Former Legislative Aide to Joe Morrissey Is on the Ballot as an Independent Candidate Against Morrissey. Should Dems Back Him?

I’m with Democratic super-activist Cindy Cunningham on this one (see her post, below):

“…if you were mad/embarrassed/stunned that convicted pedophile Joe Morrissey won the Democratic primary against incumbent state senator Roslyn Dance, you might want to look into his former legislative aide who filed to run as an Independent on Primary Day. People often ask how bad would the Democrat have to be before you’d vote for the Republican candidate, and for me, Morrissey would be it. (Aside from the pedophile/child porn conviction, he’s got a rap sheet longer than my arm.) Let’s get behind Door #3!”

So who’s behind Door #3? See below and also here: the man’s name is Waylin Ross, and while I don’t know much about him, other than what I’ve posted below, basically my attitude is that almost *anyone* has got to better than Joe Morrissey (for more on why I say this, see here; plus, note that Morrissey now claims to be “pro-life,” aka against a woman’s right to choose). Fortunately, from what I’ve found out so far, Ross is intriguing:

1. He actually was Morrissey’s legislative aide in 2012-2013, before Morrissey fired him (a major “plus” in my book!)
2. He was an intern for Sen. Yvonne Miller– “the first African-American woman to be elected to the state house when she won in 1983. Four years later, she was elected to the state Senate, and was consistently re-elected after that, dying in office.”
3. “After graduating from PHS in Petersburg, VA, where he was proudly born and raised, Ross went off to Old Dominion University – where he majored in Political Science with a history minor. He later received his Master of Public Policy degree from George Mason University, with a concentration in Economics.”
4. He’s a Sorensen Institute graduate.
5. He “was elected as Chairman of Virginia21 Student Leadership Committee – grassroots arm of the largest student advocacy group across the state”
6. “He is the founding member, and first president of ODU’s political honor society, Phi Sigma Alpha. After joining the National Urban League Young Professionals Richmond chapter, Ross served as Director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs on NULYP’s national board.”
7. “In 2015, [Gov. Terry McAuliffe] appointed Waylin to the state’s Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation.”
8. “At the young age of 25, Waylin accepted a position at Northern Virginia Community College teaching macroeconomics and microeconomics the following three years. At the same age, Ross opened his first company—ParaLobby, LLC— a firm that provides government support services to businesses.”

Again, I don’t know much about Waylin Ross – would love to chat with him! – but from what I’ve seen so far, he looks intriguing and impressive. And more to the point, he looks infinitely better than Joe Morrissey. The big question is, what will Virginia Senate Democrats and Leader Dick Saslaw do about this situation? Back Joe Morrissey (gack!)? Stay out of it? Get behind Ross? What do you think Senate Democrats should do in this case? I’m leaning towards Option #2 (“Get behind Ross”) and Cindy’s “Door #3.” 🙂

P.S. Morrissey said recently on Trumpster radio: “I was the only Democrat that came out and said, are you serious? A late third trimester abortion bill are you serious?…When Governor Northam said if a baby is born with deformities, we’ll have a discussion. Really? A discussion? With what? With whom? About what?”

P.P.S. NARAL VA President Tarina Keene posted this on Facebook: “Joe Morrissey IS most definitely Anti-Abortion and anti-contraception and anti-woman. He voted in favor of TRAP after telling me to my face that he wouldn’t, meaning he will say whatever you want to hear in the moment. And not to mention, he is completely demeaning to women lobbyists… screaming in their faces to embarrass them, throwing papers at them, making them feel inept and demoralized. I’ve seen it and been one of his targets. Don’t be fooled by him. Oh and every time I forced myself into his office… he would remind me at the beginning that he was proud to have the endorsement of Democrats for “Life.” Joe can’t be trusted in my experience with him. Let’s not forget he is a child predator… which he also lied about. He is our Trump…. a self-obsessed, narcissistic Shyster. He is certainly NO Tim Kaine.”