Right off the bat I want to tell you this is a long article, but it is important information for voters to understand. Please read this article in its entirety before you consider posting negative comments about this information, my motives, or anything else. And please do your research; I think you’ll find this information very accurate.
If you are a Corey Stewart supporter, you may find this information upsetting to you; which is not my intention. It is meant to inform you. Please don’t be upset at me; be upset at Corey Stewart for misleading you.
After spending my entire adult life in the military and leaving in 2007, I quickly realized local politicians weren’t who they claimed to be. Corey Stewart is one of those politicians. Is it really unimaginable to ask politicians to be honest?
Everyone I talk to who follows politics in Prince William County (PWC), and are longtime residents say Corey Stewart was an honest and very respectable conservative when he got involved in politics/ran for public office. He fought for conservative principles and kept to his word. I have lived in PWC since 2004 and I actually campaigned for Mr. Stewart in Woodbridge several years ago. But something happened to him after he won re-election as the Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) in 2011. Slowly, and steadily, he started making decisions (or pushing agendas) within our County based on who was giving him campaign money. And in the last two years, Stewart has gone completely off the rails.
People are starting to take notice of Stewart’s shenanigans. Granted, Stewart came close to Ed Gillespie in the primary, but the results should not be viewed as a win for Stewart. Here’s why…
1. People were fooled right before the vote. Stewart ran a nasty, distasteful and dishonest TV ad a few days before the primary election and Gillespie foolishly did not respond. In the ad, Stewart claimed Gillespie was FOR partial birth abortion, he was FOR amnesty and he was FOR taking down Robert E. Lee statues. FACT: Ed Gillespie was endorsed by the National Right to Life folks one week before the election. As a prolife warrior, I find Stewart’s tactics to be the lowest of the low. FACT: Ed Gillespie is NOT for amnesty of illegal immigrants. He also has a lot of public statements out there being against sanctuary cities. FACT: Ed Gillespie is NOT for taking down statues. His position is local governments should decide for themselves what to do; and frankly I agree with him. Big Government shouldn’t be telling local governments what to do.
Stewart ought to be thankful that Gillespie isn’t the same kind of nasty guy he is, because if he was, he could have hit him a lot harder with an equally nasty ad. But Gillespie is not; he has class. Saying Gillespie was for partial birth abortion is equal to running an ad with Stewart surrounded by Confederate flags (which he often was) and saying he (Stewart) is a proponent of slavery and segregation.
2. PWC no longer has an actual newspaper which can be delivered on a doorstep. People have to get their local news from the internet and most do not bother. So it is difficult for the citizens of PWC to learn what is going on in the county without searching a dozen or so websites. And once again, most people do not bother.
3. Stewart never had a fact checker around him. He was able to run around the state making outrageous claims against his opponents and no one was there to contradict him. He was also able to say a whole lot of good things about himself that weren’t true. And once again, no one was there to correct the record.
4. If Stewart would have won the primary, he would have been ripped to shreds by the Democrats over all of the false claims and statements he was making. They wouldn’t have been as nice as Gillespie was and the real Corey Stewart would have been exposed for who he really is. And I believe he would have suffered a huge loss in November…we all ought to be thankful Stewart lost the primary. At least we have a chance to take back the Governor’s Mansion with Ed Gillespie.
So when it comes to all the other transgressions of Mr. Stewart, what kind of things am I talking about? I’m going to give you five reasons why people in PWC are disappointed in Corey Stewart and his (lack of) leadership.
1. Corey Stewart has turned into a tyrant on the dais. As Chairman of the BOS, he bullied an elderly supervisor into voting yes on a motion he was supporting in order to gain favor with the Muslim community. There is a portion of PWC called the “Rural Crescent”. The Rural Crescent was established by the County many years ago to fight urban sprawl. This area was supposed to be (for the most part) free of public sewer lines, traffic congestion, large commercial buildings and big housing developments.
On June 27th, there was a huge citizen turnout at the PWC BOCS meeting. The topic of the evening was whether or not to allow the building of a mosque in the Rural Crescent for the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS). The most contentious issue was denying or granting the public sewer line. This is significant because it determines the size of the building. ADAMS knew when they bought the rural land that the sewer line was against county policy but they threatened to sue if the BOCS denied it. The residents of the Rural Crescent were overwhelmingly against both. The first vote was decided unanimously in favor of allowing the mosque to be built. The second vote on sewer access failed with a 4-4 vote. Then all hell broke loose. Corey Stewart was having none of this…he was going to make sure this vote passed. He cheated by flagrantly breaking Parliamentary Procedure and the Board’s own rules, completely dismissed Supervisor Lawson’s objections, stifled debate and more. Stewart even accused the elderly supervisor of being confused and not voting the way he intended. He called for a motion to reconsider and a fellow supervisor, who was on the losing side, made the motion to reconsider. According to Roberts Rules of Order, a member on the losing side of a vote is not allowed to make a motion to reconsider. Otherwise, people who lose votes would constantly make motions to reconsider. The motion to reconsider was seconded and another vote was rammed through by Stewart. During the vote, Chairman Stewart was actually telling the elderly supervisor how to vote…he really was bullying him. The elderly supervisor acquiesced to Stewart and voted the way he was told.
