Is Mark Warner vulnerable?

Is Mark Warner vulnerable in his bid for the U.S. Senate seat?

The press build-up of Warner has provided a protective bubble around him since his days as governor of Virginia.

After all, how else could he have gotten away with saying he would not raise our taxes, even going so far as to say, "You can ask me 20 more times and I will still say I won't raise taxes," and not be held accountable by the press when he pushed through the largest tax increase in Virginia history? How did he live to see another political day?

Without the press protecting him, how else was he able to veto an off-shore oil drilling bill for Virginia while Governor ... but not be held accountable for it now that he is running for higher office? At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, he is now trying to suggest that he is for off-shore drilling. Read the fine print ... no, he's not ... but the press does not hold him accountable for it.

How else has Mark Warner been successful in spinning his record in the Governor's Mansion without being questioned by sharp-eyed reporters? While Jim Gilmore tries to set the record straight, the media turn a blind eye to it and continue to build up Warner.

But even with the media's help ... is Mark Warner vulnerable? Could he be defeated in November by Jim Gilmore, whom many have written off?

After seeing Warner in Staunton on Thursday, I believe the answer is "yes."

First, the newspapers built up Warner's appearance in Staunton as if the queen herself was arriving. Twenty-four hours in advance, they blocked off parking on the street where the event was to take place. The day of the event they closed the entire block to traffic. Why block parking the day before, which was a huge disruption to downtown shoppers because I was there and heard the grumbling, when the entire street was going to blocked off anyway? And by blocking parking one day and then the entire street the next, traffic to those local shops was disrupted.

Second, the turnout was low after such a build-up. When I saw the entire street blocked off, I was expecting a hoard of people, figuring the Democrat phone banks had been working overtime to turn out supporters for this all-important event. Only about 50-75 people showed up, and some of those were curious on-lookers and others were the local Democrat activists including Unit chairs who show up at everything. After the build-up in the newspaper, to have so few show up was interesting. If Warner is so popular, why didn't more ordinary citizens turn out?

The city of Staunton seemed to roll out the red carpet for this guy -- street blocked off, police officers on standby, Woodrow Wilson Pierce-Arrow taken out of mothballs to drive the man around town, Blackfriars' actors dressed in costume to welcome him to the theater, musicians on the street entertaining supporters before his arrival. Why? And should we expect equal treatment when our Republican candidates come to town? After all, Jim Gilmore is a former governor of Virginia, too.

Reports from Warner's Rockbridge Fair appearance were the same ... only a dozen or so supporters turned out to greet him. Even though Jim Gilmore was not there, his supporters equaled those for Warner.

Woodrow Wilson Birthplace is a tax-payer entity and, yet, they allowed a political event to take place in their ranks. As a taxpayer who supports the Republican candidate and whose tax money is used to support that tourist attraction, I want to know why they allowed a political event to take place on their grounds. (Warner went there after his speech on Beverley Street.)

So my question would be ... is the Virginia press corps building up Mark Warner to keep him in that protective bubble of illusion to the public causing a perception that he is bigger and better than he really is?

The Waynesboro News-Virginian had a front page story complete with two photos -- one large, one small -- both in color. I feel certain Staunton was equally favorable toward the Democrat nominee.

Since many in the mainstream media are not interested in exposing Mark Warner for his dismal record on taxes and his veto of off-shore drilling, it will be up to the Virginia bloggers and citizens to get the word out to voters.

The citizens of Virginia cannot afford to have Mark Warner representing us in Washington. We are in an uphill battle against the media and money. However, in the words of Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, we can be outspent ... but not out-worked.

Jim Gilmore for U.S. Senate 2008
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl