Conservativa

Congressman Eric Cantor and AG (and candidate for Governor) Bob McDonnell shake hands at the 7th Congressional District Convention. One thing worth noting: Cantor’s name tag, which you can easily see in the original photo, shows that he is a delegate. He could have just breezed in, made a speech, and breezed out again, but he went to the trouble to apply, file, get elected as delegate, show up, and stay for the whole convention.

Photo details: Canon EOS5D, ISO 3200, 200mm, 1/100 at f/3.2.

Unfortunately, Eric Cantor did not make it into round 2, but some other good choices did. Have you voted yet? Go over to the CQ VP Madness site and place your vote in Round 2, which runs through May 12.

Some photos from the Hager-Bush wedding, at the CNN website. This looks like it was a lovely family wedding. Note the last photo (by the lake) - some good, careful flash there - just enough to light the couple but allowing the sunset colors to look natural.

Check out this exchange between Cindy McCain and reporter Ann Curry of MSNBC. Keep in mind that the McCains have one son in the military and another about to graduate from a service academy, so he will likely be active duty as well.

Ann Curry [wearing a nauseatingly condescending and pitying look]:
“You say, you want to bring them home with honor. Some people might say we just want to bring them home alive. Why is Iraq worth risking the lives of your sons, American - ”

C. McCain: “Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom from oppression. Freedom.”

Curry [puzzled] - “For…” [long pause] “…Iraqis?”

McCain: “Yes!”

Interview jumps to talking about Mrs. McCain not releasing her tax returns. (She has filed separately for their whole married life). Apparently whoever was putting together the interview segment didn’t want to pursue this “all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty…” stuff. I guess they don’t get it.

The McCains get it.

The Mark Warner education record, over at Virtucon - well worth seeing and hearing. Heh.

Over at Bearing Drift:

Jim Gilmore at 7th CD Convention

Marshall’s Monger of Doom

7th CD Convention Blogging Pt. 1

There was a contested seat on State Central. Marie Quinn and Tom Van Auken were in the running. At the 7th Congressional District Convention on Saturday, Quinn won the race by about 4 to 1. That could safely be called a landslide. A lesson is here for anyone running for office. The lesson: ask for the vote. Ask in person, of as many people as you can. Never assume you have the vote. I heard Quinn and Van Auken speak. They both sent me a couple of mailings. They talked about their accomplishments. Both had good resumes and had done a lot of work for the Party. Both could do a good job.

Here’s the difference: Quinn asked for my vote. She never assumed that it was a given. Van Auken never asked (outside of the mass-mailings). He just kept repeating his qualifications. When there are two well-qualified candidates for a position, people examining the candidates will look for things other than what’s on the resume. An attitude of humble respect for the voters is something that pleases voters. I think Quinn was rewarded for that on Saturday.

I heard a little of what Hillary Clinton said at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner, televised, from Indianapolis. She said the troops “deserve a Commander in Chief who will bring them home.” Um, no. The troops deserve a Commander in Chief who will lead them to victory.

She also said Democrats were ready to “roll up our sleeves” and work on “solutions to the problems that are confronting us.” She meant, domestic problems.

Does she not get that the can-do approach towards working on domestic issues can also be applied to our troops? They are kinda can-do people, ya know. When led by a Commander in Chief who respects them.

Not a typo. It seems that the Shad Plank has been watching the DPV watcher who watches, with a video camera, Jim Gilmore as he campaigns. The DPV is certainly waiting for some kind of Macaca moment, but this year they may be disappointed.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling appear to have next year’s big race well in hand. Check out this post at Bearing Drift, complete with a podcast of AG McDonnell. Virginia’s Republican congressional delegation, Virginia’s party leadership, etc. have all strongly endorsed McDonnell for Governor and Bill Bolling for Lt. Governor.

Photo details: photo taken at the Shad Planking. Canon EOS5D, 45mm, ISO 400, 1/125 at f/22.

At Saturday’s Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference on Saturday, a straw poll was taken during the banquet. The room was full of conservative activists, pro-life folks, home-schoolers, etc. For Senate, here are the results (roughly 200 people voting):

Jim Gilmore: 57%
Bob Marshall: 40%

Marshall was there that day and he should have owned the room. If he couldn’t win in that room, it’s not looking good for him for the convention. Conservatives can and will support Jim Gilmore for Senate.

Two more interesting results:

1. For President, 91% voted for McCain. So much for the idea that conservatives will refuse en masse to vote for him.
2. For Attorney General:
   Cuccinelli: 85%
   Brownlee: 9%
   Harris: 6%
3. Most predictable result: for Gov., Lt. Gov., McDonnell and Bolling at 99%+.

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore was on a panel on homeland security, Saturday at the Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference in Richmond. Homeland security is a serious topic, but Gilmore approaches it with the belief that most people will respond well in a crisis, if they are well-prepared. You cannot overemphasize how important planning and preparation are, both for governments and for individual citizens.

Here is a sample of Gilmore’s work on National Security.

Photo details: Canon EOS 5D, 200mm, ISO 800, 1/100 at f/3.5.

Here Donald Huffman, chairman of the RPV during the ’80s, acknowledges the crowd at the banquet at the Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference Saturday, April 26. State Sen. Steve Martin, at left in photo, had many kind words for Huffman, and presented him with the Reagan Leadership Award. Huffman then spoke briefly, graciously thanking others who had helped and supported him along the way, including and especially his wife, who was there at the banquet.

Photo details: Canon EOS5D, ISO 800, 1/80 at f/2.8.

Be sure to see Rick Sincere’s photoblogging of the 5th District Convention. Combine Rick’s reporting and Shaun’s reporting, and you have coverage that has to have exceeded anything in the papers. Good work, guys.

Be sure to see the beautiful quilts over at Kat’s Place. This might be my favorite, but there are lots more. Just keep scrolling down. Thanks for bringing these to the Virginia blogosphere, Kat!

And, for you guys who are too tough to want to look at quilts, there are some nice pictures of a black snake, too. They’re good to have in the yard, but I wouldn’t pick one up…