Watch this video for yourself and see how the elderly supervisor talks about how he will vote against the sewer, then Stewart loses the vote and then Stewart bullies the elderly supervisor to vote his way. As soon as Stewart rammed the vote through, he bullied the other supervisors into a quick motion to adjourn. Corey is a tyrant and is unfit to be Chairman.
2. Corey Stewart runs around the state claiming how fiscally conservative he is. Well, he is ready to put into motion the biggest corporate welfare scam in PWC’s history. He is ramming through a vote this month to put the PWC taxpayer’s on the hook to finance a 6000 – 7000 seat ball stadium next to I95 in Woodbridge for a single-A baseball team. When the stadium idea surfaced in 2011, it was being fully financed by the team’s owner and the developer. At public meetings, the owner and developer announced they were putting up $65 million dollars to fund the stadium.
Fast forward to 2017, the developer is not putting up a dime, the team’s owner is only putting up a small amount and the County will sell bonds to fund the stadium on land owned by the developer. Yep, the County will own the stadium on leased land. The 77 year old owner of the team will be signing a 30 year loan from the County. If the team owner defaults, the taxpayers of PWC will be on the hook to pay the loan. In addition, selling bonds will go against the County’s credit rating. The location of the stadium couldn’t be worse. Traffic is already a nightmare directly where they will build, there is a hospital with a helipad across the street and the I95 exit from the South is very dangerous to navigate in order to get to the new location. In addition, there will most likely be an additional $30 million in infrastructure work to try to accommodate the traffic.
Mr. Stewart has taken over $140,000 in campaign contributions from the team, the team’s owner and the original developer. Watch the news this month and you can watch Mr. Stewart once again, put the screws to the taxpayers…unless he is somehow pressured out of it. Stewart is a bought and paid for politician with no scruples or moral compass.
3. Corey Stewart’s mismanagement of the County has resulted in one of the most poorly developed municipalities in the Commonwealth. Corey literally rode the housing boom of the 2000’s all the way to the bank – his campaign coffers that is. He has raised millions of dollars from real estate developers since winning the chairmanship in 2005. In return Corey has given developers the green light to build thousands of homes and apartments, far beyond what our infrastructure can handle.
Among United States counties with more 300,000 residents, Prince William County is number 17 in population growth since 2010. Its population has increased more than a 13 percent growth since the beginning of the decade, and the County last year surpassed Virginia Beach as the 2nd largest municipality in Virginia. In 2002, Prince William’s population was 310,000. In 2016, it was 455,210 and growing.
Growth is fine. That’s not the issue. The problem is Prince William’s infrastructure has never caught up with the population boom. I could go on and on about how the rapid population growth has resulted in horrible transportation and commutes, an underfunded police force, and numerous sewer and water challenges… but I’ll use education as a simple example.
It is a well-known fact that the County has the most overcrowded classrooms in the state. Corey likes to build homes, but not schools for the kids living in those homes. Prince William has experienced average growth of 1,000 to 2,000 additional students per year for the last decade, next year’s expected projection is 2,400 students. The average elementary class size is about 23 to 24 students while the average secondary school class is beyond 30, the largest in Virginia. Corey’s over-development management has forced our over-crowded schools to use outdoor trailers as classrooms. This upcoming school year, there will be more than 200 trailers in use within the County School system. This is no way to run a County.
4. Corey Stewart is a hypocrite. The big focus of Stewart’s gubernatorial campaign was to save Virginia’s heritage. He traveled all over the state telling everyone he was a fighter and he would fight against the politically correct left and the RINOs (Republican in name only). He skillfully fooled hard working everyday Virginians who care about their heritage into believing he was a fighter for them. What he didn’t tell all those everyday hard working Virginians is that last year he was making speeches in PWC and saying just the opposite.
Case in point: Mills Godwin Middle School in Dumfries, Virginia. It was named after a Virginia Governor touted for his achievements in the community college system, and just last year was renamed the George Hampton Middle School. The renaming was being pushed by people who didn’t like the school named after Godwin, who was also known for being for segregation. And guess who was a big supporter of the name change? Yep, no other than Chairman Corey Stewart!
