The Republican Convention: 8,000 "Freaks" Pick the Candidates

The Virginia Republican Convention 5-18-13

Well, after a twelve-hour day for most delegates, the Virginia Republican Convention (labeled a "freak show" by the Daily Kos) selected a great ticket for the gubernatorial election in November. Ken Cuccinelli heads the list and set the entire convention on fire with his philosophy of principled government that involves standing for all the people: from the little ones in the womb to the elderly near life's end. He spoke for workers including working women and stay-at-home moms. He spoke about building an atmosphere of fewer government regulations and the right to work. He described his record of prosecuting child predators and assisting those with mental illness. He defended the Constitution and sent a strong message of principled government. You know where Ken stands and you know he's NOT blowin' in the wind. I've known Ken since before his first race for the General Assembly and I was impressed with him from the beginning. How wonderful to think of this family with their seven lovely children filling up the governor's mansion. Go, Ken!


Mark Obenshain was easily elected Attorney General candidate after the first ballot when Rob Bell withdrew  his nomination and asked the convention to choose Obenshain unanimously. It was a gracious action on his part and the convention rewarded him with tremendous applause.

After about eight hours of voting and four ballots, we finally elected our candidate for lieutenant governor, E.W. Jackson. I spoke to him outside the hall early in the morning and thanked him for running. Although Susan Stimpson was my first choice, I wore Jackson's sticker under hers and voted for him on the second, third, and fourth ballot. He's a stirring speaker who has the passion to rouse an audience and he did that when he said Virginia is a sovereign state and we don't need the federal government's permission to mine our coal or for farmers to grow their crops and parents to raise their families. I look forward to hearing more from E.W. on the campaign trail. One of the most entertaining aspects of the convention was when his supporters took to the convention floor with their signs and snaked around the hall. The other candidates' supporters followed soon after in friendly rivalry. In fact, the entire convention was friendly and many of those with whom I spoke described our wealth of good choices. I saw no evidence of rancor or meanness among candidates. In fact, it was the most upbeat political event I've ever attended despite being looooooong because of the multiple ballots for lieutenant governor.

We left after voting the 4th ballot since we had an almost 3 hour ride home, so we missed E.W.'s acceptance speech, but we look forward to hearing lots more from him.

What a great ticket of principled, pro-life Constitutional conservatives!

The highlight of the convention for me was Teiro Cuccinelli's speech. It was from the heart and gave an intimate family portrait of Ken, Teiro, and the kids including 4-year-old Jack who doesn't know what a governor is, but loves big stickers and put Cuccinelli for Governor on his bike and his bedroom door.



Of course, the convention had hardly begun before liberals were tweeting their "tolerance" and showing exactly how nasty this campaign is likely to be. The Daily Kos maligned every delegate at the convention calling it the "Virginia Republican Freak Show" and went on name-calling just about everybody who spoke. It's funny that the same media that can spend the morning praising a gay pride parade with grown men wearing tutus, high heels, and false eyelashes and the afternoon at a demonstration where Planned Parenthood supporters dress as vaginas and penises can talk about our convention as a "freak show!" The author of the nasty piece described Jackson as "insane," but who really deserves that moniker?

As one of the "freaks" at the convention, I'm proud of Virginia! I'm proud of "freaks" who think babies are for hugging and cuddling, not snipping their spines and throwing them in trash buckets. I'm proud of those who make and keep their marriage vows for 30, 40, 50, 60 years and celebrate the next generation at grandchild birthday parties and soccer games. I'm thrilled when parents take their educational responsibilities seriously and monitor what's happening in the classroom or decide to do the job themselves at home. I'm proud of the young people who attended this convention, and there were many, especially among the workers giving out stickers and signs and running up and down the coliseum stairs encouraging their candidates' supporters.

Things have changed a lot since my early days in pro-life politics! I remember the stealth pro-life candidates who asked their supporters to shut up lest proclaiming their pro-life position lose them votes. Yesterday, every single candidate spoke out for their littlest constituents and, frankly, it brought tears to my eyes and gave me hope. God will not abandon His people when they speak for the least of His little one! Yes, we are on God's side and whether this ticket wins or loses in November, our leaders are proclaiming the truth of life and freedom for all, not just the born, the rich, and the powerful.

Jackson ended his speech with the words of the lovely patriotic hymn, My Country Tis of Thee. May Virginia once more, as she did over 200 years ago, become that "sweet land of liberty." Virginia nurtured our constitutional republic. It was the birthplace of the American Revolution. May we once again take the lead in nursing our beloved country back to health with the grace and blessing of Almighty God!