Infants, toddlers and kids covered the Lawn Friday afternoon. Sporting costumes from berries to bumblebees, they left a trail of “Awwwws” in their wake.

Photo essay by Bennett Sorbo, Cavalier Daily Photography Editor.

Tomorrow, Virginia voters will elect either Democrat Creigh Deeds or Republican Bob McDonnell as their next governor. Although several independent polls indicate that voter turnout levels will be low, the two gubernatorial elections being held in New Jersey and Virginia have stirred national debate as political spectators read them as a litmus test of President Obama’s nationwide approval rating. But the vote also is still important on the state level, as the new governor will be charged with the tough task of pulling Virginia out of its depressed economic state.

Profiling Virginia Politics

Throughout their campaigns, both candidates have stressed their political and personal ties to Virginia and its citizens.

Deeds was born in Richmond and grew up in Bath county. He has since embarked on a long political career in Virginia and is currently the state’s senator for the 25th district, which includes Charlottesville and many of the surrounding areas. Deeds has earned the allegiances of urban, rural, conservative and liberal voters, said Isaac Wood, assistant communications director at the University’s Center for Politics and a former Cavalier Daily opinion columnist.

“He appeals to people in all different areas of the state,” Wood said, adding that Deeds is often considered a moderate, as opposed to liberal, politician.

McDonnell moved to Virginia very shortly after his birth, and moved throughout his early childhood years to Germany and then back to Fairfax County with his father, who was in the Air Force. In 2005 McDonnell ran against Deeds in the race for Attorney General of Virginia, defeating Deeds by a few hundred votes — one of the closest races in Virginia electoral history. Wood said because McDonnell has lived and worked in many different parts of Virginia, he understands what life is like for many Virginians, adding that he has worked hard to portray himself as a “jobs governor.”
Virginia’s last two governors — Mark Warner and Tim Kaine — were both Democrats. In last year’s presidential election, the commonwealth’s electoral votes went to Obama. But despite voters’ recent shows of support for Democrats, the GOP remains confident about tomorrow’s results, said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Republican Party of Virginia.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had success in Virginia,” he said. “But this year our ideas are being sold by a good, strong candidate, and there’s a real sense of enthusiasm and unity around him.”
Throughout their campaigns, McDonnell and Deeds have each tried to pin the other down as a partisan, but, Wood said, “there are not many liberal policies being perused this year.” In fact, the National Rifle Association in 2005 endorsed Deeds over McDonnell as the candidate that would best represent gun rights. Since then, however, several of Deeds’s polices have become more liberal, although he still remains to the right of most Democrats, Wood said.

The National Off-Season Barometer

Both New Jersey and Virginia have off-season elections — meaning they fall on a year when most states in the country aren’t voting — and because of this they often become the subject of national debate, with both Republicans and Democrats trying to prove their parties’ popularity. This year, Wood said, Republicans have been working to show that they have recovered from last year’s presidential election, while Democrats want to confirm that Virginia’s newfound political climate still supports the liberal agenda.

“Whichever candidate wins this year, his party is going to claim that the victory is a reflection of the nation’s political mood,” Wood said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, for example, recently told the media that Virginia’s gubernatorial election would provide a “blueprint” for the future of the Republican Party.

Last Tuesday, Obama joined Deeds at a campaign rally in Northern Virginia, appealing to voters in a region that helped him win Virginia’s electoral votes in last year’s presidential election. Obama encouraged voters to go back to the polls and vote for Deeds, noting that he would continue the policies of the commonwealth’s two previous Democratic governors.

“As a consequence of [Deeds’s] choices — choices that improve transportation, that give every child a chance in life, that continue the thoughtful pro-business policy of the Warner-Kaine tradition — Virginia will keep moving down the right path,” Obama said.

According to a recent poll by SurveyUSA, however, 95 percent of people who voted for Republican candidate John McCain in last year’s presidential election said they will vote for McDonnell, but only 80 percent of Obama supporters said they are planning to vote for Deeds tomorrow, reinforcing Wood’s belief that Virginia’s election is “a reflection of state instead of national politics.”

Local Issues: Transportation and Jobs

Despite its potential importance at the national level, tomorrow’s election still heavily revolves around local issues, including transportation, jobs and education.

Deeds Campaign Press Secretary Jared Leopold said one of the biggest reasons that Deeds decided to run for governor was to help Virginia’s economy and create more jobs. This focus on improving the economy has been one of McDonnell’s major talking points as well.

He is “bursting with ideas for creating jobs,” McDonnell Campaign Press Secretary Taylor Thornley said.