Here is a quote from him the day of the renaming ceremony: “A lot has changed in Prince William County since 1970 – and let me tell you something – those changes, in Prince William County, have been good…I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as we’ve become safer, as we have become more educated, as we have become more prosperous, Prince William County has also become more diverse…there’s perhaps no person in the community, or perhaps in America, that represents all of that goodness and change for the good, than Dr. George Hampton,” Pictured below and circled is Corey Stewart at the renaming ceremony. Surrounded by Democrats who some would say were rewriting history. No matter how you feel about this subject, one thing is for sure, Corey Stewart lacks integrity, he lacks character and he is a huge hypocrite.
5. Corey Stewart continuously demonstrates his lack of judgment and character in his political decisions. In 2015 there was a chance for the conservatives to take a seat from a far left, tax and spend supervisor in the Woodbridge District. We had a great candidate who is an honorable family man. Instead, Corey Stewart decided he was going to have one of his political buddies run for the seat. It turns out that his “buddy” has a very, very repugnant background. Stewart’s “buddy” moved into an apartment in Woodbridge to run for the office and Stewart used his political muscle to get people to vote this guy in as the Republican candidate. Below is a snapshot of his buddy in a disgusting rap video he made on YouTube. It was made before his “buddy” ran for office. If you would like to watch what kind of people Corey Stewart endorses for public office, watch this video…
And just to be clear, Stewart did endorse this person. Below is the endorsement which was handed out the day of the primary in Woodbridge. His “buddy” won by a little over 100 votes and then went on to lose by 30 points in the general. Birds of a feather…
There may also be signs people are catching on to Stewart. His published finances on VPAP.org show a very low level of cash on hand. See the chart below. As of June 1, 2017 Stewart had just over $195,000 in his governor and Lt. governor accounts. Of course that is before he ran the nasty TV ads on Gillespie. In his supervisor account, he had only $6419 as of the end of December. I can tell you Stewart was desperate for cash in the last couple of months before the primary. I personally received approximately three emails a day from his campaign begging me for money. We’ll see where his supervisor account is in a few weeks; he has to file again on July 17th.
Conservatives in Virginia dodged a huge bullet when Corey Stewart lost the gubernatorial primary. If he would have won the primary he most definitely would have lost in the general. Stewart lost his way as a conservative and we cannot afford to nominate this guy to any higher office.
For the record, I do not wish any ill upon Corey Stewart or his family. I have known Corey for six years and he knows me. We are not friends, but we had drinks last year in Cleveland, and he can be a very charming man. Having said that, when it comes to Stewart and higher office, Virginians would be better served if he just got out of politics altogether. If he continues to fool conservatives into voting for him in the senatorial race and he becomes the Republican nominee, we will once again lose a great opportunity to send an actual conservative to the Senate. Millions of dollars will be poured into the race, the Democrats will do their homework, and Corey Stewart will be exposed for everything he’s ever done in the last fifteen years.
Virginians deserve better. ABC…Anybody but Corey!
103 comments
Question: Can Carly Fiorina win the nomination and win the general election?
I really was not enthused with either candidate but chose Stuart. But what do we now have? Ed’s platform position is ‘ do you hate the Democrat enough to vote for me’. Ed is an empty suit. There is nothing there. My answer is no.
If the Richmond City Council votes to replace the statues of Lee, Stuart and Davis on Monument Avenue with new ones of Malcolm X, Nat Turner and Warren Beatty (a Richmond native), Enron Ed’s OK with that. Never mind it’s against state law. As for Corey’s alleged skullduggery on the local level, nothing offered here is particularly impressive. As a former county supervisor, I will allow he erred on the sewer-for-the-Mosque vote. A motion for reconsideration can only be made by someone who was on the prevailing side of the vote, in this case someone who voted to deny sewer extension. The County Attorney should have pointed this out. The decision to extend can be successfully challenged in court on this point. It is also clear Supervisor Jenkins is ready for the Home and should be replaced.
[…] when he came close to beating Ed Gillespie for the Republican nomination for Governor. While Corey Stewart has his problems, he’s got a head start in running for the nomination for Senate. The Republican State Central […]
Stewart is ____
Still won’t vote for Ed.
After 35 years I’m done with the GOP
I have to agree with the author. I’m a long term resident of PWC, and I have also watched Corey Stewart change. At some point, his political aims became far more important than his honor.
Prince William County is now headed by two dictators who don’t give a damn about the people. Both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board are no longer run in a democratic manner. The Chairs act like bullies to get their way without any regard for what the people think.
Corey Stewart won’t be governor or senator because he has political ADHD. He’s for an issue as long as it gets votes and publicity, but the actual implementation of policy requires focus and follow-up, which he lacks. I wrote a column for Newsmax.com concerning a Stewart policy failure in what was formerly a central issue for him.
https://www.newsmax.com/MichaelShannon/Immigration/2015/09/18/id/692278/
Why are we posting articles like this? The primary is over and it’s too soon to focus on the 2018 Senate race. Ed G. has big challenges ahead – some are self created. He’s another weak Republican and this site would do well to unite rather than divide us.
