On Your Mark
OK. That’s it. Stick a fork in me because I am SO DONE. Mark Warner is the only presidential candidate for me. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, President Warner.
I went to Guero’s this morning for the Warner fundraising breakfast. (Three other bloggers were there: The Red State, BOR and Just Another Blog. We chatted before Warner got there – they discussed various Texas campaigns in great detail while I nodded and pretended I recognized the names.) I know what you’re thinking – how much money could a little urchin like myself possibly afford to donate? Well, I didn’t give him any money but I did give him my soul.
He is everything you could possibly want in a presidential nominee: well-spoken, attractive, intelligent, attractive, rich and, of course, attractive. He knows how to work a crowd. When he shook my hand, I said, “I’m from Virginia.” And he said, “Where from?” And I said, “McLean.” He asked me how long I’d been in Texas. I said, “Six years.” He asked how I liked it and I said, “Well, it’s no Virginia.” And we laughed like they do in chardonnay commercials.
During his speech, Warner was… dare I say… Clintonesque. Here he is, a centrist Democratic former governor from a red state, who was able to raise taxes for public education and health care and still remain wildly popular with an 80% approval rating. He worked with those Republicans in Richmond and was able to capture the hearts of even rural Virginia, mostly because he said they could keep their guns. (He said the only one who shouldn’t be able to have a gun is… wait for it… the vice president. I tell you, that joke just NEVER GETS OLD.)
And yes, I managed to elbow my way through the press and big donors to get my picture taken with him. Never invite a scrappy blogger with a camera to a fundraiser breakfast. She will drink all your coffee, stuff danishes in her purse and snap photos uncontrollably due to her caffeine high. And then, there’s the incessant giggling.
February 24th, 2006 at 11:56 am
You’ve got red eyes!
February 24th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Not danishes. Flowers of the Prophet Mohammed.
February 24th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
I have red eyes only for Warner.
February 24th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
Im with you, PL. Warner for President. He’d be a great nominee with his, uh, consensus building skills. Yeah, that’s it. His consensus building. My opinion has NOTHING to do with his being totally hot.
And, by the way, it so happens the City of New Orleans has free wifi, apparently throughout downtown, the Central Business District, and uptown. Who knew?
February 24th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
#2: Allah awaits with 70 Virginians.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Yay, PL!! I’m alllll up on the Warner bandwagon, myself.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Hillary?
February 24th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
I hope this “grin and grab” (or is it grab and grin?), doesn’t come back years from now to embarrass either of you. But, having seen the prices offered for photos of Bush and Jack Abrahamoff, I’ve saved a copy just in case. . .
February 24th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Hillary ’08 the rest is silliness. (trying.to.keep.it.short)
February 24th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
He’s hot? Really? Looks kinda froggy to me.
And GIM, stop trying to bait us with that Hillary crap.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
I don’t get the hot part either, but then again I thought James Traficant was a hottie.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
He looks like Joe Montana.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Hey E,
Is that same smile as the one with Biden? Just wondering?
February 24th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
In the first picture he looks like he’s some beefed-up guy from a Ripped Fuel GNC commercial hellbent on getting his next ‘roid fix. That or Joe Montana.
Also note that we learn from the second picture that he always looks you straight in the crotch when shaking your hand. Now that’s class.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
I’m flashing my token “I’m in the presence of greatness and my smile is shaking” smile.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
You should have told him “Is that a nomination in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
February 24th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
As long as he promises to make John Edwards the AG, then I’m with him.
February 24th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
John Edwards, VP.
February 24th, 2006 at 2:40 pm
Pink Lady, good work. As a good Democrat (as opposed to all those bad Democrats), I think Mark Warner is what we need to compete in 08. His line about the problem with the previous strategy of targeting 16 states and hoping like hell that Ohio or Florida fall Democrat, is right on. The nominee has to appeal to a broader audience. Do we think all of these folks watching Jon Stewart who will soon be voting are looking to the past, ahem, Hillary? As a Texan, I appreciate that Democrats in the “red” states could actually be proud to have our nominee come to town. With Warner that would be possible, ask the folks in Virgnia. Hillary in Texas? Other than to tap trial lawyers for money? Go Warner.
February 24th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
I noticed Barbara Schief, who now works for the Comptroller’s office, in the background of that first picture. Oooops — busted while on state time!
February 24th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Hillary-Jeb showdown in ’08. No one can compete organizationally. Just like GWB, both will have the 50-state infrastructure to make it past the NH primary when some wild card (Warner? McCain?) pulls the massive win. Stick Richardson, Napolitano or Bredesen on ticket, and as JFK used to say, “daddy told me he didn’t want to pay for a landslide.”
February 24th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
I beg to differ. Gore f*cked up and Bush won. Kerry was stiffer than Gore. Folks believed, and this is very understandable, that Bush had his head on straight regarding homeland security and terrorism. Post Katrina and now with Iraq not working out so well, it’s a new deal. Look for voters, and Iowa caucus participants, to look for someone with credibility, competence, experience at management, and who is not a Bush, or a Clinton. We’re not a two family monarchy.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Shriz-noat, JCBT, can you rewrite that to make it funny. Thanks.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Warner is good, Feingold is better.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Do we really want to spend four years reading about the President’s husband skirt chasing every piece of ass from California to New York? And I love the guy.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
#25, uhhhh yes? Compared to what we’ve been reading for the past 6, yes, whoremongering and blue-dress-staining would be quite enticing. I’m positive that most of the rest of the world would rather hear about who Bill is “interning” than which of their countries Jeb is planning on “liberating.”
