Why I want Mark Warner to run for President

I fish for Largemouth and Striped bass. I love NHRA drag racing and have taken my own car down the track a number of times. I believe everyone has a right to own a gun. I drive a Dodge 1500 Hemi pickup with which I tow my boat to the lake and I served in the Navy for 9 years. If you knew nothing more about me than this, many of my Democratic friends would consider this a bio of a Republican...

As with most of you, I have spent some time thinking about the future of our party. No matter how I look at it, I always come back to the same solution. The party must grow and truly become more tolerant. Calling someone stupid because they live in a “red” state is counterproductive and just plain wrong. We must listen to the folks first, then provide real answers as to why they should be voting FOR Democrats.

Most Americans are in the center of the political spectrum. I have a pretty large number of friends and in-laws that consider themselves Independents or Republicans. We tend to meet at a middle ground on a number of issues. Usually, it is the way we attack a problem we differ on, not the issue itself.

As a businessman, Mark Warner understands root-cause analysis. Finding the cause of a problem and fixing it. I’m sure some of you have read about the infamous 2004 tax reform debate. What you have not heard is how Governor Warner reduced waste and cut spending his first 2 ½ years in office after inheriting a $6 billion revenue shortfall from Republican Governor Gilmore and his Republican controlled General Assembly.

He did not consider any new tax initiatives until he had trimmed the budget, reorganized government departments and streamlined processes. Did you know that the tax burden for 65% of Virginians was reduced under the 2004 tax reform bill? Or that the Republican Senate wanted to pass a $4 billion package before coming to the realization that Governor Warner’s $1.2 billion package was more fiscally responsible?

Governor Warner knew that for Virginia to be strong, she needed to be strong in every corner of the Commonwealth, not just in Northern Virginia, Tidewater and Richmond. He has created thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue by encouraging companies to set up in the southeastern part of the state, a region in desperate need of jobs. He brings fresh ideas to old problems. THAT is what we need.

I had the pleasure to work as a county coordinator for the Warner for Governor campaign in 2001. The professionalism and organization of his campaign team was remarkable. How many Democrats do you know that could get support from the business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce and Trade Unions while keeping the NRA neutral in his race?

During the early months of 2001 he would walk up to an individual and introduce himself, ask them if he could shake there hand and then look them in the eye and ask what their main issue or problem with government was. He didn’t always say what they wanted to hear but the person left knowing that Mark Warner had given them an honest answer.

He supported the State Constitutional Amendment giving all people the right to hunt and fish, sponsored a truck at a NASCAR race in Martinsville and went deep into the rural parts of Virginia to talk kitchen table issues. He carried the rural vote with 51%.

Recently Governor Warner was quoted as saying Democrats must find a way to expand the party's appeal. If Democrats continue to hope that if everything breaks right we can get to a 17th state and somehow 270 electoral votes, we do this country a disservice and we do the Democratic Party a disservice. He does not bow to party orthodoxy. There have been a number of times that ardent party activists have bemoaned the Governor’s position on particular issues.

When I read that Governor Warner was filing to set up a federal PAC, I could hardly contain my excitement. It is our job not only to convince moderate Republicans and Independents to urge Mark Warner to run, but also our more liberal friends in our own party. If they truly believe in tolerance and a big tent, they can start by supporting Mark Warner for President in 2008.

I look forward to sharing more with you in the near future.

Steve Deak
Ga for Warner

Governor Warner: A Principled Leader.

One of the more talked about criticisms of recent Democratic presidential contenders has been a perception that they suffered from a lack of core beliefs and convictions. I’m sure we all painfully remember the “flip-flop” chants during the Republican National Convention. Both liberal and conservative pundits alike consistently claim that national Democratic candidates have an unpleasant habit of swaying with political winds. This false perception has unfortunately stuck, with even some Democrats believing such propaganda. Indeed, conventional wisdom says that the Republicans have cornered the market on principled candidates that reject decisions based on politics in favor of simply “doing the right thing.”

If Democrats want to take back the White House, they must overcome this perception. Democratic presidential candidates must convince voters that they are guided by principles, morals, and simple core beliefs that will not change in a political thunderstorm. Democrats must speak simply and pointedly about what makes them the best party to lead the country in an uncertain but very bright and hopeful future.

Governor Mark Warner is that candidate. Governor Warner will explode the insidious perception that the Democratic Party is comprised of insipid candidates answering only to their greater political ambitions. Take his commencement address to the George Washington University Class of 2003 where he said “everyone needs a few simple beliefs, because they are what allow us to find our way in a world that rarely makes sense.” He went on to give a few of his own simple beliefs. They bear telling here because they, I think, represent the essence of Governor Warner and why he should be our next President.

Governor Warner first said, “[d]on’t be afraid to fail. We learn through failure.” Next he said “it matters how you treat other people.” He then asked the new graduates to thank their families. He cautioned the graduates to reject the false choice of intolerance. And finally, and maybe most importantly, he said “[w]hen you have the choice between surrendering to a sound bite and wrestling with the nuances of a complex issue, I hope you’ll choose reflection.” These beliefs struck me as truly American, honest, and straightforward. They also revealed a man of principle and intellectual honesty who can cut through nonsense to find what Graham Greene called “the heart of the matter.”

