West Virginia read Kimberley Strassel @ WSJ Cap and Trade Returns From The Grave.
Public Policy Polling released a survey late this afternoon that indicates Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito as the front runner for Governor. She is not expected to enter the contest. Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin captures the front runner status with Capito out of the race. The results provide an updated insight to where such a race would stand today. To learn more click on the above link.
Balanced Federal Budget was the topic of a Center Right Coalition seminar organized by Delegate John Overington…..a national authority on a limited convention for a balanced budget amendment explained…..32 states have completed a Call on Congress directing it to convene a convention…..maybe WV political insiders may get to practice with a convention to nominate party candidates for Governor.
Talk about federal spending…..a North Carolina reader sent along a LINK that brilliantly and simply explains how overspent the government is…..this great visual was created by a college student…..maybe Obama will show it during TSOU speech!!!!!
TIME TO REDRAW congressional and LEGISLATIVE DISTICTS…..it is not done in Washington ….it’s done in the states….mostly in the legislature….mapmakers were in Washington this weekend for training by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
WV redistricting is to be done this summer in a special legislative session…..while it is possible political parties are holding conventions…..to nominate the candidates for Governor…..or at least engaged in a hot contest to become Chief Executive Officer…..don’t make vacation plans…..you won’t want to miss a minute.
Speaker John Boehner has established a direct email address. It’s SpeakerBoehner@mailhouse.gov.
How did I miss this one…..Justice Robin Davis husband hosted a fund raiser…..a while back for Treasurer John Perdue…..guess if he runs Justice Davis will not…..or at least without her husband’s funds.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT….Charleston Gazette columnist Phil Kabler says “…..if I had to go to Vegas today and place an early bet on the Oct. 4 election, my money would be on former Republican secretary of state Betty Ireland.”
Ronald Wilson Reagan’s centennial Birthday is this year…..a special Ronald Reagan Commemorative section of USA TODAY has a piece by Mitt Romney.
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN is trying to return order to the affairs of government…..he returned to his Senate chair this morning…..word is he will offer legislation for a WEST VIRGINIA DAY primary election and an October election for Governor…..this will not be the last word as senior legislative players angle for what works to their advantage…..which could be a party convention…..as current law provides…..stay tuned.
It could be the Year of the Woman in this election…..Natalie Tennant vs. Betty Ireland…..if the boys don’t get their act together…..and what about Justice Robin Davis…..she stayed out of the Supreme Court consideration of this election issue…..saying she might seek statewide office in 2012…..with the financial resources at her disposal…..2012 could turn into 2011…..if there is a primary.
Never discount Jim Lees in a Governor’s race…..ask Sen. Manchin what happen in the 1996 primary when Lees entered…..and recall he was a last minute entry in 2004 Democrat primary…..Lees offered an op-ed piece about the current “crisis”…..as only he can do…..THIS IS A MUST READ.
The Republican field for Governor may get bigger…..a draft John Raese effort has been launched…..details were printed in The Dominion Post…..owned by Raese…..conservative GOP workers…..and Tea Party activists are at the ready…..from his recent Senate campaign.
Candidates for Governor…..at least three were actively working the receptions before the WVU-Marshall basketball game…..Governor Tomblin…..and the two SOS women…..Natalie Tennant and Betty Ireland…..there must have been others working in their own quite circles.
Sen. Clark Barnes appears to be running his campaign for Governor…..from the Senate floor questioning what has taken place since January 12th…..and in the Charleston newspapers which is heavily covering the ongoing hangover in the Senate.
Using the same tactic is House Speaker Thompson also a candidate for Governor…..he is attacking Governor Tomblin in the Charleston media…..all the while Senate revolt leader Jeff Kessler must be wondering what happen when Senate President Tomblin showed up to convene the Senate.
POLITICO carried a statement regarding the plans of Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. It makes interesting reading and speculation.
We have an unnecessary crisis in state government underway. If the political parties hold a convention to nominate their candidates for Governor it will only magnify. Chaos is exactly what could happen with nearly every leader in the Legislature running for Governor. They cannot even agree on who should run the State Senate.
Political conventions and the process to convene are messy affairs. West Virginia election laws [3-5-21] clearly outline the steps. But rest assured when the interests of candidates, power and the control of state government is at stake every trick known and unknown will be used to win.
A convention must be held in each county once delegates are apportioned. There members of the political party in each magisterial district elect the specified number of delegates for the state convention.
You may recall in 2008 state Republicans held a convention rather than a primary for the presidential race. They tried to modernize the delegate process relying on voting via the Internet with a few county-level meetings. There was a huge outcry that registered Republicans were left out and this one day meeting was only for the politically active – or insiders.
Anytime a prize such as the office of Governor is at stake there will be conflict and contests. The law provides a remedy for these conflicts. A conflict within county party executive committee (more political power brokers) goes to the circuit court of the county and could end in the Supreme Court of Appeals.
All of this takes place before the state convention convenes, adopts its rules and begins the job of nominating a candidate. Now the games really begin!
I know from having organized a state political convention, managed a candidate at both a national and state convention as well as being a delegate to both.
Experience is a great teacher. We don’t need our next Governor chosen in a climate of conflict. To avoid the confusion and conflict of a convention we need to have a primary, even though I previously expressed concern over the cost of two more elections in 2011.
An old-fashion political convention was fun – however exclusive. But we need a primary that includes everyone, where all get to vote not just the politically involved.