Delegate Chris Saxman was interviewed by Chris Graham on the Augusta Free Press Show. What was a conversation on state issues and the Augusta GOP took an interesting turn when Saxman brought up the race for the U.S. Senate (to Graham’s surprise). Here’s the transcript of the exchange (minus the “ums” and “ahs,” emphasis added):
Graham: . . . the big thing for you, working with the McCain campaign, is you just need to focus on November. McCain campaign, also Jim Gilmore, and Bob Goodlatte, I mean, there are some big things coming up this year -
Saxman: Well, Jim Gilmore isn’t the nominee yet.
Graham: He isn’t the nominee yet, right.
Saxman: I think it’s going to be a very close election at the convention.
Graham: Really?
Saxman: Oh, I do. Absolutely. Everything I’m hearing on the ground, and delegates being signed up, the life issue is very important.
Graham: Good, well, I’ve talked with all three of the candidates, also Bob Berry, and I know Bob Marshall as well, a few weeks – well, a few days ago, I guess it was last week we ran that podcast – and all three – especially Bob Marshall, as one of the, the top challenger there – seemed very – he had a very good message and from what I’ve been reading, he is drawing some support, so that’s a very good point.
Saxman: Bob – Bob Marshall, that is – is not to be underestimated. He is strongly principled. He is affable; he is very funny, very witty.
Graham: Uh, huh.
Saxman: A true gentleman, in every sense of the word. I mean, he’ll be upset with you on – one moment, the next he’s making a joke with you. So, he doesn’t – he doesn’t take shots personally; that’s a quality people want to find in a candidate.
Graham: I had not talked with him until last – when I did that podcast last weekend, and I found the same thing. His reputation might have been different, at least according to the media characterizations of him, but he is exactly as you say.
Saxman: Well, that’s what the media does, I mean, the media paints a portrait that – “he’s controversial.” Bob is very committed to his beliefs but he doesn’t get personal with them.
Graham: Yeah, yeah.
Saxman: You know? And he’s respected in the legislature, for his intelligence, for his, his in-depth knowledge of the rules of the House, and his comedy. I mean, people genuinely like Bob. They’ll disagree with him.
Graham: Yeah.
Saxman: But on many issues they do agree with him, especially on the environment, and growth issues in northern Virginia, where he’s been one of the leaders. So you honestly do have a pro-life, pro-environmental, limited-government candidate, to run against Mark Warner should he be the, the, nominee.
Graham: Well, thanks for this insight. I’ll pay closer attention even that I have been in the last couple of -
Saxman: I think you should. What I’m hearing out of the delegate counts of some of the larger jurisdictions is it’s going to be close.
Graham: Interesting. Well, I’ll have to follow that. Well, thanks Chris for your time and your insight as always.
Saxman: Sure.
Keep in mind, Graham didn’t push Saxman on this; he wasn’t even expecting it to come up at all. Saxman took it upon himself to disabuse Graham of the notion that Gilmore’s nomination was a done deal. That should tell you how much credibility to put in Gilmore’s victory declarations.
Cross-posted to Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall
April 24, 2008 at 9:58 am |
DJ: Free advice. This whole piece could be pro-Marshall. You don’t need to attack Gilmore’s credibility. We will see what we see at the Convention.
It’s unnecessary and doesn’t advance your candidate to make the Gilmore remarks.
When I write for Gilmore, I will never find it necessary to make the comments, however correct, that Marshall will be portrayed as a loon by the MSM and that becomes an additional burden for an unknown to overcome in a state-wide race. Now, I only gave this example in this comment box that won’t be read by as many people as an open piece.
Free advice from the same team in November.
April 24, 2008 at 10:44 am |
Sorry, Jim, but Gilmore’s strategy was to pretend Marshall didn’t exist; now it’s to pretend the race is over when, in fact, it’s not. I have to challenge them on that.
Besides, this is ia a primary, which in part is a vetting prcoess. While you haven’t discussed it, other Gilmore bloggers have brought up that version of the electability angle – to whcih I’ve responded – and they should. GOP delegates who have not made up their minds would want that aired, and would want to hear what we Marhsall supporters have to say about it.
I, for one, don’t think MSM will be any nicer to Gilmore than to Marshall (the portrayal will be different, but not necessarily better), and as I’ve posted repeatedly, Gilmore has his own general election burdens. For us not to discuss each others weaknesses is to deliberately weaken ourselves for the general election, in my view.
April 24, 2008 at 10:49 am |
I should have written “nomination contest,” not “primary.”" Mea cupla.
April 24, 2008 at 12:05 pm |
Unfortunately Del Saxman voted to cap the PPTRA or Car Tax cut at $950 Million annually. It’s an amazing thing that legislators talk up tax cuts for the people, but will cap that tax cut in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, funding big govt. with ‘Fee’ increases like the extra $10 they placed on license plates is a fig leaf for a tax increase. No big govt. funding there.
It is hilarious to see bloggers and even Del Saxman say or imply that Governor Gilmore is a ‘Big Govt’ guy, (saxman described marshall as limited govt is what I mean), when Gilmore is the guy who limited the expansion of govt, by returning a huge chunk of taxes back to the localiites for us!
This is plain and simple, Gov Gilmore was an agent of change, and is forcing the GA to fund a tax cut every year that directly benefits each citizen who owns a car, two cars, three cars, etc.
On a final note, JAB is dead on… Del Marshall for as good a candidate as he is, faces an immense uphill battle against Warner.
Gov. Gilmore is juxtaposed against Warner, and is willing to punch him repeatedly to win. Mr Nice Guy Marshall comes across as a likeable college professor, and is not going to throw the knock out punches we need to win this thing!
April 24, 2008 at 1:16 pm |
Gilmore, with negatives starting in the 40s, can’t afford to “throw the knock out punches” unless he’s willing to push his negatives above the forbidden 50% mark. Marshall, on the other hand, has an opportunity to define himself in ways that neither Gilmore nor Warner can, and really set the tone for the general election.
April 24, 2008 at 1:44 pm |
Hold the phone, STD, Saxman never said anything negative about Gilmore; and I agree, the car-tax cut-freeze was a dumb idea and a betrayal of a trust (I should also note that Marshall voted against it).
April 24, 2008 at 2:13 pm |
[...] Chris Saxman must have missed Gilmore’s “the race is over” memo Posted on April 24, 2008 by majorkong Story from The Right-Wing Liberal. [...]
April 24, 2008 at 5:15 pm |
DJ:
I hear an implication that Jim Gilmore is not for limited govt. I believe in your own words, and I hear it implied by Del. Saxman, or maybe I am reading into it.
Anyway, Saxman has a firm grasp on politics, why he would not spell out pretty clearly that Del marshall’s and Chris Saxman’s lack of state wide name recognition should be a pretty central issue, and worth throwing out there in an interview is beyond me.
Well OK, Chris was considering a run, and he would have to fend off the issue himself. On Chris’s plus side is the MSM doesn’t loathe him, merely a sometimes neutral with flashes of hatred, and mocking by our local rag the SNL.
Del. Marshall will get both barrells as you have seen Gov. Gilmore already get from AP Bob Lewis. Why they are cheerleading for Marshall now is beyond me… (tongue in cheek)
April 24, 2008 at 8:26 pm |
[...] The right-wing liberal today: Chris Saxman must have missed Gilmore’s “the race is over” memo Delegate Chris Saxman was interviewed by Chris Graham on the Augusta Free Press Show. What was a [...]