Alborn: Missing at Forum, Sarvis Seeks Governorship

Opinion

I attended the Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate debate at the Hylton Center .  Questions were presented to two of the three Gubernatorial Candidates who will be on the ballot in November, Republican  Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe.  

The third Gubernatorial Candidate on the ballot this November, Robert Sarvis, attended the event, but was not invited to participate.  For those interested, Sarvis tweeted his answers to the questions real time.  You will find Sarvis’ answers to the questions here on his twitter account.  

The Prince William Chamber of Commerce and the Chambers from Fredericksburg, Loudoun County and Reston hosted this event.  The Chambers who sponsored this event did an outstanding job putting it together. 

It was a full house.  This event was well attended by the press, and live streamed on  WUSA9, and is available for those who missed it.  

As expected, the candidates apparently hate each other.  Each opened with withering partisan attacks on the other’s apparent misdeeds, failings, or unacceptable social policies.

While these attacks played well with the base, independent voters such as myself would have preferred to hear about issues and policy.  I kind of wanted to take a shower after each was finished with his opening. 

As one would expect from an event sponsored by Chambers of Commerce, the focus was jobs, the economy, transportation, health care, and areas of importance to the business community.  You’ll find plenty of opinions and analysis of their answers all over the media, each reflecting the bias of the commentator. 

I walked away thinking that both candidates were soft on specifics on most issues.  Each deflected the moderator when pressed for more specific answers. The format really wasn’t a “debate”.  It was more of a panel discussion.  There was no opportunity for the fiery exchanges, second level drill down, or surprises that really give us some measure of a candidate.  

Anyone suspecting surprises or new information at this event probably wandered into the wrong room.  All questions were pretty much answered with the same set of talking points they have been using throughout their campaigns.

The question everyone was waiting for was where these candidates stand on the Bi-County Parkway.  Each gave an answer that will provide Northern Virginia voters something to ponder as they decide who to vote for.

As reported earlier, Virginia Attorney General and Virginia Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli supports the Bi-County Parkway between Interstate 95 in Dumfries and Dulles Airport while his Democratic opponent, Terry McAullife,  avoided a direct position on the proposed highway.  

“With the tremendous growth in Loudoun, and Prince William County, and the region, we need new transportation options, but the current proposal on the table is unacceptable,” said Cuccinelli. “We cannot be closing roads down just so we can build a new road…we need all the transportation options we can get.”

“… I do not make [transportation] decisions [as governor], nor will I make decisions until I have all the facts in front of me,” said McAuliffe. “I want to get all of the stakeholders in the room…I love a win-win situation…to have economic development… and local say in how things are done.”

I was struck by one common theme.   When it comes to the Bi-County Parkway, both candidates recognized the importance of local buy-in. 

Independent voters were perhaps a bit disappointed because none of the “soft” issues on social policy, alleged judgment lapses, or other issues dogging these candidates were directly addressed.  Many voters are looking beyond the policy issues trying to determine who will most spare the Commonwealth embarrassment during the next four years.   

Many voters are weary of living in  a State that is often the subject of late night Comedy monologs.  The public’s perception of integrity of the candidate for whom they vote will perhaps be a consideration in who moves into the Governor’s mansion next year.

Hard Core Democrats and Republicans, those folks who knock on doors, put up signs, attend the meetings, and make the phone calls didn’t need to attend this debate.   These candidates represent whom the Party faithful of either party want to see in office.  Neither is the product of a primary, where folks like myself may weigh in. 

These candidates were selected “behind closed doors” (metaphorically speaking) by those party faithful of which I speak with no particular interest in what left or right leaning citizens or independent voters might be looking for.  While the Party faithful on both sides of the aisle may have got the candidate they wanted, “we” (that would be the rest of us) get to decide who  will  actually be our next Governor.

Right now, many of us are conflicted.

The issues independent voters have with Cuccinelli and McAuliffe are well documented in the press, the blogs and social media.  Those of us who look to elections as a challenge to identify the least offensive candidate are stymied.  To many of us, both of these guys (Cuccinelli and McAuliffe) are pretty offensive, albeit in different ways.

But wait…  there’s another choice!

Only the Democratic and Republican candidates participated in this particular debate.  There is a third candidate on the ballot; Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis.

Sarvis is polling at 7% in results released on 16 July 2013  by Public Policy Polling (PPP).   This beats the margin of difference between the other two candidates, Terry McAuliffe at 41% and Ken Cuccinelli  at 37%. 

Sarvis may not win this election; however, he will decide who is the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

There will be only three candidates for Governor on the ballot in November.  For whatever reason,  Sarvis was not invited to participate in this debate.  I would think that the traditional candidates would want Sarvis on the stage if for no other reason to attempt to discredit him as a viable alternative and knock him out of the contest.

If you check Sarvis  out, you will be surprised to find out that he is the youngest,  brightest, most educated candidate in the bunch.

Sarvis graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology. He has earned degrees in mathematics from Harvard University and the University of Cambridge, a J.D. from N.Y.U. School of Law, and a Master’s in economics from George Mason University. He has a diverse professional background, with experience as an entrepreneur and small-business owner, a software engineer and mobile-app developer, a math teacher, and a lawyer. 

He also comes without “baggage” such as obligations to big money donors, SEC investigations, and questionable gifts from individuals seeking favors, etc. 

While the left and the right want to argue about exactly what Government is going to do for you, or to you, or decide what you can’t do, or how you should do it, Sarvis  just wants to leave you alone.  As a Libertarian, he has this crazy idea that we are smart enough to make our own decisions.

For full disclosure, I am also a Libertarian.   I am fond of the idea of a Governor who spends his free time thinking up ways to get government out of our lives, our personal decisions, and our individual choices.

There is a lot of left center, right center, and independent voters who just aren’t comfortable with either Cuccinelli or McAuliffe.   I suspect a lot of folks who walk into the voting both undecided who never even heard of Sarvis will see his name on the ballot and vote for him thinking, “compared to the other two, how bad could he be?”

“Vote for Sarvis!  Compared to the other two, How bad could he be?”  That would make a great campaign theme.  

That would look great on a bumper sticker.