Local campaign could be crucial
The national presidential campaign may seem like the untouchable playground of political pundits, but its influence and issues resonate with the citizens of Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County.
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| The Rockbridge Area Republican Party Headquarters is less than 400 feet away from the Lexington Democratic Committee Headquarters on Lexington’s Main Street. |
The fierce jousting match between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain has placed itself directly on Lexington’s Main Street. The headquarters of the Rockbridge Area Republican Party and the Lexington Democratic Committee stand fewer than 400 feet apart on the street .
Despite the contentious battle for the White House, local Republicans and Democrats agree that they want leaders who stick to principles and values. They also agree that the government should be in the business of providing goods and services.
“I’m driven by principles, not labels,” said Wendell Tucker, a 68-year-old Vietnam War veteran. “We’re hungry for a leader who espouses the principles we believe in.”
Tucker, a Republican, wants a strong national government and thinks a government that governs best governs least. He thinks the military is the most important good the government provides.
Meanwhile, Judy Koenig, a 55-year-old lifelong Democrat, said she thinks education and health care are the key issues that affect Rockbridge County citizens.
“Lots of people in this county work for jobs that don’t have healthcare,” she said.
Mike Oxford, former chair of the Lexington Democratic Committee, said Democrats are more concerned with an economy based on fairness and a responsible relationship with the world community.
Tucker said he calls the McCain-Sarah Palin political ticket the “POW-Wow” ticket — “POW,” since McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and “Wow,” because that was the first word that came to mind after Vice Presidential nominee Palin’s speech at the Republican National Convention earlier this month.
In previous years, the “POW-Wow” ticket would have had little trouble succeeding in Virginia. But this year, circumstances may limit its success.
Virginia is considered a battleground state for the first time in more than 40 years. George W. Bush defeated Sen. John Kerry by eight percentage points in the 2004 presidential election.But the recent elections of Democrats James Webb and Tim Kaine to the U.S. Senate and the governorship have made it more likely that Virginia might bestow its 13 electoral votes to Obama on Nov. 4.
The battle for Obama will be much more difficult in Rockbridge County than in some other parts of the state. President Bush won Rockbridge County with 59 percent of the votes in 2004.
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| Democrats are making their voices heard on the traditionally conservative campus of Washington & Lee University. |
Robert James, chairman of the Rockbridge Area Republican Party, said he’s thrilled about the current campaign.
“This isn’t a hard election to line up support,” he said.
A CNN/TIME/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week showed McCain leading Obama 50 percent to 46 percent, outside the margin of error.
But that’s not stopping the Obama campaign from doing all it can to make its voice heard in Rockbridge County. The Virginia Campaign for Change has placed a paid staffer in the heart of Rockbridge County to provide focused information back to the campaign.
Both Democratic and Republican volunteers said they had never seen that happen before.
Ben Thomas, of Idaho, is “ferociously focused,” according to former Lexington Democratic Committee Chairman Mike Oxford.
“He knows his role in the army,” Oxford said.
Thomas’ role? Get out the vote. The Obama campaign aims to register 150,000 new voters in Virginia by the October registration deadline.
Local Republicans and Democrats both are active in voter identification and registration. Each party is involved in canvassing the area with signs and setting up phone banks.
Moreover, their hard work shows in much of Virginia. State election officials earlier this month reported that 49,000 new voters registered in August. That’s a steep increase from the 36,500 July registrations and the 28,000 who registered in June.
Many voters plant themselves firmly as Democrats or Republicans. But some are fed up with partisan politics.
“A good idea is a good idea,” said 61-year-old Jim Manuel. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s got a D or an R behind it.”
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Reporting Supervisors:
Prof. Doug Cumming
Prof. Indira Somani
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd