The "Planking of the Shad" event for 2011 had a smaller attendance than many in the past but those who came out enjoyed nice weather and good conversation. Shad Plank 2010 had rain and a somewhat larger crowd with numerous familiar display tents missing this year but the 2011 shad event was still enjoyable...
Governor Bob McDonnell, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, and Senate Candidate George Allen were in attendance and Governor McDonnell was the guest speaker...
Shad Planking speeches tend to be less serious and a opportunity for the speaker to take the familiar "Jabs" towards opposing political parties, their Representatives, Candidates, and of course the Shad itself....
Governor McDonnell spoke for about 15 minutes and had some good lines that got the applause he was looking for from the crowd. I particularly liked the one about the practice of cooking the Shad over the open fire pit and how it was fortunate that the EPA was not aware of the event and what was being done to the Shad. For the true name of the EPA is "Employment Prevention Agency" which is so true if you look at the history of this agency.....
Governor McDonnell took the usually opportunity to talk about the actual Shad fish and stated that he wished the members of the U.S. Congress had as much backbone as the Shad "This country would not be in such a mess"..... Oh, so true......
He also talked about how when he became elected as Governor of the State of Virginia he moved into the house that both former Governors Tim Kaine and George Allen once lived in and left items behind. It appears George Allen left a autographed football signed by himself and Tim Kaine left a $2 Billion tax hike when he left office.... Both items have been removed by the present Gov.....
Former VA Governor and now Senate candidate George Allen....
Virginia Tea Party tent...
The Tea Party has become a valuable asset for it keeps pressure on both parties and their representatives to address and make the necessary changes that are needed in government. It has become the voice of the people that the "Inner Beltway" representatives have learned to ignore in the past and now listen to for the numbers have grown, organized, and are now LOUD enough to get attention.....
Ben Marchi
Unfortunately one of the familiar tents that I missed from not being there was the Virginia Energy Independence Alliance tent which I have visited in the past and have enjoyed the conversation and information they provided...
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This year I found the "Va4wind" booth which is a organization of several environmental groups including the Sierra Club who's representative was manning the tent when I got there. I was encouraged and interested in seeing the support of Wind farms off of the Virginia coast but was disappointed when I found the main effort being made was to get people to sign a petition urging Dominion Power to develop, construct, and maintain the desired wind farm project. Seems I recall the Sierra Club jumping ugly with Dominion Power in the past?....
Also found after a little research that the Sierra Club had a year ending revenue (2008) of $56,313,595 and that maybe they can throw a little bit of this towards the development of wind farms instead of petitioning the "Evil Energy Companies"...
I stopped back at this booth several times to join in and listen to the conversations regarding placing wind farms off the Virginia coast and there were numerous good points made by those stopping by the booth. I left once the Sierra Club representative mentioned how disappointed she was in President Obama but she was still going to support him in the future...
Did I mention gasoline prices were $3.89 for regular in the Wakefield area?.....
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Virginia Lt. Governor Bill Bolling...
Senator Mark Warner...
It was actually good to see one of our U.S. Senators from the Democratic party at the 63rd Shad Planking. It was asked and pointed out many times how former DNC Chairman and now Senate candidate Tim Kaine was not at or represented at the Shad Planking. No signs. No people. Nothing.
Being the former Governor of Virginia and the history of the Shad Planking over the years you would think it would have made it onto the "To Do List" for somebody campaigning in Virginia?....
All together it was a good event and it is also beneficial to see who is out there running for what. A great opportunity to meet and talk with those of familiar and same opinions and beliefs as well as to speak with those of opposing opinions and beliefs.
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Also a great opportunity to get out there and talk with familiar people from the past and to catch up on what is going on in Virginia politics now and on the horizon. Informal gatherings such as the Shad Planking provides a valuable opportunity to catch up on current events, talk "politics", and to provide truth and facts regarding the "Spin" that is out there and surly to come in the upcoming campaign season....
(Such as)
"Spin".
3 comments:
You missed the booth with the best beer!
The Sons of Confederate Veterans had Richmond's own micro-brewed, Legends beer.
As for the attendance, I gave out a all of the thousand SCV recruiting coins to the first men who entered the event, and I gave out two thousand pocket Constitutions. The official sold attendance was about 1,700, but that did not include the hundreds of volunteers from the local community.
The big story this year was how the major Democratic campaigns, (including Tim Kaine) simply stayed away.
This was a tactical error.
Democrats and others who think the Shad Planking is, just another food fest, are woefully uninformed about Virginia politics. When people wonder how Virginia politicians can still remain cordial during even the most contentious times, much of that basis in civility is borne out of relationships built at the Shad Planking, over the years.
Because the Democratic campaigns did not know the significance and the strategic value of a good showing at the Shad Planking, they forfeited millions of dollars worth of media coverage to, "I'm OK with torture" George Allen.
And I did have a cup or two of the very good darker blend made by the Legend brewery. In fact during the 2010 Planking our booth was set up across from the Legend Brewing company that had a photo in the 2010 post at: http://rightsideva.blogspot.com/2010/04/shad-planking-2010.html
Good guys...
Impressive numbers and demand for the pocket constitutions and people do care for that document. Good move and thank you for doing that....
The Dems did miss\ignore the opportunity at the Shad Plank and people do notice it. I resepect Senator Warner being there and talking with those who approached him. Why candidate Kaine was not there was a mistake on his part. Governor of Virginia for four years and he did not understand the opportunity?....
I feel sorry for everyone if Kurt is elected supervisors.
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