Also see BD. I think both sites continue this anti-Stewart diatribe because they know Corey’s people will flock to the site to defend their guy, and then they will counter-attack. In other words, CLICK-BAIT for the blog.
I know, I shouldn’t fall for it. But not saying anything leaves the impression that all Republicans are now falling in line behind the daily Corey-Bash on one of these sites.
THIS IS WHY WE’RE 0-7 SINCE 2009 PEOPLE! We’re too busy refighting the primary. We should be focused now on beating Northam! 2018 Senate is too far away to worry about.
This is still important because Corey didn’t quietly go away after the election. He immediately started to campaign for the Senate. The author is correct that Corey used to be a conservative. Alas, no longer. Corey’s politics shift, depending upon who has given him the largest/most recent campaign contribution. As his ambitions rose, his ethics fell. This is important to know whether he is running Governor, the Senate, or the Board of County Supervisors. It’s not about relitigating the last election – it’s about ensuring we have an honest candidate for the next election.
Well here’s my final thought on all this … assuming Gillespie gets elected, I hope I don’t hear a single WORD about it if taxes get raised again, if the conservative base gets ignored, or any of that crap, because this isn’t one of those times were a candidate says one thing and turns around and does something else when they get elected. Gillespie is as establishment as they come, and you know what you’re voting for when you vote for him. So seriously, when he pulls a bunch of establishment crap, his people take over the state party, put in other establishment people, push for primaries instead of conventions, pander to corporate donors and all the usual stuff I hope nobody who votes for him suddenly acts all indignant and shocked about it, because YOU VOTED FOR THE GUY.
Also lacking on TBE, any real compelling article about Ed Gillespie’s substance. I do not see a lot of positive spin on his conservative positions on here. He couldn’t even make statements calling out McAuliffe for his statement after the Scalise shooting, or pardoning an illegal alien. Those had to come from Whitbeck.
I’m sure he’s a decent husband, possibly father, and of course he was good for the RNC, and okay, would assume he doesn’t abuse animals while allowing leftist cities to tear down our heritage with no referendum, but does he really go to bat for anything, other than not being Ralph Northam? Again, he is a nice enough guy. Whatever. But we (if you are a Republican) need someone in our corner.
Many points of the article to answer:
(A) Ed is two-faced. He says he doesn’t think the Lee monument in C’ville should come down, but well, if Charlottesville City Council does the dirty dead, that it is okay with Ed. This is essentially what the Democrats’ stand is. (See Mitch Landrieu, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, & Terry McAuliffe). Either way, the Robert E. Lee statue is gone before voters have a chance to decide. Putting it back in place would be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and once something is done, it is too late. Revisiting it at election time, as Ed advocates, would make any city council election a one-issue event,which is not realistic. Just because Corey voted to change one middle-school name from a much later era, doesn’t mean that we should rally behind those who wish to destroy Virginia’s Southern identity. In other words, still supporting Stewart on this.
Who else would have stood up to the assault that ensued for saying that the Lee statue is part of Virginia’s heritage and should remain in place? You establishment types are still reeling from how much support Corey got in areas of the state that you wish to marginalize.
(B) Is Author Petrak suggesting that the “elderly” (he used the word at least twice..ageism, anyone?) PWC Board member is too Addlepated to think clearly and do his job? If he is unable to stand the rigors of late night board meetings, than maybe it is time to step aside. I saw the normal political “whip” process in place here, but to use the word bullying?
It is unfortunate that the previous presidential administration let in hoards of more Muslims that we don’t need into this country, but if the board didn’t allow the Mosque sewer line, after allowing it for churches, they’d have been sued and lost. No where in the piece was this information.
(C) The RAP video and person Stewart supported. This is equivalent to the charge that Ed G. was a lobbyist for Enron, and that his firm worked for companies that brought in illegal workers at the expense of legal Virginia workers.
Sir or ma’am, I would like to respectfully suggest you go back and read the article. (A) Stewart didn’t vote to change the name. He just supported it and got some camera time. What most people fail to understand is that he doesn’t really care about heritage or history. He just got decent, hard working folks all worked up about this to support him. He’s a hypocrite. That was the point. (B) Go back and watch the video. Stewart badgers the guy and actually tells him how to vote. Which is way out of line. He’s a bully. (C) If you think supporting the kind of person in the rap video for public office is ok, then you and I will just have to agree to disagree. This article isn’t about Ed Gillespie. (D) Please go back and read the article again.
Responding: (A) Whether or not Stewart got press time when a school named after a 1960’s governor was changed or not is irrelevant to those of us who are fed up with seeing our heritage torn up by the left, and by seeing so-called Northern-minded Republicans like E.G. stand by and give tactic approval to that politically correct newly contrived view. (and that is what his ‘let the localities decide’ position is essentially doing). If you feel that Corey is insincere in his defense of Virginia’s Southern heritage, after the drumming and risk he took in the press and pummeling from the establishment R. party, than please suggest another viable candidate running for statewide office who would dare to stand up in front of a statue of Robert E. Lee and a picture of Confederate Flag and stand up to the vendetta we are facing any better than Stewart.
