George Barker and Doug Wilder

In 1989, George Barker voted in the Republican primary for Governor of Virginia.

The Democrats only had one candidate-  Doug Wilder.

Does anyone have any idea what Barker had against Wilder?

Comments

[GMUFreshman]

Don't remember 1989, but didn't every Democrat support the first black Governor?

Stick a fork in this guy?

[carl]

who were the GOP candidates -- maybe he was voting to try to help the candidate who Wilder would have an easier time against.

Somone has been doing their oppo research!

[Matt]

that is some oppo research there...

[Ward Smythe]

GOP candidates in 1989 were Paul Trible, Stan Parris and Marshall Coleman. All three ran as far to the right as they could to win the primary. Coleman won the primary and tried to move back to the middle. Wilder won, but it was close.

My guess is, since the primaries are open, Barker was voting for who he thought to be the weakest GOP candidate.

Sad to say for our side, it was a tough choice.

[Maura]

That's ridiculous, Ben.

You don't have to have something "against" the Democratic nominee in order to participate in the Republican primary.

In 2000, I voted in the Republican presidential primary in Virginia. Al Gore was the definite Democratic nominee, so there was nothing to decide on our side. So I decided to have a say in the battle between McCain and Bush, believing McCain to be generally less evil and less stupid.

That doesn't mean I had anything "against" Al Gore. I just knew that the Republican nominee would likely carry Virginia in 2000, so I wanted at least some say in who that Republican might be.

You can rail against open primaries, but if only one party is having a primary, that doesn't mean any vendetta is involved if a voter participates.

Maura ... It is reasonable to assume NLS thought of what you had to say but, because it is contrary to his anti-Barker spin-fest, has choosen to ignored it. No offense to your post, but I don't think NLS needed educating on this point, it just doesn't fit within his ultimate motivation.

[Poli-Carp]

I continue to be amazed. Will NLS "stop at nothing" to see Barker beaten? I guess the next cry will be, "Barker's a RACIST!"

[GOPHokie]

Poli, give him time.
My guess is though that Barker was voting for Coleman to ensure we lost; but thats just a guess.

[hrconservative]

Uh, it could just be that, because of open primaries, he was trying to help Wilder by voting for a weaker candidate, or by voting for the most liberal Republican just in case the Republican won. I have voted in the Dem primary before. I think you are reading something into nothing here, Ben.

Ben, are you really that myopic or are you really that vindictive—or both?

In 2005, I felt extremely confident that Leslie Byrne would win the Primary against Chap, Viola, and Mr. Puckett. So I did something out of the ordinary: I went to the primary poll and voted in the Republican primary to vote for Bolling and AGAINST Connaughton. I did not become a member of FCDC until January of 2006, and therefore felt no worries about voting in the 2005 Republican primary.

That said, if I was a member of FCDC in 2005, I think I would have still voted AGAINST Connaughton in a Republican Primary to give Leslie (or any other Democratic candidate) the best chance to earn as many Northern Virginia voters as possible in November. I had no regrets for voting in that Republican primary. Come to think of it, I voted for Zone against Devolites in the 2003 Republican primary. I even saw Devolites out there campaigning that day and working up a frantic sweat. That made my day!

It would not surprise me a bit that George Barker, a good man who I plan on contributing money to, used the same strategy in 1989 as I did in 2005 and 2003.

George and Jane Barker are outstanding Democrats. To accuse George of anything else is just laughable. It took me only one minute to track down this recent article that featured Jane and George Barker and their work in Clifton for our Democratic candidates and causes:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/01/AR2006110103236.html

Ben, at this point I think you are doing more harm to Captain Greg than to George Barker. When I ask people down in Springfield about Galligan, they laugh and talk about YOU.

[Chris]

The key question is did Barker voter for Wilder in the general. If he did, Ben has no case here.

[Poli-Carp]

Chris,

We'll never know.

[Not Larry Sabato]

I'm confused.

Barker says he voted in the 03 Republican primary to pick the STRONGER and better GOP candidate.

But then does he say he voted in 1989 to pick to WEAKER and worse GOP candidate?

And if he does both (the stories don't seem to be lining up here)- why didn't he voted in the 96, 97 or 00 GOP primaries?

Something is fishy here...

(I'm thinking Barker only voted in GOP primaries when he didn't want the Dem to win, thats the only way this would be consistant).

[Cory Chandler]

The State Board of Elections only keeps individualized voter turnout data for 3-4 years. How do you know he voted in the 1989 GOP primary, and is the source reliable?

Ben,

First, I never heard George say he voted in the 1989 Republican primary. Unless you show us proof or George admits this, then there is nothing to really argue about 1989. Even if he did, then I still have no problem at all with that because of what he acknowledged he did in the 2003 Republican primary: Vote for Elaine in the hopes that she would be the nominee.

