Encore ... "Sayre Campaign: 47% of the vote and other thoughts one week later...."

[Encore of June 20, 2007 column. Please note the congratulations that were extended to Emmett Hanger.]

The Republican Primary was a week ago. We worked hard and garnered 47% of the vote for previously unknown challenger Scott Sayre against three-term incumbent Emmett Hanger.

That was 47% of mostly Republican votes ... vs Hanger's 53% of democrat and Republican votes.

That was 47% after having electeds such as George Allen, Bob Goodlatte, Terry Kilgore, Virgil Goode, House Speaker Howell and Majority Leader Griffith endorse Hanger.

That was 47% after just about every elected official in Augusta County endorsed him including democrats and independents.

That was 47% after having Hanger fund raisers by Jimmy Fortune and Bob Goodlatte.

That was 47% after being outspent 4:1 by the Hanger campaign.

That was 47% after the USA Today/Gannett-owned local newspaper did everything in its power to discredit local citizen volunteers.

That was 47% after the Virginia Education Association (VEA) endorsed Hanger, then made phone calls to voters in the 24th District urging ALL, including democrats, to vote.

That was 47% after Hanger sent out mailers (that included absentee ballots) to all registered voters with the wording highlighted in red emphasizing the Republican Primary was open to ALL voters.

That was 47% after a last-minute email blast from "Vote for Emmett" went to every state employee in the 24th District.

[And I have a question about that practice. Supposedly it is legal to email blast state employees as long as it comes from a private email account ... but isn't that a misappropriation of state time and, thus, tax-payer money? Think of the thousands of employees who took the time at work on state time to open the email and read it. More on that later.]

Even after throwing all that at the Sayre campaign ... we still got 47% of the vote.

The Sayre volunteers have spent the past week gathering in 4x8 and yard signs, wrapping up paperwork and data lists, and getting together to debrief.

The political process in our country, unlike dictator regimes worldwide, allows voters to back the candidate of their choice, and that right was exercised by the Sayre supporters. Unhappy with the voting record of Emmett Hanger, and unhappy that he broke his promise to not raise taxes after being re-elected in 2004, many -- including those who originally put Hanger in office twelve years ago -- chose to back a challenger.

Again, congratulations to Emmett Hanger for his win. Now is the time for both sides to work together for a win in November. So far it's been a week and Hanger has not returned phone calls from Augusta Chairman Kurt Michael or challenger Scott Sayre.

Communication is not a strong suit of Emmett's ... and that's one reason he found himself so disconnected from the grassroots. He stood-up the Augusta County chairman in early March when Emmett set up a lunch date to discuss the election and failed to show.

As a state senator Emmett Hanger represents all the people -- Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever -- but as a Republican volunteer I resent the fact he actively recruited democrats to cross over and vote in a Republican Primary. I realize he had to do it to survive but ...

... are dems going to pound yard signs for Republican candidates?

Are dems going to man GOP headquarters?

Are dems going to make phone calls, circulate Republican petitions, run GOP meetings?

No.

And that is why I'm not happy with Emmett Hanger for inviting them to our Primary. If the dem votes could be removed, in my opinion (and that of many others including electeds), Emmett would have been defeated by the Republican vote.

As a result many Republicans are angry. The first question they ask is, "How do we close the Primaries?" My response is to get involved in the process ... and notify their representatives. (It's the State Senate that won't pass legislation for closed Primaries.)

We have 47% who voted against Emmett Hanger. That's a large indication of discontent among Republicans who think he is wrong about taxes, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, and school choice. Observers from outside the 24th District see it as a message to the incumbent. Will Emmett see it that way?

I'm not holding my breath....