And please add a Virginia candidate with a firmer and a more committed stand against illegal aliens and sanctuary cities than Stewart too, Stewart’s core issue. (oh, and I already support Dave Brat, so someone beside him).
(B) Did watch the video. If the council member had been younger, would this “whip process” by Stewart have been termed “bullying”? Very unfortunate about having to let a mosque in, but opposition would have just resulted in a lawsuit.
(C) Not a good video – but what was Stewart supposed to do after the fact, dump the guy in favor of the dem? Hey, I defended Ed for he or his firm having lobbied for Enron, when he ran for Senator. How was he supposed to know it would be a political “hot potato”? Enron was a major energy player back then. In the end, the words in this video are no worse than those in Black “Rap Artists” videos all the time. Yes, I get that this guy was running for office. Well, voters decided and he lost. that is the way it is supposed to work.
(D) Read it several times, both here and in repeated on-line posts. Your article starts off conciliatory, but is really just another hate-filled diatribe against the runner-up candidate of our party.
One more thing. If Ed is so spineless that he couldn’t refute something that he felt was not accurate coming from another Republican, than how is he going to stand up for us against Northam and the Democrats? Answer: HE’S NOT.
Stewart connected with Real Voters (yep, us deplorables down here in the gutter). Thanks for keeping his name in the news and rallying his base. Every one of these hit pieces causes us to reconsider voting for Establishment Ed. in Nov after having the party thrust him down our throat. Personally, I will at least show up to vote for John and Jill and local candidates, but I’ll bet a lot of Corey’s supporters are going to be disgusted and just stay home.
This is a great site.
But the constant stream of Corey Stewart hit pieces is growing tiresome.
And I don’t even like the guy.
Establishment money at work.
What money? How many times do we have to tell you, no one is paying anyone to write here! This is even a guest post! Get a clue.
Maybe writers are not paid, but there has to be money in blogging somewhere for the principles, or it would just be a money pit.
I doubt it. All of the establishment money goes to Bearing Drift.
…and Corey has damaged the candidate who won the primary. IF Corey came out in full support of Ed and campaigned for him, maybe….maybe some of the Stewart supporters would support Ed. My guess is that Corey ruined them for any other option and they will sit home on election day 2017.
Not really concerned whether he damaged a lousy candidate that never had a chance of winning the general.
“The Democrat will be worse” is the only compelling reason to vote for Ed.
Second that If I vote for Ed, it is only because I am a good Republican (even after all this hatred on TBE and other sites), and because he is not as bad as Northam. Also, I am already there voting for Vogel and Adams, but many R-leaning voters are just not going to show up.
Agree….there is always a better choice. I’m already working on convincing myself to vote for Vogel. That will be tough for me.
Because of the alleged Reeves affair email?
Because of a lot of things. That is one of them. When she’s in a group, she’s disengaged. She’s aloof. She’s on her phone. she acts like she doesn’t care at all about the people around her.
I have the opposite opinion.
Maybe you’re someone who matters to her. When I’ve been around her, I’m clearly not in company with anyone who does.
I found her to be warm and engaging. After a brief conversation, I saw her again 6 months later. She not only remembered my name, but also remembered what we had discussed so briefly months earlier. That doesn’t fit my definition of “aloof” or “disengaged.”
She does have a family. Perhaps when you saw her on the phone, she was dealing with a mini-crisis at home. I don’t want someone who is all business and no humanity.
Others I know agree with me. “Ethics attorney”???? hardly…however, I will vote for her because she is better than Fairfax. Her voting record isn’t as conservative as that of Bryce Reeves. Our state is getting bluer by the second and we don’t need any more lukewarm republicans like Comstock and Vogel.
If everyone agrees with you, I will now have to feel complimented by the fact that she was so warm with me.
No, she’snot as conservative as Bryce Reeves, but not too many are more conservative than he is. (Not a complaint!)
That is such a weak issue. Bryce had that rumor going around for four years before anyone even heard of Jill. Whether or not releasing that information happened or not is really of no consequence. I believe she will make a more positive direction in the state’s spending and regulation than anyone in the race.
Why? She is the only candidate they had a sensible platform. Look at the legislation she put forth on immigration. She has some social issues that some are not pleased with, but there won’t be any changes in state legislation regarding the same.
Why? They will end up doing essentially the same thing. This election will accomplish one thing and that will be getting rid of another RINO, establishment. The first battle to be fought is with the establishment Republicans then we can truly go after the Dems.
