In the exciting world of Facebook groups a new one has popped up, a closed group “Draft Nick Freitas for US Senate.” A mass email was sent out by prominent central Virginia activist Daniel Bradshaw introducing Freitas to all those are reading it. There seems to be a movement afoot to find a new and fresh alternative for the upcoming US Senate race against Tim Kaine. I don’t know how serious this effort is, if it’s just fans trying to start something or a slyly put together plan to build grassroots momentum for the young Culpeper delegate. It would be fun to ask Freitas himself if this is something he wants to do.
My pulse of the state GOP right now is we are dying for a candidate like this. The long and drawn out fights between the establishment and conservatives have taken their toll and I think both sides are quietly tired of all of it. If the endgame of all of this is Corey Stewart becoming the standard bearer for the conservatives and Eric Cantor for the establishment then we have all lost. Especially among younger Republicans there is a weariness to the infighting that has consumed us since Mark Warner lead the Democrats back in 2001. The battles have been fought by proxy on issues like convention or primary among others. It’s tiresome.
Here are the current names that have been floated around for the US Senate when it looked like there was going to be a special election if Kaine had become vice-president: Carly Fiorina, Corey Stewart, Eric Cantor, Jimmie Massie and Tom Davis. Frankly, that’s an awful list. I get the sense there is a growing unanimity between younger Republicans of all stripes that we deserve better than what we have gotten thus far from candidates. I’ve thrown as much fire from the right as anyone else but even I’m tired of fighting about conventions or Ed Gillespie.
I have no inside knowledge about Nick Freitas and my gut tells me something like this is not an accident, especially after reading the Bradshaw email. He’s plugged in, that email wouldn’t get sent on a lark. But whether he runs or not someone like him would be a breath of fresh air and much needed to move the party past the petty bickering of our elders. What will unite this party is youthfulness and energy, a candidate who understands the 21st century and not settling scores for fights from the past. The old fights are over, it’s time to start some new ones.
Personally I hope Nick Freitas runs. I don’t know him, but I know people who know him and his record thus far is outstanding. I heard him speak at the YR convention a few months back and was impressed. It would be a welcomed contrast from the rumpled eyebrow Tim Kaine, who’s spent the last five years ankle biting in the Senate and falling ass-backwards onto Hillary Clinton’s ticket. Guys like him are the past, we need fresh new leaders and new ideas.
Run Nick!
