Comments on: Will Rick Boucher be the last Democratic congressman from Southwest Virginia?

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:11:19 +0000

Phillip Puckett needs be the next Democrat to be ousted in SWVA.

By: crooked road

crooked road — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:52:40 +0000

Last paragraph clarification – I don’t expect to see a Democrat even get close to election in the 9th for two decades or more. By close, I mean closer than a 55-45% loss.

By: crooked road

crooked road — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:50:42 +0000

The Dems will not retake the 9th for easily a decade or two. Personally, I agree with Joe G, Morgan Griffith, who was a darling of some on here last time he ran, mostly because of the tea party romanticism & just a desire for a change from Rick Boucher. People in the 9th, misinformed ones, somehow decided that Boucher didn’t ‘represent’ the 9th, while ignoring all the economic benefits he brought.

The mindset of the 9th citizens is about as politically self destructive as it gets, but it will not change for many, many years. Coal is the 3rd rail in the 9th, stupidly so. Griffith plays the game, staying in the pockets of Big Coal while doing zero for the district. The Dems aren’t going to find anyone as socially conservative as is needed to challenge, because Griffith can always throw out the Big Coal mantra, and SW Va will stay economically enslaved to a dying industry. The industry is dying because of refusal to evolve, without holding its’ customer base for ransom.

Maybe when Roanoke gets absorbed, and it will you can guarantee, then the media will care more about it. I really don’t see that happening for at least two more decades. I’ll predict again what I predicted before the last HoP election, Morgan Griffith will stay as long as he desires, meaning longer than Boucher (28 yrs), even. Look at the district back in the days of William Wampler if you disagree.

By: Cold n P

Cold n P — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:08:21 +0000

When the Democrats want to make an effort to regain the 9th, it will happen. It will take a little more than just throwing a hat in the ring. Flaccavento did not have the resources necessary to make a real run at Griffith. Flaccavento still garnered over 38% of the vote without much effort at all. I agree with KevinL above. When Roanoke is added to the 9th it will most definitely be in play for the Dems.

By: Joe Guthrie

Joe Guthrie — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:25:17 +0000

The answer is that the job will belong to Morgan Griffith for as long as he wants it, and should he choose to step aside at some point in the future, he can probably choose his successor, too. The people of the Ninth District have always been fiscal and social conservatives, so it was a bit odd that they were being represented by a Congressman as liberal as Boucher. I doubt Griffith will even be challenged in 2014.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:31:41 +0000

AMEN 4! Right on Art Hill! It makes no sense and it is tearing this nation apart. Yes, you have got to stand for something, but after you have fallen for anything, standing is a lot harder!

By: KevinL

KevinL — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:02:08 +0000

The city of Roanoke is sooner or later going to be added to the 9th district. If Goodlatte has been replaced by someone from the Shenandoah Valley by 2020, it may be sooner. Roanoke plus the New River Valley plus fewer persons in the coalfields could make the 9th potentially competitive again.

By: Art Hill

Art Hill — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:55:30 +0000

I’ve never understood why honest, hard-working folks vote against their own self-interest. Blue collar workers voting Republican are like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders.

By: crooked road

crooked road — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:32:10 +0000

Same question you guys asked earlier, only in different form. The answer is there, has been there, won’t change. This gives you a comment, so there’s the gift.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:17:40 +0000

One that is alive, breathing and with a reasonable amount of intelligence would be qn impprovement over whqt’s there now. A well funded and organized campaign that really shows residents of the nionth what they are getting now would help. And what makes you tyink Rick Boucher might not be the NEXT congressman from SWVA. I think he’d have a shot if he could raise enough money.