All four men vying for the governor's office are going to speak during the 61st annual Shad Planking at the Wahefield Ruritan Club.
This year's rural rumble is scheduled for April 15, just a week after lawmakers are set to return to Richmond to consider Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's amendments during the April 8 reconvened session. Obviously the General Assembly schedule is in flux these days - with some lawmakers suggesting delaying some budget decisions as they wrap their arms around the size of the federal stimulus.
But the campaign doesn't stop - so expect to hear from Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Sen. Creigh Deeds, Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe while you're picking the bones out of your fish
The event is usually light fare - with folks poking fun at each other and themselves. Sen. Mark R. Warner and Del. Bob Marshall both gave funny speeches last year although former Gov. Jim Gilmore used the event for a typically aggressive stump pitch. This year's crop of candidates proved during the press dinner last week that they can get off some good lines - and some great awkward pauses.
McAuliffe was aggressive and laugh out loud funny, McDonnell had some great lines including a good pitch to all three Democrats to fight on in the primary race whatever the costs. Deeds busted out handcuffs and landed some zingers about and Moran had some good lines too - including a nod to McDonnell's sometimes faulty memory.
So if the Democrats don't want to kill each other by mid-April this could be a very funny year. Then again if the campaign trail had rubbed nerves raw - they event might be deliciously uncomfortable. Plus every gets to see just how OCD all the guys are about campaign signs.
The Shad Planking also has a new website - www.shadplanking.com - with a pretty sweet name.
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