Corey has said that he will vote for Gillespie. But he also said the candidate needs to make his case and appeal to the voters. I do not take my marching order from a candidate as to who else to vote for just because I supported that candidate. I suspect on election day there will be a Republican “undervote” with many skipping or writing in a candidate, and than voting for the rest of the ticket. Ed’s campaign needs to wake up now and realize we are being alienated.
Exactly.
There have been some pro-Corey ones too. Corey’s name would have faded away by now except that he keeps doing things to get his name back in the news. I believe he has adopted Trump’s strategy of believing that any news coverage is good, even if it makes him look bad.
Corey is no where near as savvy as Trump. He didn’t get it a year ago and doesn’t get it now.
Trump’s tactic wins. It won’t work for Corey.
Don’t misunderstand me. I believe that’s his tactic. I don’t believe it’s a smart or effective tactic.
None of you understand why Ed barely won the primary and why he’s going to get crushed in November.
Oh, we understand. This is a blue state – a blue state that is in the bottom 10 for economic growth. It’s northern VA, it’s Hampton, it’s Richmond, it’s people moving here from the north, it’s Virginians who’ve just been reading headlines and not learning the truths of our times. We’re blue….navy blue.
Corey was able to appeal to a certain portion of the electorate that doesn’t normally vote and follow every political move. Sound like someone else we can think of?
Corey isn’t as good at the game. He’s missing something.
No, it is that Ed is a wimp and stands for nothing. You have learned nothing. RINOS lose elections.
Corey could have been the one, but he is so erratic, so offensive, so off-putting that he has hurt his chances in this very blue state. Had he been a better candidate, he could have gotten every conservative vote and won this state back. He wasn’t. I am pretty conservative economically and couldn’t bring myself to vote for Corey, the person.What this state needs more than ever is a decent person to lead us. Corey is not that person.
He will if people who think like you do don’t vote for him. That’s your choice, obviously, but would you really prefer Northam? When it gets right down to it, we are presented with an either/or vote. You don’t vote for who you like. You vote for the better of the two. It’s still worth voting for Gillespie unless you re really want Northam.
I think we’re purple. With the right candidate, the GOP can win again. I’m just not sure that Gillespie is the candidate to do it. He doesn’t have the charisma needed to bring out all the voters.
With the “voting irregularities” by McAuliffe and the fact that McAuliffe’s MAIN objective was to deliver a blue Virginia to Hillary, I think we’re more blue. Henrico is about to go….their Board of Supervisors seat is hotly contested. Western Henrico feels like Connecticut and then there’s eastern Henrico that republicans largely ignore. With all the redistricting (also with McAuliffe around to “help” the progressives), I think red Virginia – the father of American presidents is gasping its last breath. Northam is horrible…that should be enough to elect Gillespie but I fear it’s not.
I have the same fear. But I fear apathy and a lack of enthusiasm for Gillespie will keep republicans home. When I call us purple, I’m referring to the people in general rather than the outcome of the vote. With the meddling that McAuliffe has done combined with voter fraud, I don’t trust that the outcome of a vote is actually a reflection of the people who live there. It’s sad when you lose faith in your government, but I’ve seen too much corruption in government to have much trust anymore.
There has been no true conservative in VIrginia for fifty years. This states government and it’s bureaucracy has grown under every administration both Democrat and Republican. The voter has no where to go. The swamp is deep and wide in the party. The closest candidate we had was George Allen and that was a mirage. Bring on someone outside of the establishment and we will get a win.
I agree. Republicans also need to be 1000% in their messaging. Maybe Scaramuchi will do that as an example for Trump. We NEVER hear about the good things he’s doing – Trump should have a 15 minutes weekly VIDEO message with his successes, his failures, what he’s working on.That is what his supporters want to see and hear. Not a radio message, not a tweet, but HIM!
Absolute home run, Bill. Thanks for this.
Back in 2008 I was at a meeting in Arlington attended by a few activists to limit immigration. Corey was present. He came across a very aloof and not very personable. I was glad to see “Establishment Ed” beat him in the primary. For you conservative purists out there, Ed Gillespie will give you 60 to 80% of what you want, compared to a Democratic governor who will give you 0 to 10%. I don’t know about you, but I would rather vote for someone who will give me MOST of what I want compared to someone who will give me NOTHING of what I want. Math – learn it.
Or … just vote for the person who gives you 100% of what you want, either as a write-in or third party candidate. That’s what I’m going to do. I vote for people, not against them. I can’t vote for Gillespie because of TARP.
If TARP is part of what you say is the 20-40% of what I would DISLIKE about Gillespie, I say no thanks, I’d rather just vote for who I want. What difference does it make which establishment candidate wins if they’re both going to screw you over.
I hope Gillespie loses by 1 vote so I can know that my decision not to vote for him because of TARP was the reason he lost.
