology makes the rounds in big Republican/Conservative leaning newspapers of Richmond, Roanoke, Tidewater etc., you know that a Republican finger is weighting and stoking the storm. Furthermore, in an election cycle where the open comradeship between new and incoming candidates have been extraordinary and noteworthy thing this year, the hostilities's by one candidate attacking another from the same party (even via proxies), and in Virginia Beach of all places, has been, somewhat startling.
So, in case you were not watching, here’s some things to look at —
Virginia Beach and the upcoming Virginia elections have gotten some good coverage here at Daily Kos.
Among many candidates this cycle, one candidate, also, like the others, a first time candidate, declared his intent to run for office, right here on DK. He’s been writing about issues he’s running on.
Candidate and DK user — Tom Brock, is now being dragged through the mud in some major newspapers in my state. He is running as a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 21. This cycle in Virginia, the Democrats, by and large, even when they’ve run against each other, have not gone negative. Except in Virginia Beach, where Brock’s opponent went negative, right here in DK. And now, seemingly, in the larger media.
While the DK attack had somewhat of a self acknowledged finger print. The campaign being waged in the print media, has no such obvious prints to track back to the opponent or their supporters in the Republican Party.
Candidate Brock’s opponent’s allies wrote a hit piece on DK which they later took down, after answering a question, cryptically even — when she was asked more than once, as to whether she worked for another candidate.
Also, this year, with so many newbies running for office all over Virginia, the fact that a Facebook comment from 2012 — albeit in defense of Sandra Fluke, even if it was clearly not well thought out, — was getting dragged out the way it was, had the rancid stink of professional oppo-research.
Why? Because the candidate is strong and has made some inroads in his home district.
For his part — Tom Brock offered a public, and unconditional apology for statements he made on his private Facebook account, some years back.
But his enemies in the Republican party (and their affiliates and bosom buddies in the Democratic Party) don’t care.
A Democratic candidate, running for Virginia House of Delegate in Virginia Beach, is apparently being muckraked in newspapers, by a reporter with evident biases, all the while making it look like Democrats are fighting among themselves.
What I find stunning is the lack of coverage on a significant story, and mildly puzzled as to why it’s being overlooked.
A reporter who likes to inspect Democrats, and never Republicans, trolls Tom Brock for 2012 comments. Yet, there’s no coverage of the other big story in Virginia Beach. The real eye-popping story of a Democrat endorsing a Republican, even against another Democrat running in the same race.
That story is the one where the Democratic Mayor of Norfolk, Virginia — one Kenneth Alexander — is endorsing the Republican Sheriff of Virginia Beach. Why is that startling? Because there is a strong candidate, a Democratic one even, running as an opponent to the current Republican sheriff of Virginia Beach.
Who?! What?!
Yeah.
John Bell is running for Sheriff in Virginia Beach. Against the very established Ken Stolle, member of a powerful Republican political family.
Why is the same reporter not covering that story or even Corey Stewart’s regular hate filled pronouncements?
Why does that endorsement, the one given by Democrat Mayor Alexander for Republican Sheriff Stolle, not get statewide coverage?
The Democratic establishment’s silence regarding this real story is particularly noteworthy in light of the Democratic Party of Virginia’s (DPVA) State Party Plan, where Article 10, Section 10.8 says:
Section 10.8 Party Support
No Democratic committee member or officer of any Democratic committee shall publicly support, endorse, or assist any candidate opposed to a Democratic nominee. If a Democratic committee member is accused of undertaking such public activity, the appropriate Democratic committee shall vote on whether the member has undertaken such public activity. The member's removal from the committee shall be automatic if the committee finds that the member has engaged in such public activity. Such action shall not be taken without at least ten (10) days written notice to the accused member and an opportunity for him or her to refute such charges.
Did you get that? As the Democratic Mayor of Norfolk, Mr. Alexander is likely a committee member or at the least an officer of a committee. And yet, he has endorsed the candidacy of Republican Sheriff of Virginia Beach with nary a peep from establishment Democrats in Virginia.
Why is this not splattered all over the print sheets across Virginia?
Where’s all the DPVA’s Democratic establishment outrage over a Democrat in a significant position endorsing, a Republican over another Democrat?
*Crickets.*