AS ONE OF only a few conservatives left writing in this space, I feel somewhat called upon to make an appeal to those who inhabit the University community. With under three weeks left until the election and living in what is unexpectedly and unfortunately a swing state, we need to make ourselves more visible and make sure that we encourage, cajole and harass (whatever it takes) our ideological comrades into voting this November, or risk losing state, local and national elections and giving liberals a near stranglehold on national power.
I suspect that there are many conservatives within the circulation of this paper. The problem is that I only suspect it. I know that there are the College Republicans because I get Facebook messages and e-mails from them fairly frequently, but beyond that, one longing for a breath of conservative air around grounds would be left gasping. Take a look at the Lawn. A stroll down it reveals a seemingly never-ending chain of “Obama-Warner-Periello” signs. By contrast, John McCain seems to have only one lone ally located on our University’s most public sphere. The Obama campaign seems ubiquitous, with clipboard bearing acolytes haunting every major thoroughfare for weeks leading up to voter registration. The same trend can be seen in driving around Charlottesville, where every third car seems to sport an Obama sticker, or at least a virulently anti-Bush slogan. There are even reports, according to The Hook magazine and NBC 29, that McCain signs have been burned in the locality. It is all really quite discouraging, and enough to make a Republican at the University throw up his or her hands in frustration. Indeed, looking solely at Charlottesville, one would think that the jig was up for John McCain.
But there is hope. Take a drive up or down Route 29, and let your spirits be refreshed in “Virginia is McCain Country” signs; realize that Charlottesville is a liberal bubble in a relatively conservative area. Note that Virginia has not voted Democratic since LBJ, and conclude that this election is not out of reach for conservative Virginians. It is so easy, however, to lose hope in such a stiflingly liberal environment. To remedy this, conservatives need to step up and proclaim their beliefs, put signs in yards and windows, wear stickers and buttons, just as the Democrats are doing. Anything to relieve the monotony of glancing at backpacks and seeing only Obama buttons. Conservatism seems to have acquired a stigma of shame; it’s time to reverse that and demonstrate that there are in fact more significant numbers of us here than one would currently realize.
Most importantly, however, conservatives need to rally each other to vote. While it is too late to register to vote in Virginia, if you are already registered, you can either vote at home or via an absentee ballot. The deadline to request one of these is October 28. Alternatively, one can vote absentee in person (before election day but at one’s place of residence) up until November 1. To put it simply, we need every conservative vote we can get. According to an article in the Washington Post, 49,000 new voters registered in Virginia in the month of August alone. The Obama campaign set a goal to register 150,000 new voters before the election. More recently, polls have begun to show McCain losing ground in Virginia; many even have him trailing Obama. If we want to maintain any hope of John McCain winning the election, then we need to get out all the conservative votes we can, because this time, we have no margin for error.
The same holds true in elections for seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Virginians are defending several seats, locally Virgil Goode’s seat, and a seat we haven’t had to fight for in years: Tom Davis’s old seat in Northern Virginia. And while many have despaired of Jim Gilmore beating Mark Warner in the Senate race, we can still try. Thus, getting conservative votes out in Virginia is crucial not only to winning the presidency, but also to prevent the Democrats from gaining seats in the House and Senate.
This should be a true prod to Republicans in Virginia. No matter how unenthused you may be about John McCain, you need to vote this November. If you don’t, and if the Democrats win Virginia and thus the White House, then we are looking at an Obama-Reid-Pelosi triumvirate in control. And that ought to be enough to scare all conservatives into voting. So, to all the conservatives out there who have not yet made plans to vote: Get on it, because your votes will be crucial to keeping Virginia in the red.
Robby Colby’s column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at r.colby@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
COHEN: Charlottesville must embrace a comprehensive solution to homelessness
By Ryan Cohen | 55 minutes agoThe city has made several past efforts to reduce homelessness, but the growing number of unhoused people suggests that these temporary solutions are simply not enough.
WILLIAMS: The future of Virginia is on the ballot this fall
By Ryan Williams | 4 days agoHence, voters must make it their top priority to think critically and closely as they decide who their ballot will support this fall.
PARTING SHOT: On the art of walking and chewing gum
By Nathan Onibudo | 6 days agoStudent journalism, and maybe even life more generally, is about holding space for multiple conflicting truths.
