2010 Virginia Session ~Delegate Matt Lohr~

Made the roadtrip to Richmond with fellow Conservative Chris Green to take in some of the 2010 session on the House side of the building and found it interesting to see our Virginia State government at work...
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Also had the opportunity to sit down with several of the Delegates from the Valley and their support staff to discuss local political and economic happenings...

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This past election cycle I had the opportunity to help out with the Matt Lohr campaign and have found him to be a great guy and strong asset to the Conservative team from the Valley...

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Delegate Steve Landes

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Delegate Ben Cline

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Delegate Dickie Bell

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RPV Advance ~2009~ and a 7-eleven with SCUBA access!!...

Had the opportunity to attend the breakfast session today of the RPV Advance being held in Williamsburg, VA. before coming back over the mountain to find five inches of SNOW in the Shenandoah Valley...

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While driving to Williamsburg this morning I had a chance to listen to "The Speech" by Ronald Reagan that he did back in 1964...

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For those of you who know this speech you know that many parts of it applies to the situation we are in once again and understand why many say this is the speech that launched Ronald Reagan's political career...

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"They knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy."...

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Another interesting aspect of this speech is how closely it resembles the conservative beliefs of the then 2009 Republican Candidates and now elected Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Delegates that "Sweep-ed" Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley...

The voters of Virginia were obviously seeking proven conservative beliefs and principles during this past election and that is why Virginia is RED once again...

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"The Speech is available here and is well worth listening to it again...

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After the breakfast I took a ride down to Norfolk to check out the surf and found the "Ultimate 7-Eleven" along the beach with SCUBA access just 15 feet behind the building!

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Incredibly the bulkhead is just 15 feet behind the building and easy access could be made with a "Giant Stride" or "Jersey Roll" during high tide...

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Walk out to the beach found a good 20-25kt wind out of the Northeast, less than 6 inches of Vis,
3 to 4 foot breakers on the beach, and cold water temp...

Typical Jersey diving conditions...

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Hard to see in this photo but there was much apparent damage to the fishing pier on the horizon looking South...
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End of the sign season ~2009~...

Today brought the end of the ~2009~ Sign Campaign season with the removal of the GOP campaign signs from "The Barn" just South of Harrisonburg on route 81...

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Great location and always had motorist blaring their horns when we were there adding or moving campaign signs during the season. We were once asked how many people went by that barn and here is the best estimate I could find...

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From the VDOT website it is reported that on average 44,000 vehicles travel along route 81 at this location with "The Barn" being visible from both directions of traffic. Campaign signs for McDonnell \ Bolling \ Cuccinelli went up on July 10th until November 25th for a total of 138 days...

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44,000 avg. vehicles each day, 138 days, exposure to 6,072,000 vehicles...

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David... Great location, well run campaigns, impressive Candidates,

OUTSTANDING Results !!!

Now that was fun...

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Creigh Deeds: "Fair, what fair"?...

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Last week the Daily News Record reported that both Candidates for Virginia Governor were in the area on the same day and what they decided to do with the ever dwindling time to campaign before the election in November...

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The News Record reported that Deeds "spent about an hour in the city's downtown visiting businesses during the afternoon" while Bob McDonnell went in "search of voters at the Rockingham County Fair"...

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One of the businesses that Deeds stopped at was the local coffee joint and "Deeds, speaking to an audience of about 30 people at the Old Dominion Coffee Co. across from Court Square, promised to create a tax credit for each small-business job created"...

Two different formats and obvious choice of the campaigns on how to spend their time reaching out and listening to potential voters...

Deeds chose to walk the town for an hour then talk to 30 people assembled at a local "Democrat" stronghold while Bob McDonnell chose to attend the largest fair in the Shenandoah Valley for over three hours on a day that had an attendance of 14,609 Valley Citizens as reported by the DNR...

Now working the streets and talking to local businesses is an important part of every campaign, but for only an hour and most of that time spent at the local Java-hut brings into question just what Deeds was looking to hear from the people...

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On the other hand Bob McDonnell spent more then half an hour talking issues with both the print and T.V. news people once he arrived at the fair and before heading into the fairgrounds to talk to any potential voter who had the opportunity to ask any question of the candidate.

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It is reported that Deeds "promised to create a tax credit for each small business job created" but this coming from a state Senator who has been on the side of national labor unions and higher taxes in the past. And what type of tax credit? What does that tax credit mean if Deeds favors labor unions and that "small business" has to work with union restrictions if Deeds is elected Governor and promotes a union workforce in Virginia?...

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Now it is a good idea and important that a Candidate for Governor "walks the streets" and talks to local business, in fact Bob McDonnell did the same during the week with his "New jobs, more opportunities" RV tour in Staunton as reported by the Newsleader...

But the key here is to talk to many different businesses and a valid cross section of the demographics in the area to hear what the business owners have to say...

Bob McDonnell walked the mainstreet of Staunton with Congressman Bob Goodlatte and other local Republican representatives and spent time with numerous business owners and shop patrons talking issues concerning Virginia Citizens...

While at the RockFair Bob McDonnell also walked the buildings with business and service booths to talk with those working the booths. He even stopped at the Harrisonburg Democratic Party booth and introduced himself to the two young workers who pretty much did not have any to say or ask the Republican Candidate. I did notice that the Democratic Party booth then did have three "Creigh Deeds" bumper stickers and one "Deeds Country" yard sign as compared to opening day of the fair when there was not one item with "Creigh Deeds" on it to promote the Democratic Party Candidate...

Maybe there is even a larger gap in the Valley then the 15~point advantage that McDonnell maintains in the majority of the polls taken so far?...

During his visit Bob McDonnell made his way into the Livestock barn during the auctions to meet and spend time with some of the farm families from the area. This opportunity was appreciated by many from the area and numerous topics were discussed. With McDonnell was Delegate Matt Lohr who is a working farmer from the area and introduced McDonnell to many people who were interested in meeting and speaking with the Republican Candidate for Governor...

Bob McDonnell at Rockingham County Fair ~2009~

Local Republican supporters and volunteers gather to meet Bob McDonnell at the Rockingham County Fair yesterday...

Bob McDonnell is met and greeted by Delegate Matt Lohr and numerous other local Republican Party representatives. Delegate Lohr is the House Representative for this area and knows the RockFair well from being a farmer himself...

Also at the Rockingham Fair was Candidate Dickie Bell who is running for the Delegate seat of the 20th district and Delegate Steve Landes who is running for re-election in the 25th House District...

Bob McDonnell walks with Delegate Matt Lohr and State Senator Mark Obenshain who represents the 26th State Senate District...
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Bob McDonnell with Dickie Bell

The Rockingham Republican booth at the fair...

Very impressive presentation and staffed with many energetic volunteers who engage fair visitors and discuss national, state, and local issues...

At every fair there must be a clown. This is a familiar clown that has worked this fair for many years and is seeked out by many returning fair-goers...

It was reported that there was another "Clown" in the area this day but he decided not to show up to the largest fair in the Valley...

Every afternoon there was a parade and this opportunity was used by the Candidates to meet and talk with those who they represent. Numerous times during these parades people attending the fair would call out greetings to their Representatives and take the opportunity to talk about local and state issues on the side of the parade route...


Candidate Dickie Bell and wife Anne walk the parade route...

Delegate Steve Landes with son Roth, and wife Angela at the Republican booth...

Clerk of the Court Chaz Evans Haywood with Andrea and Matt Lohr during the parade...

Bob McDonnell walked the entire fair grounds including the livestock auction and met with many people from the valley where he had the opportunity to talk local and State issues.

Anne Bell, Dickie Bell, and Steve Landes....

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