Then business owners can thank YOU for the raise in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. And residents can thank YOU for a tax increase. And just think, everyone will have you personally to thank for their tax increase and fewer jobs.
So … who do we thank for TARP then, for the 700 Billion dollar’s that were authorized for bailing out the banks. Are YOU the person we should thank for that ? By voting for him, aren’t you giving him a mandate to do something like that again ? When you vote for him you are saying .. hey, that hold TARP thing, not a problem. Fool me once.
Yea right. Just how would all that BS get thru the House and Senate?
Who do we thank for the last tax increase, the largest in Virginia history? Again, why are Cox and Norment not supporting Ed Gillespie?
Why don’t you tell us?
What, why Cox and Norment are not behind the Gillespie tax decrease?
Again…You must not read the news much…”Del. Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), set to lead the House chamber next year, endorsed Gillespie’s plan.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/virginia-politics/virginia-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-ed-gillespie-proposes-modest-tax-cuts/2017/03/16/63c90696-0a5c-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html
Because they ain’t getting behind any tax promise that could come back on them just like the one came back on Bob McDonnell in 2013.
Ah, the old “Vote for Ed, he’s not as bad as Northam” campaign slogam. True. But not very inspiring.
I had reservations on voting for Trump, but I did it because I could not stand Hillary.
Sometimes our best choice is to vote for the lesser of two evils.
John, how can you not see, or, better yet ignore, that on the current path nobody is going to be thanking any statewide elected Republican for anything?
It ain’t going to happen under the current platform. The votes are simply not there.
You been using that flatline for years. What has Trump given us percentage wise?Why are neither Cox nor Norment supporting Ed?
Stewart threw his support behind Ed. Steward has not attacked anyone since the end of the primary. And yet, Republicans keep attacking Stewart who is not running for anything. Then, Albertson wants to go back centuries to vet candidates running for office.
What next????
Please show us where Cox and Norment aren’t supporting Ed. Stewart has yet to call Gillespie and concede.
Show me a link, or anything, anywhere, that shows either Norment or Cox backing Ed’s 10% personal income tax decrease plan?
You must not read the news much…”Del. Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), set to lead the House chamber next year, endorsed Gillespie’s plan.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/virginia-politics/virginia-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-ed-gillespie-proposes-modest-tax-cuts/2017/03/16/63c90696-0a5c-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html
That’s not even a quote. I want to hear it from Cox and Norment’s own mouth, or their writing. At least a quote. Also, I want to know what cuts they are willing to make to ensure the tax decrease. Just read down further and see what Frank Wagner said about the Gillespie tax cut. Wagner’s comments are quotes.
Sorry, but a newspaper reporter passing along what he says someone said, ain’t support.
A good portion of the 60 to 80% that Trump will give us can be summed up in four little words – Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch.
I don’t disagree with you on that at all. I will say that from past experience, we know that it will be years before we know if that choice actually pans out.
The rest of the six months has been EO’s and talk. Instead of the Trump presidency, it’s been the “Trump Investigation”.
Remember this, any healthcare bill without price controls and competition, is non-sustainable.
Corey Stewart specifically said that he did NOT endorse Ed Gillespie. That was far outside the norm. Candidates always endorse the nominee of their party, even if they ran against the winner.
He could have just stayed silent if he couldn’t endorse Ed, rather than announce that he won’t. For many of us, this was the final straw, and we will never vote for Corey Stewart for any position ever again. And most of us voted for him in the past, so he really shot himself in the foot.
The radio talk shows keep stirring it up. If I remember correctly, Corey said he is voting for Ed, and urged his followers to vote for Ed. Is that correct?
Somehow, you people need to convince yourselves that Corey Stewart, Hillary Clinton, Obama, are no longer running for anything. They lost or retired. Hate media from both sides of the isle just keeps regurgitating the hatred in your brains that they have contrived for the last 30 years. (Thanks to ole’ Ronnie) If these people from both the right and the left care so very much about this country, then why do they need 10’s of millions of dollars each year in personal income to save this country from the other side? Some have made 100’s of million of dollars screwing with your brain. Hell, at least one is screwing his co-anchor.
Corey Stewart lost. It’s over, Obama retired, Clinton lost. See a psychiatrist or something. Keep telling yourself Ed won, Trump won, maybe that will help.
You guys? I’m just one person, but when I see a group of guys, I’ll pass on your message. Maybe.
I received an email from Corey Stewart immediately after the election. In it he specifically stated that he did not endorse Gillespie.
Stewart is running. As soon as he lost the nomination for the governor’s office, he started campaigning for Congress. I doubt he stands a chance.
You’re absolutely right. When we get into the voting booth, there are only two candidates to choose from. We need to pick the better of the two, even if he doesn’t fit our idea of the ideal candidate. Checking the box on the ballot isn’t the same as saying you think he’s the most terrific person in the whole wide world. It only means you think he’s better than the other guy.