Along with limiting spending and keeping taxes to a minimum, McDonnell has spent much of his campaign discussing job creation, Thornley said. McDonnell’s plan focuses on increasing the Governor’s Opportunity Fund — which is expected to attract new businesses to the commonwealth — and giving tax credits to businesses that can create at least 50 new jobs, Thornley said.

But Deeds has accused McDonnell of playing up his commitment to job creation.

“Candidate McDonnell talks a lot about job creation but legislator McDonnell [has] never introduced a bill to create jobs,”Deeds said in a recent debate in Richmond.

Deeds’ plan also involves an expansion of the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to make Virginia an attractive, easy place for businesses to thrive. But, small businesses are the focus of Deeds’ job plan, which is reflected in the proposed Deeds policy that states, “create a single job, get a tax credit,” Leopold said.

In addition to their discussion of jobs, both candidates have said Virginia’s transportation system needs to be re-thought. They have both been able to agree that having too many bridges is unsafe and that the current system does not provide enough funding for regular road repairs or construction of new roads and transit systems.

To fund needed improvements of the state’s transit infrastructure, Deeds has said he would not exclude the possibility of a gas tax.

“The plan is to sit down with a bi-partisan committee and hammer out a plan that will make the transportation system work,” Leopold said, noting that a small gas tax might be a beneficial solution that would pay off in the long run.

McDonnell, however, has accused Deeds of not having a comprehensive plan. McDonnell plans to fund transportation reform by issuing the $3 billion in transportation bonds that were approved by the General Assembly two years ago, by making the Transportation Department more efficient, and by trying to cultivate relationships with private companies, Thornley said.

Education

Both candidates have said the availability of education — especially higher education — is important to Virginia’s future, particularly in relation to job creation and economic growth. During his campaign Deeds has promoted a plan called “Better Schools. Better Jobs,” while, Thornley said, McDonnell has viewed education as “the key to a strong economy in Virginia.” But the candidates have different stances on the growth of Virginia’s higher education system in the future and how it could help Virginia’s economy.

Deeds’s education plan, for instance, is based around scholarships awarded to students who maintain a B or better average through high school, Leopold said. If the plan goes into effect, students who are willing to commit to working for two years in a profession that is “beneficial to the community” would see half of their tuition paid for by the commonwealth.

The hope of Deeds’ plan, called the Virginia Forward Scholarship plan, is that more available education would lead to a stronger workforce and an improved economy, while the new graduates would provide much-needed help to places with few resources. Graduates would fulfill their service by spending time pursuing one of several professions, such as teaching in an under-served school, working in hospitals or serving as firefighters or policemen. Tuition has become, in the past several years, a major issue for many families hoping to send their children to college in Virginia, Leopold said, “but by the time [Deeds] is done … there will be nobody that’s blocked from going to college just because they can’t afford it.”

McDonnell’s higher education plan, meanwhile, is part of his broader goal of making “economic opportunity and sustainability possible for people in every part of Virginia,” Thornley said, adding that McDonnell plans for state colleges to graduate an additional 100,000 students during the next 15 years.

McDonnell’s plan would consolidate or eliminate some programs at universities and put more emphasis on math, science and technology. These are the subjects “that prepare students who are going to work for a stronger economy,” Thornley said.

McDonnell emphasized this point in a talk about education at George Mason University.

“We need to make it fashionable and cool to be a geek,” he said.

McDonnell also visited the University to talk about technology’s role in education. He said during the visit that high-tech equipment could reduce college expenses that are not included in tuition, such as textbooks. For example, McDonnell has met with students and faculty at the Darden School to discuss the possibility of using Kindles, Amazon’s electronic reading device, in place of many textbooks, Thornley said.

Moreover, McDonnell plans to stress workforce development in higher education, Thornley said. This emphasis means that he plans to increase funding for job training programs and encourage partnerships between public and private institutions. This relationship could mean increased funding for higher education and graduates ready to take on careers in private businesses.

Ultimately, these local issues may be far more important to Virginians than Obama’s popularity in deciding the outcome of the governor’s race.

Although “some are tempted to see it as a litmus test, the election is expressly about the state of Virginia,” Murtaugh said.

Sean

Major?
Music and Economics, Pre-med

Sexual Orientation?
Straight

What extracurriculars do you participate in?
Club Tennis, Water-ski and Wakeboarding team, Basketball

What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date?
Physically fit and attractive, intelligent, and talkative.

Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you work out? Do you attend religious services? Are you passionate about politics?
I don’t smoke or attend religious services and I do drink and work out. I am apathetic about politics.

