Archive: Video
The Ad War
Sorry for the lag between posts. It's been quite a week. The big news? An ad by Jerry Kilgore, attacking Tim Kaine on the death penalty. It's two ads, actually. You can see them here. Kaine immediately responded with an ad of his own. You can see that one here. And a bit later, he went up with a second ad, which you can find here, too. The conclusion? The immediate conventional wisdom was that the ads were devastating for Kaine. They depict very sorrowful family members talking about their loved ones who were murdered, and -- in essence -- blaming Kaine, who opposes the death penalty but says he will enforce it if elected. Without the benefit of any polling, though, political pundits are left wondering what impact the ads really had. Did they hurt Kaine as much as people think? Or could there be a backlash from people who...
By Michael Shear | October 14, 2005; 04:46 PM ET | Comments (13)
The Rappahanock White House?
Reagan had Santa Barbara.Bush I had Kennebunkport.Clinton had Martha's Vineyard.Bush II has Crawford, Texas. So where would a President Mark Warner vacation? Welcome to Rappahanock Bend Farm, a 110-acre spread in King George County just at the bend of (can you guess?) the Rappahanock River. It's got a house (white, of course), swimming pool, barn, basketball court and a vineyard. Warner bought the spread in 1989, long before he was elected governor of Virginia in 2001. Just about every year at this time, he hosts a Pig Roast at the farm and invites a few thousand of his closest friends. He's done it about 15 times. There's beer, lemonade, barbecue, and lots of Democrats. Visitors park their cars in a huge field, directed by efficient young parking attendants. It might as well be a county festival. Warner does nothing but stand at the head of a receiving line that snakes around...
By Michael Shear | September 17, 2005; 08:34 PM ET | Comments (6)
NASCAR Race to Richmond
So here it is, the real Race to Richmond. Jerry Kilgore unveiled today the Jerry Kilgore car, a soon-to-be real, live entry in the Nextel Cup series. The car, driven by Hermie Sadler, will race at the Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 23. Kilgore didn't just stand by the car today. He tossed caution to the wind and actually climbed in the drivers seat. (Several NACSAR representatives standing nearby said they were impressed with his deftness.) Grinning a big grin, he grabbed the steering wheel and flashed his pearly whites for the television and still cameras. No, he said, this is not a shameless political stunt. "It's about supporting racing in Virginia," he said. Delacey Skinner, a spokeswoman for the Tim Kaine campaign, declined to make the expected jokes about the Kilgore campaign going around and around in circles until election day. And she didn't say anything about the prospect that the...
By Michael Shear | September 8, 2005; 05:23 PM ET | Comments (5)
