Why Mark Warner Is Our Best Bet In '08

[ruggerson]

This sums it up pretty darn well:

http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=11175

Chasing Bubba
Gov. Mark Warner convinced NASCAR dads and rural Republicans to give him a shot in 2001. Now, he may be the Democrats’ best hope to win back the White House in 2008.
by Scott Bass

When 40 cars racing in excess of 200 miles per hour pass in front of you, creating a thunderous beehive of screaming engines amid a haze of burning oil and rubber, you’re either awed or unnerved. In the world of NASCAR, you either get it or you don’t. Gov. Mark R. Warner gets it. His eyes widen. He lifts his chin high to see past the pit crews and concrete barriers. In the middle of pit row, at the center of Richmond International Raceway on a balmy Saturday night in September, the governor, wearing a red polo shirt, khakis and brown loafers, melds seamlessly into the stock-car scenery.


These may not be his people per se, but the Democratic governor who made his fortune in the cellular phone business a world away in Northern Virginia understands NASCAR. He knows the economics of the business. He has a rapport with the drivers, some of the most famous athletes in the world. Before the race starts, standing on a ceremonial platform facing the stands, he declares Sept. 10 as “Rusty Wallace Day” in honor of the veteran driver, a six-time winner at RIR, and he later stops to chat and wish good luck to Elliott Sadler, one of the drivers he knows personally. (Earlier in the afternoon, at the pre-race meeting, the drivers presented Warner with a plaque recognizing his relentless promotion of the state’s racing industry through his Virginia Motorsports Initiative.)

Make no mistake; this tax-and-spend liberal is well-liked within the NASCAR machinery. Once, he even took a Formula One car for a test drive, pushing the pedal well past 100 mph, according to reports. When Gretchen Wilson, the “Redneck Woman” pop country singer, belts out the national anthem, the guv pegs her sloppy lip-synching.

In the heat of the gubernatorial campaign to determine his successor, Warner doesn’t have to be here. The two men who hope to succeed him aren’t — not here, at least, in the pits. Warner, though, wouldn’t miss it. And his presence after a long stress-filled week managing the aftershocks of Hurricane Katrina (one sleep-deprived press secretary, Kevin Hall, guesses he clocked at least 100 hours) offers a key insight into why Warner has emerged as a legitimate contender for the Democratic Party’s presidential ticket in 2008. His 76 percent approval rating, higher than the president’s, higher than Virginia Sen. George Allen’s — a presidential hopeful in his own right — is owed in large part to Warner’s ability to infiltrate and woo Republican voters in Bubba country, where fakers are sniffed out quicker than stink on skunk.

[Mass]

1. Please Governor Warner, run in 06 for senator against Allen.

This would be a real service to your state and your country.

[ObaMania]

24. That's OK..

.. it would just free Allen up to get the ball rolling on a pResidential run per a re :puke: friend of mine.

[Racenut20]

2. Am a left over "Clark" man, but I like Gov Warner.

[msongs]

3. if "fakers are sniffed out..." why did those bubbas vote for bush?

as for warner, one way or the other, probably need to see if he can get his protege/successor elected governor. if he cannot do that then...


Msongs
www.msongs.com/clark2008.htm

[MH1]

4. 'splain, please?

If the world has such problems with petroleum supply that wars are started and certain idiot leaders of allegedly democratic nations work to depose democratically elected leaders of other (oil-possessing) nations, ...if we are supposed to be conserving energy... if "peak oil" may be right around the corner...

WHY do people support a sport that is about burning lots and lots of gas?

Seriously...am I being stupid? What am I missing? I just never could get the point of NASCAR... I would think, with the world's energy woes, that the sport would have to eventually slip into oblivion.

What am I missing? - other than that a huge portion of Americans are oblivious to the points I just raised, and love to hang out where there's lots of loud noise and fumes, and Dems had better at least not antagonize those folks, at least until they wake up. I'm not sure that means we need to embrace them too lovingly though.

[napi21]

9. Everybody has different likes and dislikes.

I can't see why anyone would have any interest in golf, boxing, wrestling, mountain climbing, and the like.

That doesn't mean I think those who like those things shouldn't do them.

I understand what you mean about NASCAR using fuel, but all the fuel used in the entire sport for one summer is less than the SUV's in California use in one day!

Instead of pissing off a whole lot of fans of that sport, it would be MUCH better to push for alternative fuel technology.

