Everyone who reads this blog knows I have been quite vocal about expressing my dislike for Cong. Virgil Goode (R-Va) for his vile, racist comments he made about Muslim immigrants last year.He had the audacity and the gumption to make further racist comments in Congress earlier this year.
The reason for my disgust is two-fold. I am the son of a Turkish immigrant, and I grew up in Roanoke, Va., a mere 25 miles from Goode's hometown of Rocky Mount.
Goode and I actually have common friends, but that's all we have in common.
However, I realize that ranting about the negative qualities of a person, no matter how offensive their views are, only goes so far.
And, the fact of the matter is that there is a genuine, highly-qualified candidate named Tom Perriello from Charlottesville, who is deserving of Goode's seat.
Due to the fact that the Republican House of Delegates gerrymandered the fifth district enabling it to consist of areas with a high white population and conservative political views on matters like guns and abortion, it is going to an uphill for Perriello or anyone to remove Goode. The incumbent is one of the most far right extremists on The Hill (Goode was ironically once a Democrat, but even then he was an arch conservative), and he has a voting record that would make Trent Lott look like Bobby Kennedy to prove it.
But, I am hearing an increase in the amount of people who are tired of Goode, and for good reason.
He is very unpopular among African Americans, thanks in part to a mere 21 percent voting record with the NAACP. And, Goode has also professed a dislike for gays and Hispanics (his views on illegal immigrants are also quite militant).
Today in Danville, Va., I saw a Perriello bumper sticker, but in South Boston- a city that is 35 miles away from Danville, I did see a Virgil Goode bumper sticker. Of course, the car with the Goode sticker was an SUV and there were also bumper stickers for Bush/Cheney (I know it's hard not to laugh) and Virginia's higly unpopular former governor Jim Gilmore who somehow thinks he can beat his senate seat opponent Democrat Mark Warner.
Warner is also a former governor, but one who left with an 80-percent approval rating. The highest approval rating in the nation at the time, and the highest one in Virginia's history.
This illustrates what is wrong in many areas like South Boston. People want to believe in a candidate who represents their views even if they have been lousy at the job in every capacity as Bush/Cheney, Gilmore and Goode each have. People don't read newspapers, watch C-Span or check voter information sites to see what the candidate is really like. And, as a result, congressional reps can get away with just about anything.
But, Goode's opponent is as different from him as Karl Rove is from the late Mother Teresa.
Perriello is active on the campaign trail in a very non-traditional way. He was at the Juneteenth Festival in Martinsville over the weekend, and he has helped start volunteer projects with Habitat for Humanity in Charlottesville and the Edwards Adult Day Care Center in Martinsville. He has also traveled to Africa to help with refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan.
I do not live in the fifth district of Virginia myself. And, I am grateful to be represented by someone who is a noble, ethical person in Cong. Brad Miller (D-NC).
But, Goode is morally unacceptable. In addition to his blatant, unapologetic racism, he has made many friends among oil and energy lobbyists in Washington, DC, and he was once tied to Jack Abramoff.
Like the folks who are trying to take power away from dictator Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Perriello is working against a man of wealth and influence who has the full support of the establishment and a disturbing amount of public support from people whose interest Goode votes against on a consistent basis (the fifth district is also one of the poorest regions of Virginia-except for Charlottesville, and many factories and mills have gone overseas).
I have written a letter to Goode to confront him for his views. Like many letters from constituents he does not agree with, it has gone unanswered.
We need Perriello to represent the region I work in. It would be a most welcome change in every regard. Though Perriello is also a superb human being whose qualities speak for themselves.
A Goode spokesperson/yes man told "The Roanoke Times" that Perriello was an out of touch liberal. I can only imagine that if David Duke were running for Congress in Louisiana that he would say the same thing about his opponent.
Let's hope the clear, best man_ Tom Perriello wins this race in November, not just for Virginia, but for allof America.
This is not merely about partisanship as I have expressed warm regard for my friend Cong. Frank Wolf (R-Va). It is about ethics and strong moral leadership, and a hope that there can be a representative who is familiar with the world's plight as America seems to be on a disturbing drift towards geopolitical isolatism_ which the likes of Goode seem to fully support.
Periello is thus recieving my strongest support. This is a full endorsement. And, yes, frankly, I do see Periello as Luke Skywalker and Goode as Darth Vader.
May the force be with him.
http://perrielloforcongress.com
(This is a site in which Tom Periello will take questions on Saturday, check Perriello's campaing site for further details.)
Note: Perriello also has a Facebook page, which is regularly updated. He is also looking for donors and campaign volunteers.
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1 comment:
I hear a lot of negative comments on Virgil Goode and all of the other Republican party, but what I don't hear are reasons why I should vote for Tom Perriello. All I hear is bad-mouthing. Can I have some facts please?
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