Political Spotlight Back On BV

Editorial

Even though the calendar says we have another three weeks of summer, the fall political campaign is already here. Both of the national political conventions are behind us and Virginia’s fall campaign kicks off in Buena Vista this Monday, Labor Day.

This year’s stump speeches at Glen Maury Park promise to be especially meaningful. Appearing together for the first time will be Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and his Republican opponent, Hung Cao, as well as Republican Congressman Ben Cline and his Democratic opponent, Ken Mitchell.

These rare joint appearances of political opponents are being eagerly anticipated by the political establishment and state media so all eyes will be on Buena Vista. Each political party is sure to bring in plenty of supporters to add to the air of excitement. We have heard that a caravan of vehicles filled with GOP supporters is to head north on Interstate 81 to Buena Vista from Roanoke and Botetourt County.

Truthfully, it’s been a while since we could accurately portray Labor Day in Buena Vista as the kickoff to the state fall campaign. In recent years, as western Virginia has grown increasingly red, Democratic state candidates have eschewed Buena Vista’s traditional launching pad for more populated and voterich territory elsewhere.

Not so this year. Kaine’s decision to appear alongside Cao here is returning the spotlight to Buena Vista. The only debate planned this fall between Kaine and Cao is a televised face-off scheduled for Oct. 2 at Norfolk State University. Kaine and Cao were earlier invited to appear in a forum at the Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County that was to be sponsored by the Virginia Bar Association but it was canceled when Cao declined to commit to attending.

Cline’s office announced Monday that the congressman has agreed to appear in three forums with Mitchell during the campaign, including one before our local chamber of commerce on Oct. 22. We have heard that Washington and Lee University students are hoping to set up a debate between the Sixth District opponents sometime during the fall. We don’t know whether that will actually happen.

So, Monday’s joint appearances by these two pairs of political rivals will be an event these candidates’ followers won’t want to miss. It’s gratifying to see the tradition of Buena Vista’s Labor Day Festival as the fall campaign kickoff being resurrected. Perhaps not since 1973, when gubernatorial candidates Henry Howell and Mills Godwin stumped (separately) at Buena Vista’s Labor Day event have the stump speeches been this eagerly anticipated.

Back in those days, thousands reportedly poured into Buena Vista to take part in the grand celebrations. The annual event actually began in 1971 when it was held to dedicate then brand-new Glen Maury Park. That festival included a 50-unit parade and featured an appearance by colorful politician Howell who was mounting a successful campaign for lieutenant governor.

Now, the spotlight is back. The event could even have national implications since Virginia is purportedly in play for the first time in several presidential election cycles. Whatever is said in Buena Vista this Monday could be broadcast to a very large audience.