I don't get it?

[FSogol]

Why did Leslie Byrne get more votes than Chap Peterson. He seems like the much better candidate. Was it simply a name recognition contest?

:shrug: :shrug: :shrug:

[rainy]

1. I don't know but some of VA is voting on those new dibold

machines

[abluelady]

2. Could It Be Chap is more conservative

and the Dems voting are tired of Republican Lites? even in VA? Was Chap from Richmond? She comes from Northern VA where there were probably more voters.

[FSogol]

6. Chap is also from No. VA. (NT)

[magnolia]

3. Leslie is the most....

...liberal of all the candidates (Lt. Gov). Even the Richmond Free Press (an African American newspaper) endorsed her over Baskerville who was the favorite in Richmond. It's a good thing that Leslie won!

Leslie came to a lot of our Kerry/Edwards events last summer. She was there for Kerry and said to not even think about her until after the presidential election. I've seen her with Kaine and they are very good together and clearly like and respect each other. I think the three of them will make a good team.

T - Tim
L - Leslie
C - Creigh

[beachmom]

4. Union Votes

I read in the Virginian Pilot that she had full union support, and they tend to get their people out to vote in disproportionate numbers. I thought Chap was going to win, too, and even voted for him despite my reservations on his voting record on abortion. On all other issues I thought he was great -- he would have had a good chance defeating right wing extremist Bolling. Leslie Byrne is more right for me on the issues, but I feel like she is too liberal for the state. For many people where I live, if the candidate isn't "pro-life", they won't even consider voting for them. Nevertheless, it will be nice to actually vote for a pro-choice candidate in this state -- I'm a transplant here and in this bizarro world of Virginia, the Democrats are often times more conservative than Republicans up North!

[FSogol]

5. You are right...

Most Democrats are moderates in VA. While Chap is more moderate than liberal, I feel he would have appealed to more voters than Byrne will. Chap would have helped Kaine's ticket, Byrne (while a good delegate) will drag it down.

While Chap is moderate, he always sided with the party.

[EastCoastWest]

9. first post....

This is my first post on DU. I wanted to make this a new post but apparently I am not able to so. If someone out there can make it a new post I would appreciate it.

My girlfriend volunteered yesterday to work a voting station for Chap Peterson's campaign. She happened to be stationed at the same Virginia Beach station that Republican delegate Leo Wardrup was at trying to drum up votes (sorta). If you are not familiar with this Virginia Beach race, Wardrup was running against Delceno C. Miles, a female black republican. Instead of handing out literature claiming why he was the best candidate for the job, Wardrup decided to be slick and attempt to trick black voters into for voting for Viola Baskerville in the Democratic Party primary. At least this is what I can gather from this handout my girlfriend was given.

[beachmom]

14. Hi Eastcoastwest!

I'm fairly new to DU, too. Interesting story. Primaries are weird, since such a tiny minority of the state determines the destiny of the parties. Looks like the Bakersville plot in VB was unnecessary, since Byrnes, a bona fide liberal, won anyway. Or do you think that the rascist vote is still rather high in Virginia?

[Catchawave]

16. Hi beachmom and eastcoastwest.....

Welcome to DU to both of you :hi:

[magnolia]

7. I'm a transplant too.

I've been here 15 years. When I first moved here I told my friends back in Michigan that in Virginia even the Democrats are Republican!

[abluelady]

8. Any Born in VA Dems

Another transplant here! Wonder if Dems were born in VA! Maybe they were but were too scared to admit it. Now is the time for all Dems to come forth. We need you more than ever.

[swimboy]

10. Made in Virginia

I am a Democrat born in Virginia. I was born a Republican, however. Ronald Reagan made me a Democrat!

[FSogol]

11. I was born in Falls Church and live in Burke. NT

[vademocrat]

12. Born and bred Democrat here

...always have been, always will be.

I grew up in a very politically active democratic family here in VA - Ronald Raygun and the rise of the christofascists has hurt the dems in VA over the last 20 years.

[EastCoastWest]

13. Dem in Virginia

i was born in Newport News...lived here my entire life

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

15. Welcome to DU, EastCoastWest. I was also born and grew up in

Newport News. Went to Ferguson H.S. then onto ODU (OK, Norfolk). I'm in Richmond, now. Come from a family of Dems.

[Penndems]

22. Born in Arlington, raised in Fairfax County, live in Woodbridge

Twelfth generation Virginian, five generations in Fairfax County.

[abluelady]

24. Feeling Mor Comfortable

How nice to see so many VA born Dems. Now we all have to work together to turn VA Blue!

[VaYallaDawg]

21. You were basically right, magnolia!

However, we have to take every little victory we can claim. A repeat Dem in the Gov's. mansion would be soooo sweet!! And Tim Kaine is just as good-hearted and level-headed as he comes across in those TV spots.

[nerddem]

17. hmm...i don't know

i would like byrne to win, but i just don't think it can happen statewide. yeah, she did come back from forced retirement to win her senate seat, but we're talking about fairfax, here. chap's proven he can win in a republican district (he beat a LONG TIME incumbent two elections ago) and puckett would shore up support in southwest which was the key to warner's victory.
she may get 45%, but bolling will successfully play the taxes and gays cards.
kaine, like gore, was basically handed an election to lose (warner is his clinton to follow), so the real way he'd lose would be to shoot himself in the foot, which he's done a few times already.
i like creigh, i've met him a few times. he has an a+ rating from the nra, compared to mcdonnell, who has a b, which is a good asset in an ag race.

[swimboy]

18. Byrne's Win

Welcome to DU, Nerddem.

It's time to let the democrats be democrats. I voted for the person I'd most like to see in office. If we elevate only the safest candidates most palatable to a majority of republicans we lose. Moan for a day or two (quietly) and then start to work for the ticket.

[redsoxdem]

19. Leslie Byrne Deserved It

I'm a Richmond resident who supported Chap because he was a moderate and I thought Chap would balance the ticket regionally and politically, but my heart was and will always be with Leslie Byrne. She has been a very lonely voice always supporting environmental issues for years at the state capitol, and she deserves to be our candidate and she deserves our vote in November.

[Stewie]

20. Better candidate

I voted for Viola, but Byrne beat Peterson because A) He was too conservative and B) He spent the last few days trying to boost turnout in just his House District, while the other candidates were trying to get their affiliated groups out.

[beachmom]

23. Thanks for the welcome Catchawave!

I really like this Virginia forum -- it should be helpful this year since there isn't a lot of coverage for the election, even in the newspaper.

Anyway, interesting insights on Byrne. In the end, if Petersen was so "electable", he would have won the primary. I'm over it. Looking forward to hearing more about Leslie Byrne. If Tim Kaine wins, she may win, too.