February 24th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Tell me Feingold isn’t getting all that ass.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
I don’t even see why that’s such a bad thing now that I think about it. Hell, in Italy, Berlusconi openly has sex during their press conferences. It’s called a press junket over there if I’m not mistaken, yet here it’s called a scandal. Go figure. I think he even just ran on a platform that he wouldn’t have sex between now and election day. (http://trishwilson.typepad.com/blog/2006/01/italys_berlusco.html) Why can’t we get any of that over here?
February 24th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
Feingold getting all that ass, oy vey. I loved Bill, but there are consequences for having him in the White House…like losing Congress and the White House. No, it is time to move forward. Feingold getting all that ass, now that’s funny.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
And if Jeb wins, hello Mexico. Time to drink and hang out on a beach for a while.
February 24th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
And for the record, Feingold only gets the leftover ass that the ex-gigolo won’t take. It’s hideous.
February 24th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Hillary needs to keep her knappy ass OUT of the election if she truly cares about the D’s winning. There are too many Independents who will vote for McCain over Hillary. Clean house!
February 24th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
Good luck finding a candidate who will say that at all, much less to someone’s face (read: crotch). Can a blog comment run for president? If so, I say we support the nomination of #33. Only so long as #33 looks voters straight in the crotch when it shakes their hand or kisses their baby.
February 24th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Noitall, I’ve said it before that you get it. Warner can work with all Americans. No both sides of the aisle bullsh*t, all Americans. Competence in government.
February 24th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
I’m from Norfolk (VA), and in a land where Robertson and Falwell reign supreme—not to mention both Georges, Allen and W.— for Warner to succeed so well and leave Richmond to an even more liberal successor (Tim Kaine, that creepy looking guy who did the SOTU response), I think the Democrats could not do better than Warner. GO WARNER ’08!
February 24th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Something funny from the thing – Dave McNeely showed up with a sports coat, kept a recorder running for Warner’s talk, and took tons of notes. Gardner Selby showed up in some piece of shit windbreaker and wrote on a napkin.
Worst. Columnist. Swap. Ever.
February 24th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
he could use a little of that acne medication, but he’s pretty damn cute.
e, come on, fess up – it is the same smile as the biden shot. same exact smile. you finally got photoshop, didn’t you?
February 24th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
I live in rural, Southwest Virginia and I can tell you the main reason he’s a Democrat popular in this part of the nation is he didn’t forget us in Richmond! He was always here introducing the arrival of new jobs or technology opportunities. Can you imagine if he went to the Rust Belt and told them about how he aims to in-source tons of tech jobs to rural communities? How could voters in Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states resist?! Will some Republicans who’ve never voted Democrat vote for Hillary? No. Will some Republiacns who’ve never voted Democrat vote for Warner. Yes!
February 25th, 2006 at 2:54 am
I do not thinK Hillery has a brain she comes across as a complete idiot we need a female president who doesn’t act like Hitler!
February 25th, 2006 at 6:54 am
You know, Warner might even do some real work on the gulf coast on Katrina recovery. Now let’s get the yankee Ds on board.
February 25th, 2006 at 9:41 am
#22……….**I beg to differ. Gore f*cked up and Bush won.**
I’ll go along with gore screwing up, but Bush didn’t win, jeb promised him Florida, and Gore screwed up by not demanding the process be properly followed.
#41 may have been elected, but I don’t buy #43 having ever been: FL or OH votes…….. They were spayed and neutered, inotherwords, fixed.
February 25th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
Warner will be the next president.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/24/17590/5069
Join the new Austin meetup. We’ll be drinking margaritas and listening to live music on South Congress for First Thursday – March 2nd @ 5:30pm at El Sol y La Luna.
http://democrat.meetup.com/934/
February 26th, 2006 at 9:50 am
Love your site since I found it from Megite Gossip at http://www.megite.com/index.php?section=gossip
February 26th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
If beer has taught us nothing, it is that Bud couldn’t win Bud Bowls on good lucks and favorable advertising. It took discipline, and watered down taste.
Look, which was the last candidate nominated for President on platform? Outside the Natural Law Party? McGovern! So take your Jeb-Hillary contest like good citizens. 50-state organization and money wins nominations, not ideology (Feingold/Allen), platitudes (Biden/Pataki), ass-grabbing (Guiliani), straight talk (McCain) or a fine stemwinder (hmm…).
Great ticket: Feinstein/Feingold — A Fein Ticket.
February 26th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
The funny thing about the 50 state organization concept is that it is a myth. Warner is disciplined. I heard his speech and met him recently and was very impressed. I had met Bill Clinton before and after being elected and no one is going to sell ice cream to eskimos like he can, but that is ok. I think we are looking forward if we go with Warner. I’m thinking we will need to figure out a way to not have on the ticket as VP. Even that would alienate too many voters in key battleground states.
February 26th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Not have Hillary on the ticket as VP. I really should edit before I hit the “say it” box, not after.
Natural Law party, oy.
February 26th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Also, Texas Populist from Daily Kos gets it.
February 27th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
PL, do you always go under the right arm?
February 27th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
It’s my best side – under the right arm of a powerful man.
February 27th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
If Warner can nail an undergrad at the W&L mock convention in 2008 like Clinton did back in the day then he’s got my vote…
February 28th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
No Democrat in their right mind would attend a convention at Washington & Lee.