How would you describe your race/ethnicity? Do you have an ethnicity preference?
I am Asian. I have no strong ethnicity preferences, maybe a little for Caucasians and Asians.

What are your favorite TV shows?
House, Prison Break, South Park, Scrubs, Chapelle’s Show, Burn Notice, Fringe, Lie to Me

What music do you like (genres and bands)?
Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydyn, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, ACDC, Dream Theater, Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yngwie, Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Van Halen, Pantera, Dragonforce, Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, Andrea Bocelli, Samuel Ramey, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Bob Dylan

What’s your favorite food/favorite restaurant in Charlottesville?
Lemongrass, I pretty much like all restaurants.
What are your favorite books and authors?

Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, J.K. Rowling, and Orson Scott Card books

What makes you a good catch?
Funny, smart, athletic, love to have fun.

What would your theme song be?
Theme song to get me pumped up – Welcome to the Jungle

What hobbies/interests would you like to share with your date? What ways would you like them to differ from you?
Music/sports I would like to share with my date. I would like them to have other hobbies and interests so that I can try something new.

What are deal breakers?
Overweight

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Fly

Are you outgoing or shy?
In-between

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Doing my residency as a doctor.

Describe yourself in one sentence.
I love trying different things and living life to its fullest.

Archie

Major?
Aerospace engineering

Sexual Orientation?
Straight

What extracurriculars do you participate in?
I play tennis, fly RC planes. Other than that, I am executive member of professional societies like AIAA and ASME. I love planes and I hope to get a private pilot license soon.

What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date?
Has to be taller than 5’6”, is honest, open-minded, polite, good manners, down-to-earth, funny and possibly wear glasses.

Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you work out? Do you attend religious services? Are you passionate about politics?
I don’t smoke. I do drink. I also work out. I’m passionate about certain topics in politics, but I’m open-minded. I wouldn’t judge people on what party they belong to. I’m religious enough, but again, I’m open-minded and feel that everyone has their own way of thinking and have their own opinions. Different opinions do not bother me or offend me.

How would you describe your race/ethnicity? Do you have an ethnicity preference?
I do not have any ethnicity preference. I’m Indian.

What are your favorite TV shows?
I like watching Scrubs, South Park, Family Guy, Greek, Project Runway, Sex and the City.

What music do you like (genres and bands)?
I like Rock and Metal. Some of my favorite bands are Metallica, DragonForce, Guns N’ Roses, Green Day.

What’s your favorite food/favorite restaurant in Charlottesville?
I like Café Europa, Basil, Lemongrass, Mas Tapas.

What are your favorite books and authors?
I like Harry Potter, Legend of the Seeker series, Heart of Darkness. Some of my favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, Nora Roberts.

What makes you a good catch?
Well, I have fins and I get baited easily?! Just kidding…I feel I’m a fun person to hang out with, I’m open-minded, honest, not high-maintenance, and can hold my own when in trouble.

What would your theme song be?
Born to be Wild

What hobbies/interests would you like to share with your date? What ways would you like them to differ from you?
Has to be adventurous, likes tennis or is willing to learn to play tennis.

What are deal breakers?
Men who have bad manners or are sexist.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Oh, I’d definitely want to be able to fly  (that way, I wouldn’t need a pilot’s license which is very expensive)

Are you outgoing or shy?
Outgoing

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
With a great job, married and have couple papers published in the aerospace industry.

Describe yourself in one sentence.
I’m fun loving and adventurous.

The Date

Archie: I just wanted to see how a blind date worked. I’ve never been on one before and it was one of those things I wanted to do before I graduated. I was wondering who it was, of course. The idea was kind of exciting and adventurous — it could be anyone that I kind of knew. I was excited.

Sean: I guess I was thinking, “I wonder how this will go and who I’m going to meet.” I was wondering how you were going to match us up because it was based on our responses to the survey, so I was wondering about the type of person.

Archie: We met at Cohn’s on the Corner and before, I was sitting there, waiting for him to show up and there was this kind of older looking dude sitting there. He asked me for a cigarette and I was like, “Oh no, what if it’s him!” So when Sean showed up I was relieved that it wasn’t the old guy. He seemed [like a] very causal, laid-back, chill sort of dude.

Sean: She was the only person in front of the store so I kind of figured it was her. Then we decided where to go for the meal and we decided on Lemongrass. I suggested it and we both agreed on it.

Archie: He was very comfortable to talk to. Friendly, we just [talked about] what year was I, what year was he. He told me he was a Music/Economics major and I asked him if he was composing anything. I told him I was an Aerospace Engineer. We just talked about majors and you know, stuff we did.