[MH1]

12. Well, I agree, but...

unless NASCAR adopts an intent to move toward alternative fueled vehicles, you pretty much have the choice of pissing off NASCAR fans, or environmentalists.

Okay, that's a broad brush, but I do think it's kind of true. It seems to me that any dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist will disdain a politician who's too cozy with NASCAR. That may go both ways, but reality is on the side of the environmentalists, eventually anyway.

I agree with you about the SUV's too, no doubt about it, and your point about the quantity of fuel actually used may be true, but it is a matter of perception: to an environmentalist, NASCAR is an in-the-face "eff you" to the issue of fuel economy.

[napi21]

13. I hear what you're saying, but there's something else non-racing fans

should understand. There is a lot of fuel saving technology that is developed by the racing business. Take a few minutes and tune into the last 2 laps of a NASCAR race sometime. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to have enough fuel to finish the race! Top fuel ecomony while maintaining performance is the MOST important thing to those folks!
they spend $ millions to accomplish that.

I know what you mean about the perception of the sport in the eyes of the environmentalist, but meybe a little education is something we could work on too.

[Zynx]

21. NASCAR is small potatoes compared to everyday use.

[HillDem]

5. You forgot to mention

the independent study that said Virginia was the best run state in the nation. I really hope he is on the ticket in 08. If not he should run for senate.

[napi21]

6. This was posted yesterday, and there were several DUers who

were very skeptical because they didn't know ANYTHING abut where Mark stands on all the different issues.

I like him too, and did a google, but for the most part, all I found was his web site as Governor.

Does anyvody have any more info on him?

[liberalitch]

7. I love my gov!!!!!

[phylla]

8. Clark President, Warner VP 08, then Warner gets his turn 8 years later

I think that Warner will be the vp choice of whomever wins the top of the ticket....if Mark Warner doesn't.

He is a tall, attractive and personable fellow- more in person than on the television and that might be a problem for him.

He has the most wonderful way of leaning slightly towards you and looking intently into your eyes when he shakes hands- like you are the most important voter in the world right then.

But that doesn't translate well over the media.

So I will stick with the Clark/Warner 08 dream ticket!

Powerful combination of talents.

[ruggerson]

10. I like it the other way around

Warner/Clark or Warner/Edwards.

I think Americans demand executive experience in their presidents, which Warner has in spades. A Warner/Clark ticket, imho, would give the Republicans a major headache.

[ObaMania]

22. Clark/Warner, Gore/Warner, Kerry/Warner..

.. it's all good!

[fujiyama]

11. He's certainly more moderate than myself

But he seems like he might make a good candidate. A ticket with Clark or Feingold might be interesting.

I figure if we are going to run a moderate, we may as well TRY to win and I don't see that working with Hillary, Biden, or Bayh.

[phylny]

19. I agree with you. In addition.

I, too, think Warner is a fantastic choice. He's a family man who is well-spoken and honest. I used to listen to him on WTOP's "Ask the Governor" when I lived near DC, and he was always well-versed on topics and people - all people - could really relate to him.

[SaveElmer]

14. Nope, Nope, Nope...he's DLC...can't have that around here...

Doesn't that automatically disqualify him from consideration!!!

I know he's been a great Governor and all, but he is obviously a DINO shill out to destroy liberalism!!!

:sarcasm:

[thecrow]

15. I'm meeting him on Monday!!

I will relay all your praise and encouragement if I get a chance to actually speak to him.

[ruggerson]

16. please do

tell him he has a lot of people interested in him running.

[JohnnyCougar]

17. What are his positions? Especially on the war?

[Skwmom]

18. No thanks.

1. DLC.
2. The guy looks like he should be posing for a mug shot. Sorry but unfortunately looks and charisma count.
3. Potential sex scandals? There was a mention in Washington Post (I think) about a reporter running into Warner in a "nightclub" while the wife was away.

[Zynx]

20. I think the sort of presidency he would bring would be the perfect

antidote to Bush's. He would be a sound manager, controlling spending while competantly managing the administration. Sure, he's not going to lead a social revolution or anything like that, but we may get a pretty good result.

[MarsThe Cat]

23. why all the concern about 2008 at this point?

at this point in 1989, how many Americans had even heard of Bill Clinton?

it's WAAAAAAAAY too early to be fretting about the next presidential election.