Maybe I missed the memo but isn’t the Republican nomination in hand for Mr Gillespie?
I didn’t vote for either of the two gentlemen and am still undecided for Governor.
Within all the platitudes about bringing the Party together, where does this fit? You requested that readers not jump to conclusions, so I ask, what is the purpose of this piece, at this time?
I get that this is an open forum for ideas/discussion but wow, some editorial discretion may be in order.
Sir or ma’am, This was intended to inform people about a person who is mulling over the idea of running for U.S. Senator in Virginia. Many folks throughout the state are unaware of Mr. Stewart’s missteps in PWC over the past several years. If we want to have a chance to send a real conservative to the Senate from Virginia, we have to nominate a solid person. The time to find out all the bad information is not after they get the party’s nomination. We are not going to rid politics of bad politicians, but we should do everything possible to not encourage bad characters to run. I got involved in local politics because I discovered our local politicians were hurting us. I decided to try to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. These are my opinions, but they are held by many. If you disagree with my opinions, that’s fine; let’s agree to disagree, but the supporting information is factual. I hope this explanation helps.
Thanks for the reply.
Still not sure where this fits in the landscape as the race for Senate has yet to begin. Can we get through the November election before we start trashing Senate candidates?
But of course, I read this morning that Mr Stewart, with his impeccable sense of timing, has scheduled a presser for Thursday. Unless this is to come out and throw his support behind any given nominee, I would ask him the same question. Why now? Can you not give it a rest until after November?
Guess we’ll see who, if anyone, can just give it a rest.
You try to tell the Virginia voter what they need just like Lucifer told Eve what she needed. The Virginia voter told you what they want 3 weeks ago. If Stewart had the Ed’s 3 times more establishment cash, he would have easily beaten the establishment lobbyist Gillespie.
Your article just makes Stewart more appealing. Whatever the establishment says is bad, is actuallly good.
Have you ever in your life had a paycheck that did not say US Treasury at the top? No, I didn’t think so.
We need more uber mosques all over Va.. Right..
You’re just another wac job wanna be writer. The primary election is over, Stewart lost, Stewart ain’t running for nothing, who cares????? Are you even a Republican?
The number one topic people care about is healthcare. The rest is just BS. However, you could have wrote about Gillespie will never be governor.
Just how much is Ed paying you for this BS? Get a life.
Jim, that’s not a very charitable comment. I’m not interested in being a writer. Yes, the primary is over, but Mr. Stewart continues to hurt the citizens of Prince William County. He hurt us two weeks ago and he is getting ready to hurt us badly in two weeks. Stewart is mulling a run for senator. You said recently that you voted for Stewart. I can only assume (and hope) you were unaware of his behavior. Yes, I am a Republican…and that’s why I wrote this post…because I care about the upcoming elections. “Ed” isn’t paying me anything…although I would be happy to accept payment. 🙂 If you are a Republican and live in Virginia, you should be doing everything you can to get “Ed” elected. Otherwise, I can only assume you want Northam as our next governor. Lastly, I have a very nice life; except Corey Stewart keeps intruding on it with his out of control liberal agenda.
Don’t sweat it, Bill, this guy is a troll commenter.
Thanks Robert. I try to treat everyone as though their heart is in the right place; even though me may disagree.
Again, no statement as to what Ed actually puts himself on the line for (Stewart risked a lot for some controversial stands and has helped to solidify a contingent of Virginians who will go to the polls for issues they care about) – just the old mantra that we’d better fall in line behind him because the Demos are worse.
Sir or ma’am, this article is not about Ed, it’s about Corey Stewart.
Stop this broken record. NO ONE is being paid to post here! Sheeze. Get a life.
Ok, then just why are Republicans writing articles attacking other Republicans 3 weeks after the primary ended?
Corey Stewart has not attacked anybody, nor is he running for any office.
It is beyond reasonable comprehension why these attacks are going on. Are Democrats attacking their primary loser? No.
Because the athuor wants to explain Corey Stewart and make sure he isn’t our candidate for next year! Had you actually read the article you would know that.
“Republican Pukes” Nothing to see here, move along..
You are skating on VERY thin ice. If you again post the lie that we are paid by someone, you’re gone.
Capice?
Ok. I deleted both. But, neither of those was meant to imply that BE was being paid. I have no knowledge if BE pays it’s writers.
For the record, I post here occasionally and have never seen one dollar for doing so. I post here as a frustrated Tea Party activist who is sick of an out of control government and political correctness.
The Bull Elephant is a great place for me to post my disgust at the ruling class.
Thank you Jeanine Martin for publishing me.
The number one topic is immigration: border, illegals, Muslim immigration/refugees. This is why Trump won. Not healthcare.
Yay! Thank you for the expose’