Breaking: Senator Jim Webb [D-VA] will not seek reelection. Open seat 2012

[bobbyw24]

Here is Webb's statement:

"Five years ago this week, on February 8, 2006, I announced my intention to run for the United States Senate. We had neither campaign funds nor a staff. We were challenged in a primary, and trailed the incumbent in the general election by more than 30 points in the polls.

Over the next nine months we focused relentlessly on the need to reorient our national security policy, to restore economic fairness and social justice, and to bring greater accountability in our government. I will always be grateful for the spirit and energy that was brought into this campaign by thousands of loyal and committed volunteers. Their enthusiasm and sheer numbers were truly the difference in that election.

http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/c.jsp?item=http%3a%2f%2fvoices.washingtonpost.com% 2fvirginiapolitics%2f2011%2f02%2fwebb_wont_run_for _reelection_i_mobile.xml&cid=578815

[Aratus]

are we running someone?

[bobbyw24]

That's what i wanna know.

Guess Allen is the main GOP guy

http://www.georgeallen.com/news

[Nic]

are we running someone?

There are no good candidates to declare yet. Seems to be a choice of either George Allen or Jamie Radtke on the Republican side. Neither of them excite me. Allen is a known quantity while Radtke has the Tea party support, but she's all over the board depending on who she thinks her audience is at the time. I think this would be a prime opportunity to get behind a good liberty candidate.

[sparebulb]

Here is Webb's statement:

"Five years ago this week, on February 8, 2006, I announced my intention to run for the United States Senate. We had neither campaign funds nor a staff. We were challenged in a primary, and trailed the incumbent in the general election by more than 30 points in the polls.

Over the next nine months we focused relentlessly on the need to reorient our national security policy, to restore economic fairness and social justice, and to bring greater accountability in our government. I will always be grateful for the spirit and energy that was brought into this campaign by thousands of loyal and committed volunteers. Their enthusiasm and sheer numbers were truly the difference in that election.

http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/c.jsp?item=http%3a%2f%2fvoices.washingtonpost.com% 2fvirginiapolitics%2f2011%2f02%2fwebb_wont_run_for _reelection_i_mobile.xml&cid=578815

The SOB helped to give us plenty of that. I hope we can find a suitable candidate.

[SteveBierfeldt]

Jamie Radkte is not someone to be supported. She is 100% in line with the foreign policy of the Bush Administration. (Not that Allen is any better)

Upon asking her personally at a meeting, "It seems like you want to talk about cutting domestic spending but are fine with spending billions more regarding our foreign policy" her response was, "listen... I know who you work for..." (meaning Ron Paul She did not want to hear it.

Underwhelming individual with little experience and even less philosophical foundation. She should not be supported under any circumstances.

[erowe1]

The best guy we could run would probably be Ken Cuccinelli, who was elected Virginia's AG in 2010 and had RP's endorsement. The question is, can a Republican beat Allen in the GOP primary.

[Nic]

I don't think Cuccinelli is electable. He really turned a lot of moderates and independents off with his anti-gay proclamations. I voted for him for AG, but I know I won't vote for him for any office ever again.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I think our movement is going about this the entirely wrong way. We have a blueprint in front of us that we can copy, that actually worked, and that actually supplanted a tyrannous government, namely -- Committees of Correspondences, and Committees of Safety. We need to get as many persons into local and state Governments and start forming these, working with others throughout the states who agree with liberty and libertarian philosophy. I think that will be our best shot. We should be trying to popularize secession and independence.

[Zap!]

I don't think Cuccinelli is electable. He really turned a lot of moderates and independents off with his anti-gay proclamations. I voted for him for AG, but I know I won't vote for him for any office ever again.

He also turned a lot of conservatives on with his proclamations.

[Nic]

He also turned a lot of conservatives on with his proclamations.

They were already behind him because he has an 'R' next to his name.

[erowe1]

They were already behind him because he has an 'R' next to his name.

Well, winning the Republican primary would be the first step anyway. Can we do better than Cuccinelli? And if we could, would whoever that is have a better chance of winning the primary?

And why do people care what he thinks about homosexuality anyway? That's like the people who care if RP believes in evolution.

[Nic]

Well, winning the Republican primary would be the first step anyway. Can we do better than Cuccinelli? And if we could, would whoever that is have a better chance of winning the primary?

And why do people care what he thinks about homosexuality anyway? That's like the people who care if RP believes in evolution.

Right now I don't see any real friends of liberty that would have a chance of winning. Cuccinelli is in the same camp as Radtke on a majority of the issues. His only real claim to fame is being on the right side of repealing health care legislation. He's in favor of having tax payers pay for high school students to take AP tests while in AP classes and in favor of the government dictating that schools remove sexual orientation from their anti-discrimination policies. That tells me he's got big government leanings and I don't want any parts of him having a vote in the senate.

[Rothbardian Girl]

Well, winning the Republican primary would be the first step anyway. Can we do better than Cuccinelli? And if we could, would whoever that is have a better chance of winning the primary?

And why do people care what he thinks about homosexuality anyway? That's like the people who care if RP believes in evolution.

Well, we don't know how many steps this guy will take, if any, to try to force his view on the populace. At least with Ron, we can trust that he would not do something like that.

[erowe1]

Well, we don't know how many steps this guy will take, if any, to try to force his view on the populace. At least with Ron, we can trust that he would not do something like that.

But does knowing his view on homosexuality indicate anything about forcing something on the populace? Has the pro-homosexuality crowd shown itself to be less inclined to force its views on the populace than the anti-homosexuality crowd? My observation has been the exact opposite.

[Zap!]

They were already behind him because he has an 'R' next to his name.

Perhaps, but paleo-cons like myself like his statement, and also hate neo-cons.

[Epic]

You guys are missing the elephant in the room.

At the 2010 Virginia Tea Party Convention, Virginia state house member Bob Marshall announced that he supported Ron Paul in 2008.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/prince_william_republican_del.html


Support from activists who identify with the tea party would be critical for Marshall if he ends up running again for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2012, when he would likely face Allen. Some of Marshall's supporters were peeved that Allen was given a prime spot at the convention, addressing national policy issues alongside Cuccinelli, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)

Marshall ran for the Republican nomination in 2008, losing by less than 1 percent of the vote at the 2008 state convention to former governor Jim Gilmore, who went on to get walloped in November by Sen. Mark Warner (D).

So four years ago, he lost the R nomination by a point. Let's get it done this time. The only bad thing about Marshall is that he's way too anti-gay. On the bright side, he is also the author of Virginia's Health Care Freedom Act.

[Zap!]

You guys are missing the elephant in the room.

At the 2010 Virginia Tea Party Convention, Virginia state house member Bob Marshall announced that he supported Ron Paul in 2008.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/prince_william_republican_del.html



So four years ago, he lost the R nomination by a point. Let's get it done this time. The only bad thing about Marshall is that he's way too anti-gay.

That's good news.

[Nic]

You guys are missing the elephant in the room.

At the 2010 Virginia Tea Party Convention, Virginia state house member Bob Marshall announced that he supported Ron Paul in 2008.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/prince_william_republican_del.html



So four years ago, he lost the R nomination by a point. Let's get it done this time. The only bad thing about Marshall is that he's way too anti-gay. On the bright side, he is also the author of Virginia's Health Care Freedom Act.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how he's any different than Allen or Radtke. I wish I had a good answer as far as who would be a good candidate, but I really don't. I really like James Quigley, but he hasn't indicated that he has any interest in running.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

How about Patrick Henry? :p I am dead serious, Patrick Henry Sellers that is.