The other day it was College Democrat and SWVA blogger
Neal Osborne switching his support from Brian Moran to Terry McAuliffe for Governor. Today, it's
Alexander Palmer, VP of the Norfolk Young Dem's and former Deputy Finance Director on the Glenn Nye for Congress campaign. Starting to sense a trend here? :) With that, here's Alexander Palmer's strong endorsement statement! (bolding added by me for emphasis of a few key points)
I have decided to come out today in support of Terry McAuliffe for a number of reasons. I was initially a Brian Moran supporter, mostly because he was the first I met personally. I have to admit, that once I found out Terry was running, I did not even consider supporting him. A common grievance of many Moran and Deeds supporters was that McAuliffe was slow to jump on the Obama bandwagon. I was always a Barack Obama supporter, and during that tense primary, Terry McAuliffe had said a handful of things about Obama. I realize now, that Terry was merely trying to have his candidate, Hillary Clinton, win the primary. This was the extent of my reservation, essentially, I was being a bit bitter about the affair. After Obama was the nominee, Terry jumped on board and began to fundraise and campaign for Obama with extreme enthusiasm. Not only did Terry jump on board, but so did all the Hillary supporters. I realize that it is a bit immature for me not to consider Terry simply because we couldn't agree on who to support during the primary. I also realize that a number of my closest friends were originally Clinton supporters, and I wouldn't hold a grudge against them.
Having said that, after finally considering Terry, I realized he was in fact the most likely candidate to realize his agenda. His charisma and enthusiasm is unmatched by any other candidate in this race. Terry is known as a good fundraiser, this is a good quality for the party, as we all know, Mr. McDonnell has a large pool of money ready for the general, Terry has the ability to raise large sums of money. Having previously held the position of DNC Chair he has a close relationship with the top donors. These relationships are also an advantage for McAuliffe and the Commonweath if he is victorious in November. Terry's close and intimate personal relationships with prominent folks (Sec. of State Clinton among others) will help him to draw top industry leaders to Virginia. He can utilize these relationships to help progress Virginia's needs. I mention Secretary Clinton mostly because McAuliffe essentially ran her campaign, and also because Secretary Clinton meets on a daily basis with President Obama. It would be in Obama's favor for things such as high-speed rail to be successful in Virginia, which neighbors DC. Terry's relationships with political and business leaders around the nation can ensure that he can realize his agenda of improving Virginia and providing jobs.
Terry is also very well versed in the situation here in Virginia. Having attended a handful of events sponsored by his campaign and having seen him speak personally on three occasions, I can attest that Terry knows a great deal about the problems facing the Commonwealth. Terry spoke at length about transportation issues, education issues, and developmental issues. His solutions are ambitious, but are also holistic. Coupled with his venerable associations, Terry is the best candidate to realize his agenda. The other two Democratic candidates are both noble gentlemen, but I just don't believe they have the neccesary connections or resources realize their agendas. They are both home-grown figures whose national ties are not quite as numerous as Terry's, and without those ties, I believe it is an uphill battle, where they have to get in line and compete with 49 other governors.
I realize Terry, like the other three candidates, is not flawless. None of us are. But judged at face value, I believe; as I have attempted to articulate here, that Terry is best suited for the job of Virginia's next governor. His enthusiasm and commitment to the party are something to be valued, as well as his numerous bold initiates. As a result of this, he has won my endorsement.
