Shad Planking
A traditional political event in Virginia is the Shad Planking, held in Wakefield. Pols from both parties show up, greet voters, have a good time, and help the Ruritan Club raised a wad of money. Instead of a politician, the featured speaker this year was Larry Sabato, political science professor at U.Va. and commentator (his web site quotes one paper that calls him "probably the most quoted college professor in the land"). Here are a few of Sabato's comments, culled from three papers:
"The buzz this year is that the legislature's failure to act is an embarrassment," Sabato said before his speech. "This is something you expect from Maryland, not Virginia."
Partisanship had so poisoned Virginia politics, Sabato told the crowd, that he formally proposed a nonpartisan redistricting system, such as those in Arizona, Iowa and elsewhere. -- More on Their Plates Than Shad (Washington Post)
"I had hoped to see more members of the General Assembly ... not really," Sabato cracked in opening remarks, following his introduction by former Lt. Governor John Hager.
Sabato ragged the crowd and his own school, saying, "I can tell from here half of you are tipsy and the other half are seriously paying attention, just like when I teach in class at UVA. Although General Assembly members don't have to worry about having too many drinks ... you can't fall off a flat earth."
Referring to the overtime, 100-day session still deadlocked over the state budget, Sabato observed, "It's not exactly like the first 100 days of the Roosevelt administration, is it?" -- Shad Planking inspires Sabato to new heights (Hopewell News)
Sabato, mixing humor with commentary, said "the last sad 100 days in Richmond" resemble more the "Jerry Springer Show" than an assembly that used to pride itself on its civility. Thursday marks the 100th day of a scheduled 60-day session.
Sabato blamed the legislature's inability to reach a budget compromise on redistricting. He said legislators are in such safe districts that candidates do not have to answer to the electorate.
"Voters become apathetic when they perceive that elections are over before they begin," Sabato said.
A nonpartisan redistricting system would make Virginia's politics more competitive and "prevent more of these horrible legislative deadlocks that threaten to embarrass our justifiably proud state again and again," he said. -- Budget a hot topic at annual Shad Planking (AP via WVEC.com)