Warner decides not to run again.
Five-term Senator, John Warner (R-VA) has announced that he will not seek a sixth term. While Virginia has long been a Republican or "Red" state, recent Democratic success have turned it decidedly "purple". Who will run? I'd like to see Mark Warner run. Should be yet another interesting race to watch...
7 Responses to “Virginia up for grabs?”
Senator Warner is a good mad. Even though he's Republican, I sort of hate to see him go.
I would think that Mark Warner would be an excellent Democratic candidate and would be tough to beat.
I mean Senator Warner is a good man.
Oh, and since Mark Warner essentially lives in DC, he wouldn't have too many opportunities to go tapping his foot in airport layovers.
I think John Warner is a good guy too.
I mean, how bad could he be - he was married to Liz Taylor, after all!
who wasn't been married to Liz Taylor?
from Wikipedia:
Taylor has been married eight times to seven husbands:
Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (May 6, 1950 - January 29, 1951) (divorced)
Michael Wilding (February 21, 1952 - January 26, 1957) (divorced)
Michael Todd (February 2, 1957 - March 22, 1958) (widowed)
Eddie Fisher (May 12, 1959 - March 6, 1964) (divorced)
Richard Burton (March 15, 1964 - June 26, 1974) (divorced)
Richard Burton (again) (October 10, 1975 - July 29, 1976) (divorced)
John Warner (December 4, 1976 - November 7, 1982) (divorced)
Larry Fortensky (October 6, 1991 - October 31, 1996) (divorced)
Both Warners (John & Mark) are beloved by Virginians of pretty much both parties. One thing interesting to note: Mark Warner only lost to John Warner in the 1996 Senate race by 5%. Since then, he won the governor's mansion and was a massively popular governor.
I'm not sure John Warner could have beaten Mark, and even if he had it would have been a real rough and tumble race, not exactly the kind of experience your average 80 year old man wants to go through.
Knowing that, it was a true "mark" of class for Mark Warner to politely not say anything about his intentions (and actually to say he will not run if John does) up to this point. That makes it seem like John Warner went out fully of his own accord and that it had nothing to do with a potential tough challenge or loss to Mark.
Don't see that kind of cross party classy cooperation in much of America anymore.
As someone who traveled around the country spreading the good word about Gov. Mark Warner in our Draft Mark Warner 2008 Presidential effort I am a bit torn right now.
There is no Republican in Virginia that can beat him, period.
However, I think Warner would bring great balance to any Democratic Presidential ticket.
Mark has said a number of times that he like the executive office much more that the legislative. I would hate to see him run and win in the Senate for the wrong reasons and end up off the 08 Presidential ticket.
This may be true about Warner's interest - but honestly he would be better for the cause as a member of the Senate.
60 votes in the Senate and a Democratic President, and we gain the power to reverse the damage the GOP has done to the country without interference. It would be best to do this in a way that NATO did post-Cold War (e.g., don't worry guys, you're all still important), but if we need to set up an elephant graveyard to get them on board first, no skin off my nose.
And Chris, I have no interest in "classy" cross-party cooperation. If incumbents are colluding to keep their power at the expense of facing true public opinion, that in my mind is *bad* for democracy. It is no better than radical redistricting to buffer against public sentiment.
This is America. Ideally, power conveys no priviledge, and such perogatives it produces are totally contingent upon our consent.
Now, if it was just a courtesy to provide Warner with the "unchallenged career in public service," blah blah blah and other fragile Republican ego stroking apparently required with Warner knowing the full score, sure I guess that's okay.