While Susan Allen called for moderation on social issues, others — including outspoken minister E.W. Jackson, who lost the race for lieutenant governor last month — urged fellow conservatives to defend the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and stand strong opposing abortion. Others affirmed the party’s decision to select its candidate for the U.S. Senate next year at a convention rather than in a primary — a decision likely to result in a more-conservative nominee who might struggle to defeat incumbent Mark R. Warner (D) in increasingly moderate Virginia.
Susan Allen had more advice for the GOP:
Allen, whom some Republicans would like to see run for office in her own right, made the most-outspoken call for change — even as she opened with an anecdote pleasing to a conservative, gun-rights crowd. She made some of the toughest public comments of any Republican to date about a gifts scandal surrounding Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), saying, “It saddens me, it sickens me to think that our state, our party, is a party lacking in integrity and ethics.”
And she suggested that the GOP should become more welcoming to those who support same-sex marriage and abortion rights.
“There are good people on all sides of all of our social issues,” she said. “Not just on female reproductive rights but on gay marriage. There are good people. And I think if we are a party made up of a majority of Christians, as Christians aren’t we taught to be open-minded and love one another, even if we disagree?”
Apparently there were a lot of people who turned a deaf ear. I suppose the fundamental problem is that she is asking some people to stop being who they really are. The problem for those people is that they are not going to win elections outside state delegate. The way things are gerrymandered, they will continue to win elections for a while. Then the fun will be over.
Prince William County is a perfect example of the gerrymandering. 8 delegates serving one county? There are almost as many state senators. When Republicans challenge popular senators like Warner, who made lots of friends from both sides of the aisle while Governor of Virginia, unless they lean towards the middle, they probably will not win.
E.W. Jackson simply won’t win. Nothing would make Warner any happier than to have Jackson as an opponent. Perhaps Virginia Republicans need to heed Susan Allen’s pragmatic advice.
http://www.billbolling.com/2013/10/02/bolling-is-correct-foia-exemptions-need-to-be-examined/
I understand Eric Cantor echoed Allen’s comments.
He was part of the problem. Now he seeks to be the solution. Whatever way the wind blows, ERic.
Certainly Jackson wouldn’t get a senate nod from the GOP…although after our last convention I suppose it is possible. Warner would make hash out of him.
There’s nothing wrong with looking at the foia exemptions but I can’t believe exemptions would be removed. I haven’t conducted a thorough inventory but the only time we go into closed session is pretty much personnel or legal matters….
Far too many people think they are entitled to confidential information about others. I don’t understand what they want to change. Can anyone help me out?
I hate to continue on this FOIA think as I suspect there will be others who disagree with me but if you want to see a place that needs some open meeting rules, look across the river. Almost every article I read about Congress talks about this or that meeting “behind closed doors”. I think that’s bs. At the City level, all of our budget meetings are public. Even the tough ones….I think we would get much better results from Congress if they had to follow the rules that I do.
I don’t disagree.
In the county, there is insider information and then sub insider information.
@Moon-howler
Like a buoy in a storm!
@Moon-howler
Where was Bolling when we had pimples? Nothing like rolling a grenade in the door as you leave.
I guess he didn’t like getting screwed over by the radial component of his own party….
One definition of idiocy: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results each time. Another convention vice an open primary = idiocy.