Candidates trade jabs at Shad Planking
BOB BROWN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Political signs line the road to the 61st Annual Shad Planking in Wakefield, Va., on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
Published: April 16, 2009
SLIDESHOW: Scenes from the Shad Planking
The Wakefield Ruritan Club's 61st annual Shad Planking proves that the way to a Virginian's vote is not through his stomach.
In an annual rite, hundreds of politicos and aspiring public servants converged on the piney woods of Sussex County yesterday to munch on oily, bony, salty fish and to poke fun at one another at the unofficial kickoff of the primary season.
Three of the candidates for governor -- Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran, and Republican Bob McDonnell -- gave mostly humorous speeches, trading good-natured jabs.
Under gray skies and a raw drizzle, Moran passed out popcorn. State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, just passed -- skipping the event to campaign in Southwest Virginia.
McDonnell felt the fleecy embrace of a conservative-leaning crowd of roughly 2,500.
McAuliffe flexed political muscle, importing 100 staffers and volunteers to blanket the landscape with 25,000 campaign signs.
"It's not about the size of the signs, it's about keeping it up all night," McAuliffe quipped on stage to the blue-jeans crowd of lobbyists and locals.
Deeds opted to tour Southwest Virginia with Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th.
"Sun Tzu said that banners and flags rally the troops and strike fear in the heart of the enemy," Deeds said this week. "But at the end of the day, they don't win the war."
McDonnell, who finished second in signs to McAuliffe, praised the well-heeled Democrat for making a difference in the state.
"I really do want to thank Terry for the $2.6 million he's pumped into the Virginia economy over the last three months," he said, referring to McAuliffe's big-bucks campaign. "He has created 100 jobs for the people of Virginia."
Moran, a former delegate who has attended several shad plankings, said it was clear that McAuliffe was a newcomer to the down-home, beer-swilling fish fest because "he started setting up the martini bar on the way in."
It was just a joke, but McAuliffe did opt for an airplane toting a campaign banner. He also brought a man dressed in a fuzzy yellow chicken suit with a diaper to draw attention to his proposal to turn poultry waste into fuel.
As in previous years, the planking brought out headliners and down-ticket candidates from both parties. Republican former Govs. George Allen and Jim Gilmore; Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd; and former Lt. Gov. John H. Hager and current Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, both Republicans, sat on stage with the three attending candidates for governor.
Volunteers rose at 5 a.m. to nail 1,600 pounds of shad -- 800 pounds of it bones -- to wooden planks and roast it over an open fire. Fried trout, cole slaw, baked beans, corn bread, pickles and sweet tea rounded out the meal.
Politicians served beer on tap into plastic campaign cups. In Moran's tent, aides poked fun at McAuliffe, repeatedly playing a recording of The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love."
Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or
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Reader Reactions
SORRY, typo in my previous posting. It should read:
You must be a Moran supporter, and how sad that no one seems to be aware of Moran’s strengths…. he is a good candidate for Governor and does NOT need to belittle McAuliffe in order to win the nomination. McAuliffe just happens to be a better candidate and is more qualified to pull Virginia out of this recession.
Oh my, mjrichmond seems to think that the DNC prefers McAuliffe to Moran and Deeds, and that the DNC is not aware of who lives in Virginia. And, in the Democratic party one does not permission of the DNC to run for any office. Time to be objective, so we can elect the best qualified candidate as the next Governor of Virginia, without calling any one names.
You must be a Moran supporter, and how sad that no one seems to be aware of Moran’s strengths…. he is a good candidate for Governor and does need to belittle McAuliffe in order to win the nomination. McAuliffe just happens to be a better candidate and is more qualified to pull Virginia out of this recession.
McAuliffe = carpetbagger!
I can see the DNC conversation now…
“hey, VA’s got an election coming. Who has lived in VA?“
McAuliffe, “oooooh oooooh meeee meee. Can I please run…can I can I?!?“
Prejudice is so pitiful, and sadly, so pathetic. (dg) and the Moran supporters need to learn that we have laws in our land, and they are adequate.
McAuliffe and I have some things in common, one of which is that we both now have about 20 years in Virginia. I have never lived in any other part of the United States, and so there is no question that I am Virginian. Because McAuliffe has 32 years outside of Virginia in different states, how does that make him any less a Virginian?
“Can’t Buy me Love?“ The Moran camp should know that well by now, as their attempts have not succeeded. McAuliffe does not have to buy support, or love. He has plenty of both. However, to convey the message to our people, one needs organization and a team, both of which cost money. If the future Governor of Virginia is not able to raise money for his campaign (literally for his next job!) I would hesitate to vote for him! And, if he is able to raise money outside the state and spend it in our state, more power to him. As Bob McDonnell said, McAuliffe just brought a hundred new jobs to Virginia, and about $2,500,000 until now, but God willing by November when we have the General Elections he will have brought more jobs and many more millions to our beloved state.
My challenge to McAuliffe is that when he is Governor, he needs to set a goal to bring in investments to Virginia equal to 1,000 times what he brought in to his campaign, from outside of Virginia. With this challenge, I shall pray that McAuliffe brings in $30-$40 million for his campaign from outside Virginia, so we will hopefully see $30 to $40 billion in new investments during his four years as our Governor.
Do you care for Virginia? Please support McAuliffe, our best hope for the future of Virginia, and the most qualified candidate to be our next Governor, tasked to pull us out of this recession.
The fact Creigh Deeds quoted Sun Tzu? Rocks tha’ House! I know! I know! I’m supposed to be a conservative libertarian…
But Dang, I like Creigh!
Well, these guys needed to have SOME place to go. They sure wouldn’t have felt the love at any of the Tea Parties.
McAuliffe: the best candidate money could buy.
Please do not allow an outsider non-Virginian political mouthpeice with no real governing experience like McAuliffe to become Governor of this state.This goes beyond party to practical common sense.This man has spent his career as an operative and never held an office.He doesn’t know this state or it’s citizens.He is using Virginia as a stepping stone.
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