Friday, March 17, 2006
Mark Warner Warming the Midwest Heartland
Sen. Mark Warner paid a visit to the good folks in Illinois "earlier this week trying to build the case for his candidacy among the party faithful."
The Chicago-Sun Times writes a most favorable story about Warner; and this is what they have to say:
Let's hope Warner doesn't spend all his political capital supporting Miller 'cause as everybody knows Webb is the one who can beat George Allen.Warner has an impressive resume: He's a graduate of Harvard Law School and one of the original founders of the cellular phone company Nextel. But Warner's most impressive credential, as far as some Democrats are concerned, is that he managed a convincing five-point win in 2001 in a red state that voted twice for President Bush. Warner also left office at the beginning of this year with the highest approval rating in Virginia's history.
Warner is full of ideas on a range of issues, but the essence of his candidacy boils down to five words: "Hillary can't win. I can." Warner doesn't say it like that, of course, but he doesn't have to. Democrats are desperate to take back the White House and Warner's message resonates with those who loathe the idea of losing again in 2008 by putting another Northeastern liberal at the top of the ticket. Of course, Warner has history on his side as well: The only two Democrats to have won the presidency since the early 1960s have both been governors from the South, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