Sean: I mean, she was nice. She was pretty interesting to talk to. We talked about the usual stuff … what year and what are you studying and what do you like to do outside of classes and stuff. I found out that she practices Hinduism and she does prayer every night and she speaks seven different Indian language variations. I’m in an Eastern Religion class right now and we just learned about Hinduism.

Archie: The conversation was good because we knew a lot of the same people. He’s on the Club Tennis team and I pretty much know everyone on the team except for him which is ironic. We had a lot to talk about. The conversation really flowed. We talked about some tennis celebrities and their breakdowns. He told me he wakeboards. We talked about what we do and stuff outside of school.

Sean: Then we ordered, and I chose, I think it was the spicy chicken and I had it at a level 9 of spiciness. It was pretty spicy, but not too spicy. She got vegetable tofu with a spice level of 5. She’s vegetarian.

Archie: The entire time I was expecting him to break down. He handled it pretty well. I’m Indian and I’m used to spicy, but 9 is too much. Apparently, he did this Wild Wings challenge where you eat the spiciest wings in 12 minutes and he finished that, so … I had a new level of respect for him.

Sean: We had a little bit in common, not too much though. I play Club Tennis and I play piano, guitar. I’m a music major; I talked about the different performances I’m involved in. She did music in high school but wasn’t too involved at the moment. But I guess we had similar backgrounds. We were from foreign countries and spoke different languages. She played tennis but she doesn’t play competitively or anything. She plays for fun.

Archie: We did talk about music. He plays piano and listens to opera and the closest thing to opera I knew was “Time to Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman. He told me he went to the Metallica concert, which is pretty neat because I love metal music.

Sean: There weren’t really any dull moments. There were breaks and stuff when we decided what we wanted to order but otherwise there was always something to talk about. We left Lemongrass and we walked back to Cohn’s and we split after that.

Archie: I had to work at the Robertson Media Center so I gave him a hug and then he went his way and I went my way.

Sean: It was average. Let’s see … I guess I would give it right in the middle, a 5.

Archie: I would give it a 7. The conversation was good, the food was really good. We had things to talk about, things in common. It just wasn’t a 10. But at least he didn’t forget his wallet.

Archie and Sean assume they will run into each other some time in the future but as of now have no definite plans.

I was writing like a bandit stealing through the night, like a dumpster-diving raccoon bathing in Crisco by moonlight, whose eyes — as sullen as Zeus’s third wife, Tracy — peered through the dark like the wise glare of a mariner, hell-bent on seeing this thing out like Jesus did his fate. And I was like … Oh …

Love is like a freight train with no brakes or cup holders and a host of upper-class passengers — passengers who are going to be upset when they spill their Chardonnay all over themselves when the conductor can’t stop for that suicide attempt in a beat-up old Toyota with God knows how many miles on it.

Love is like roses that find out that they are prickly halfway to bloom, and like it.

Love is like some 400-pound wrestler mounting the ropes of the ring for a really impressive jump onto some already stunned character, only to slip, fall and scream out “whoops-a-daisy” and ruin his hard-ass reputation by curling up in a ball and laughing hysterically.

Love is like pastures one dreams of as a child.

Love is like the sweet smell of the honeysuckle’s breath, as rich in dream as ever it was on a cool spring day.

Love is like a liberal hippie traipsing up and down Pennsylvania Avenue on a Saturday afternoon, patchwork jacket drenched with sweat and voice hoarse from attempts to shine a light on the world.

Love is like the boy who doesn’t have many friends, but is satisfied.

Love is like a trampoline.

Love is like the pretty girl who says yes to a dance with the boy who doesn’t have many friends, and who smiles about it long after he has stopped believing that it was the best moment of his life.

Love is like the pills Grandpa takes that make him a little loopy — if not a lot more fun to be around at Thanksgiving — and when he starts talking about his old college days, which weren’t that long ago, he’ll have you know.

Love is like someone who is always at the back of your mind, until one day he or she becomes your only thought.

Love is like the shine of an unused knife beneath the soft glint of sunlight.

Love is like tears shed for enemies.

Love is like handing the guy sitting on The Corner the $0.77 you got in change from that morning coffee at Greenberry’s, and smiling when he says, “God bless ya man.”

And when I say love is like all of these things, I mean love is all of these things. And more.

Faith, hope and love, y’all.

Andy’s column runs biweekly Mondays. He can be reached at a.taylor@cavalierdaily.com.