Governor Warner’s belief in hard work, respect for others, the value of family, and courage in the face of uncertainty is exactly what we need in a leader and what the Democratic Party represents. Such beliefs will help America regain its reputation as a beacon of freedom, tolerance, and fairness to the world. And Mark Warner is the man to put those beliefs to work as President of United States.

Mark Warner: A Moderate Formula for Success in 08

As democrats ponder the future and a winning formula for taking back the White House in 2008, a look back at past elections provides some factual insight into what is needed to win.

In the last forty years, three democrats were elected President of the United States. They were all southerners and moderates (Johnson-Texas, Carter-Georgia & Clinton-Arkansas).

During that same period, six other democratic nominees lost the general election; Humphrey, McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis, & Kerry were all hindered and ultimately failed due to the perception they were too liberal, out of the mainstream, and lacked appeal among rural & swing voters.

Al Gore was the only moderate southern democratic nominee that failed in his bid for the big prize on Pennsylvania Avenue. Some attribute Gore's loss to his close association with President Clinton. Others point out Gore's failure to capitalize on President Clinton's tremendous successes and distancing himself from Clinton as a major factor in his defeat. To this day, many democrats believe Al Gore would be president had the Supreme Court not intervened and stopped the ballot counting in Florida. Political operatives and professional pundits will likely debate the 2004 loss to George Bush for years to come.

What is very clear from the history of presidential elections is that Americans favor centrist-moderate leadership. They are more likely to cast their vote for a uniter that does not divide the country into red & blue camps, liberals & conservatives, Christians and non-Christians, and democrats & republicans.

We already know from history what has worked in the past. Finding a democratic candidate that has mass appeal to the nation is not as difficult as it may seem and the opportunity to duplicate the winning formula of the past will come again in 2008.

Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, a centrist-moderate with high approval ratings and an accomplished record of success is the kind of candidate that possesses all the attributes that led the democratic party to victory in past presidential elections.

As president, Mark Warner will lower the poisonous rhetoric that divides this great nation.

As president , Mark Warner will restore honesty, trust, and goodwill at all levels of the federal government.

As president, Mark Warner will bring all Americans, democrat and republican, back to the table of cooperation.

As president, Mark Warner will make us all proud to work together again for the common good of the country.

As president, Mark Warner will revive our international standing in the world and develop global solutions to issues that alienate us from our friend and allies,

Join the effort to unite America and the world under the leadership of Mark Warner as President of the United States.

http://www.draftmarkwarner.com

Governor Warner: A Uniter for 2008.

Governor Warner: A Uniter for 2008.

Lately it seems that the extreme wings of both the Democratic and Republican parties are calling the shots. Because the reactionaries of both parties are asserting themselves at an unprecedented level, Washington is now a center of bitterness, partisanship, and revenge. The Gang of 14 gave us a glimpse (maybe a blink after the Bolton vote) of what can be accomplished when people reach across the partisan divide and try to sensibly get things done. But that compromise is the exception to the rule and, unfortunately, there is no evidence that the spirit of cooperation that produced the filibuster compromise will continue.

While Washington bickers, energy prices are rising, we have no energy plan that liberates us from foreign energy sources and avoids polluting the environment, our soldiers don’t have the armor they need to protect themselves, Iraq is increasingly dangerous (even after the historic elections), both parties have members in both chambers who are ethically challenged, and the lid is about to come off of health care costs. Polls also show that Americans are disillusioned with politicians, spurred by a disgust for hard-core partisan politics.

Historians may say that partisan rancor is not a new phenomenon. But that neat historical point, however, does not apply any healing power to a disillusioned electorate. Nor do we, as voting citizens, have to accept this method of doing the People’s business.

We need of a leader who is able to unite separate and distinct political groups in an effort to find solutions to the most pressing problems this country faces. We need a leader who sees the “other” party as an opportunity to solve problems, not an obstacle to reaching a partisan agenda. We need a leader who brings people together and doesn’t force them to separate corners of the boxing ring. That leader must have the courage of conviction and the backbone to stand and fight when necessary, but must possess the wisdom to compromise when compromise is in the best interest of the country. We need a principled leader that puts this country first over partisan politics and doesn’t just pay lip service to such an ideal.

I have been hoping for such a leader to come along and when Mark Warner was elected Governor of Virginia I found that leader. Simply read his speeches and look at his accomplishments in Virginia and you, like me, will come to the same conclusion.

Governor Warner, against all odds, was able to unite conservative Republicans and Democrats alike to restore fiscal security to Virginia. At the same time, he had the courage to veto a bill that was against his principles. He understands the problems the small business and large corporation faces but also the problems the farmer, the waitress, and the bus driver encounter everyday.

His campaign for Governor was a true Virginia-wide campaign where he appealed to rural and urban voters alike and was sincere in his desire to find solutions to problems that everyone deals with—not just the ones who vote for him. Governor Warner’s base is not a special interest group or a discreet voting block—his base is and can be every voter, every citizen, and every person from every walk of life. What he did for Virginia he can do for this great country.