25 April 2009

Local Coverage of Abingdon Tea Party

This article in the Washington County News estimates the attendance at Abingdon's Tea Party at 500. That's awesome for Abingdon.  Please take note of the reaction at the bottom of the page. It appears that juvenile innuendo knows no boundaries.  I'm pleased with the article itself as it reports the news, not editorialize it.

I've said, and I'll say it again. Old money and big labor is what keeps Rick Boucher in office. Don't believe me? Check out the disclosure from the last election cycle and compare with Bill Carrico. Constituent service? That's what his staff is paid for. Citizens like Jackson White, the Gunthers who own one of the county's largest farms, and others like them keep Boucher's war chest well padded and they simply turn out the vote when it matters.  (By the way, Boucher took $1000 from Steven Ballmer, then CEO of Microsoft and (of course) the maximum amount from the UMWA.

Southwest Virginia is unique. It is socially very conservative, but fiscally pretty liberal and in line with the big - government New Deal. The fact is that the elderly in this area still talk about "Franklin" like they actually knew him personally. Even those in my generation (Gen X) in this area view government either as a jobs program or a financial aid cash cow. This attitude and mindset is what typifies "Old Virginia."



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