Do you keep forgetting that we had no one to run against Elaine (or any Republican candidate) in the 2003 Springfield BOS race? Do you also realize if Elaine had lost that primary, we would have had a right-wing Republican as a Springfield Supervisor after the 2003 general election?

Do you also keep forgetting that Doug Wilder pressured Mary Sue Terry to step aside from a 1989 primary, leaving only the Republicans to duke it out in a very divisive three-way primary of their own?

To the point: Regarding 2003, George and many other Springfield Democrats recognized that without a Democratic candidate to challenge Elaine McConnell, Elaine was a much more reasonable option as a Supervisor when compared to the other very conservative Republican primary opponents. Regarding 1989, if George really did vote in the Republican primary then why not? Wilder had no primary opponent and George’s vote could have been used to weaken the perceived stronger GOP candidate.

Even more to the point: Considering George Barker is 10x the Democrat than Captain Greg, did you even know that JANE AND GEORGE BARKER HEPLED ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISER FOR CAPTAIN GREG IN THE FALL OF 2003? Yea, they did!

And you are inferring that George was pro-Republican in 2003? Absurd.

--Anon 4:42 PM

[Not not]

I don't know who George voted for in the 89 primary, but I do know that he worked hard to support the Wilder/Buyer/Terry ticket. Isn't that what counts?

And Ben, I also know he had a Wilder bumper sticker on his car. Did you have one on your tricycle?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Cory- Fairfax County keeps a file back to the 1970s.

[Glad I'm Not Ben's Shrink]

NLS,

Your Galligan FanBoy act and your attacks on Barker are reaching the point of absurdity.

Your logic is as warped as your personality.

Your analysis is more confused than your sex life.

With a few more GFBs like you, Galligan is sure to lose.

[Newington]

Not that this has anything to do with the post above, but I'm hoping to find out sometime before the primary or caucus or whatever where Galligan and Barker stand on the substantive issues.

[thegools]

In the 2005 governor's race. I knew I would vote for Kaine, but I voted in the GOp primary because there were a few in there I didn't like and some I liked better.
I voted for Fitch, he is my mayor after all and we kinda like him.

My guess if George did the same in the 1989 GOP primary since there was no question about who the DEM candidate would be.

[Poli-Carp]

"Barker says he voted in the 03 Republican primary to pick the STRONGER and better GOP candidate.

But then does he say he voted in 1989 to pick to WEAKER and worse GOP candidate?

And if he does both (the stories don't seem to be lining up here)- why didn't he voted in the 96, 97 or 00 GOP primaries?

Something is fishy here...

(I'm thinking Barker only voted in GOP primaries when he didn't want the Dem to win, thats the only way this would be consistant)."

Yes, NLS, it is consistent. In one, he was picking the better (read centrist) GOP candidate for an office for which the Democrats hadn't nominated anyone; he voted for someone who wouldn't oppose your party's ideals. In the other race, he was voting for the weaker potential GOP candidate, to give the Democrat who wasn't opposed for the nomination a better chance. Are you really this simple-minded, or are you this disingenuous in your support for Galligan? After reading your posts, I wish I could cast a vote for George Barker. Of course, your next post will be, "Poli-Carp is a RACIST!"

[Nate de la Piedra]

Maura,

Your 4:11 comment is why your Awesome, Virginia needs you back, I hope you are feeling better, been seeing your name on the blogs. Sorry I'm broke or I'd throw in a few bones.

Sorry I missed you at JI's cocktail party, please move back to Virginia, we need you here.

[not Not]

Maura

I did the exact same thing in 2000 (voted in the R primary to try and stop Shrub -- Gore was a lock). I would do so again without a second thought.

I consider myself a very strong Dem, but I am first off a strong American and Virginian and I my primary obligation as a citizen is to try to select the BEST leaders. If I can influence the final candidate selection in a way I feel best for my Commonwealth and my Country, that is a higher duty than loyalty to my party.

So if the 08 presidential primaries come to VA, and the top Republicans are Sam Brownshirt and someone "reasonable", while the Dem race has been decided or is between two candidates I find to be acceptable, I might just vote in the "other " primary to cast a vote against Sam.

[Jonathan Mark]

I remember the 1989 race. The Republicans had a spirited primary. Marshall Coleman won it.

The Dem primary was no contest. Maybe Barker wanted to vote in a contested primary instead of an uncontested one.

Why not? The laws of Virginia permit Dems to vote in Republican primaries and vice versa.

[Not Frank Hargrove]

I'll take any opportunity that I can to vote against Bill Bolling. If that means voting in a GOP primary, so be it. I did it in 2005, and I plan on doing it in 2009.