Lifelong lobbyist Ed Gillespie marvels at this fascinating, beautiful state the natives (that's you and me) call "Virginia." Ha. Perhaps a travel guide, courtesy of the Democratic Party of Virginia (note to Ed Gillespie: they're headquartered in Richmond, aka the capitol of the state). 😉
It is nice to see that Ed Gillespie has finally started making his way around the Commonwealth. In fact, at the Ripon Society a week ago, he marveled at Virginia's gorgeous landscape, saying, "Everywhere you go, it’s just beautiful, and there’s so much history! … Whether it’s the mountains out west or the rivers and ocean, it’s just so beautiful. I’m really enjoying it."
Of course, since he's spent most of his career inside the beltway as a Washington lobbyist, he's seeing much of Virginia for the first time. So, to help him get better acquainted with the state, we put together our top ten places he should go to while he's campaigning around the Commonwealth.
1. As Ed might be aware, the Chesapeake Bay is one the natural jewels of Virginia. While he enjoys the water, he might like to know that Mark Warner helped preserve its pristine beauty by fighting for improved water quality standards and federal conservation funds.
2. Virginia has a rich musical history. When Ed makes his way down to Southwest Virginia, he should make sure to to visit The Crooked Road Musical Heritage Tour, which was launched by Mark Warner and supports 225 direct jobs and $23 million in annual economic activity.
3. While he's down there, he might want to check out the artwork coming from the Round the Mountain artisan network Mark Warner helped support through a federal grant.
4. When Ed makes his way to Williamsburg, he should visit Virginia's oldest college, William and Mary. Senator Warner helped the Puller Clinic become the first law school in the country to receive national designation from the Veterans Administration for a program that helps veterans with their disability claims.
5. Ed should take some time to meet with hundreds of entrepreneurs and innovators in the Roanoke Valley who have used start-up tools advocated by Mark Warner to launch exciting new businesses.
6. Ed could visit any public school in Southside Virginia, where students now have access to high-speed Internet because of Mark Warner's work to support rural broadband.
7. Ed should drop-by any Virginia college or university to learn about improved student programs and campus facilities because of Mark Warner's leadership of a successful $900 million bond referendum.
8. When he stops by Mr. Jefferson's Capitol (one of those historical giants), he should stop by Governor's Office on the third floor where Mark Warner's bipartisan approach helped Virginia earn accolades as the nation's Best Managed State and Best State for Business.
9. Ed could stop at any one of Virginia's state parks, which benefitted from $119 million in voter-approved bonds through a bipartisan campaign led by Mark Warner.
10. Finally, as Ed sees some of the pristine beauty of rural Virginia, he should make sure to hike a few of the many trails created by the Rails-to-Trails investment Mark Warner made as Governor.
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