The return of Paul Jost...

Paul Jost is no longer a wealth Williamsburg business man with a penchant for political activism and the occasional campaign.

Now living in Florida - Jost is making a last second email pitch for former Gov. Jim Gilmore - attached with the Washington Times endorsement of Gilmore's campaign against former Gov. Mark R. Warner.

Here's the text of the letter:

Since moving to Florida earlier this year, Laura and I have tried to stay out of Virginia politics.  I am forwarding you this Washington Times endorsement of Jim Gilmore, because the Senate election in Virginia effects the whole country.  If Barack Obama wins the Presidency, the Democrats increase their majority in the House of Representatives, and they also obtain a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the United States Senate, there will be dire consequences for the country.  We can't allow that to happen.
 
Jim Gilmore is a good man who has always kept his word.  If elected to the United States Senate, he will caucus with Mitch McConnell, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, and other Republicans.  His opponent did not keep his word to the taxpayers of Virginia.  If elected, he will caucus with Harry Reid, Hilary Clinton, John Kerry, and other Democrats.
 
Please read the full endorsement below and please vote for Jim Gilmore on Tuesday. 
 
Paul Jost

The quote of the year from George Allen...

More details to come on the conference call with the Virginia GOP leadership team for John McCain, but former Gov. George Allen had a nice zinger. 

Asked why Virginia is such a close race just a few days away from Election Day. Allen served this one up. 

"I majored in history not political science," Allen said. But "Virginia has become, as I well know, a competitive state." 

Virginia voices: "Why I'm voting for..."

Here's an interesting little round-up from the Associated Press. Over the past week, the AP has been asking random Virginians why they're supporting one candidate or the other. Here's what they heard:

"I'm at the place now where I think we're going to be all right even if Obama wins." - Bill Reynolds, an 83-year-old retired Texas pastor and McCain voter in Fairfax County.

"I would never cast a vote for anyone who supports abortion." - Shawn Bowe, 38, of Chesapeake, a Defense Department employee on why he supports McCain.

"I really believe in what Obama stands for. I just hope he hasn't fooled us all. I really, really hope that he's everything he says he is and everything we hope he is - the great hope." - Ryan Kent, 26, a Richmond hair stylist who will vote this year for the first time.

"What does skin color have to do with him changing our economy and making things better for our country? If he was purple, I'd probably vote for him." - Tomika Jackson, 21, of Chesterfield County, on why Obama's economic proposals, not the prospect of being the nation's first black president, appeal to her. She is black.

"I have no problem with a black president. I have no problem with a female president. But the experience issue and all the problems that are going on in the Middle East and in Israel and in Russia, ... I don't think Obama's seasoned enough to take care of that." -Duke Askew, 70, of New Kent, owner of a paint and decorating store and McCain voter. He is white.

"I am a Bush-generated Democrat. He's been a go-it-alone president who cares nothing for world opinion and cares nothing for the opinion of his own country." - Connie Lilly, 60, of Richmond, a retired computer programmer who is backing Obama.

"Right now, I feel like it's very unbalanced. I don't think there's enough manufacturing and things that are American-made in this country." - T.J. Hillman, 38, of Wise, who was laid off from his sales job and believes McCain will improve the nation's balance of global trade and improve a troubled economy.

"We're doing OK. We feel that we can make it at least six months and still do OK." - Eddie DuRant, 42, an Obama voter from Virginia Beach coping with his recent layoff from a small Virginia Beach environmental engineering firm.

Why are you voting the way you are? Please add your response. But keep it short, please -- and keep it civil.

Is Obama coming back here on Monday?

Update: Barack Obama will be in Northern Virginia on Monday.

***

We don't know this for a fact, but there was snippet on MSNBC that Barack Obama will spend more time in Virginia on Monday. I've been on the road for the past hour or so and haven't checked the TV -- and no, I don't have a handheld whaddycallem.

Can anyone out there confirm or bat down this tidbit?

Monday Night Football goes political - really?

In the final sign of the end times - John McCain and Barack Obama are both appearing on Monday Night Football's halftime show.

They're are both going to be interviewed by ESPN guru - Chris "Boomer" Berman. Berman is probably best known for his colorful knicknames for player - I wonder if he'll try something cute with Obama's middle name? 

Berman is also known for his sometimes colorful language. If you don't mind an F-bomb every now and again click here.

I'm sure the questions will be deep and incisive.

Chris Rock, Hillary Clinton, Jay-Z, Mark Warner - Welcome to Virginia Election Day...

In case you miss John McCain in Newport News, there are plenty of celebrities and politicians wooing Virginia voters at the last minute.

Comedian Chris Rock is in Norfolk on Saturday night headling a get-out-the-vote night for Barack Obama at the Harrison Opera House - doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Rapper Jay-Z is headlining a rally in Richmond at Virginia Union University a little after 6 p.m. Saturday night - another event that is free and open to the public. 

Hillary Clinton is rallying supporters in Manassas at George Mason University at 3:30 p.m. - space is limited but the event is free and open to the public. 

And on Monday Obama is going to be speaking to supporters in Manassas Park and former Gov. Mark R. Warner is returning to Norfolk. Warner is going to be at the Ted Constant Center at Old Dominion University at 11:30 a.m. 

Is it Election Day yet?

    

Schedule change: McCain will be at CNU at 9 tomorrow morning

John McCain's campaign just announced that his visit to Newport News tomorrow will be an hour later than previously planned.

The GOP presidential candidate is now scheduled to speak on The Great Lawn at Christopher Newport University at 9 a.m.

Gates to the area, which is on University Place off Warwick Boulevard, will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8:45.

Here's a map:

View Larger Map

Obama in VB: "We can't let up"

“Virginia, I just have two words for you – five days,” Barack Obama told a boisterous crowd at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater this evening.

“We are five days away from changing America. We can’t let up for one minute or one second of the next five days. We know what’s at take.”

That point was hammered home by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who endorsed Obama early on in his campaign and ended up on his short list of vice presidential candidates.

“Even though the polls are good,” said Kaine, “because we haven’t done this in so long, we have to assume we’re the underdog. The underdog has to work longer and harder.”

Virginia has not voted for a Democrat for president since the Lyndon Johnson landslide of 1964. But Obama leads in the polls here. His rally attracted 10,000 people to the concert venue, many of them snapping photos and enjoying a carnival atmosphere.

It was Obama’s 10th trip to Virginia since locking up the Democratic nomination and the second major event in Hampton Roads this week. Republican John McCain will appear in Newport News Saturday morning, another sign of the region’s importance and evidence that both campaigns view this state as vital and winnable.

GOP response to Obama in VB

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign just released this response to Barack Obama's appearance in Virginia Beach:

“If voters looked into Barack Obama’s rearview, they’d see that he supported every one of Washington’s wasteful spending bills and has voted for higher taxes 94 times in just three years.  His economic proposals are driven by job killing tax increases and out-of-control spending -- Barack Obama would drive this sputtering economy off a cliff.”
--Tucker Bounds, spokesman McCain-Palin

Meet the Beatles

From left: Ringo, George, John, Paul.

 

Correction: Sorry, this is also from the Obama rally. From left: Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Barack Obama, Senate candidate Mark Warner.

Here's the flip side:

Associated Press photos.