Citizen Tom

UPDATES:  New stuff at the end of the post.

• Gerald E. ”Gerry” Connolly 

• Keith S. Fimian

Since Keith S. Fimian was unopposed for the Republican Party’s nomination, his website was not very far along.  So I have been putting off a review.  Now, however, the general election campaign is beginning to swing into full gear.  So there is no excuse for a poor website.  So it is time to ask the question?  How do the websites compare? 

How does Connolly’s website portray him?  

Connolly is an old hand at politics.  He has been serving on the Fairfax Board of County Supervisors in some capacity for about 14 years, and he currently is the Chair (Here is the associated website.).  Connolly was a manager for SRI International and currently serves in a public relations capacity for SAIC.  So as one might expect his website technically proficient. 

Consider the home page.  Connolly displays a press release with internal polling data showing an astounding 31 point lead over his opponent.  This data even shows that Connolly has the capacity to extend this lead by an even greater margin.   There is only one big IF.

If Connolly has the funds to communicate his message of having the right priorities and getting things done for Northern Virginia, he will be the next Congressman from this district.  (from here)

Connolly wants us to send him money.

Consider the Gerry page.  Connolly has collected numerous titles.  It appears that Connolly is a salesman with some managerial capabilities.  Here we also learn that Gerry is always elected OVERWHELMINGLY.  

Consider the Issues page.  Here we learn Connolly brings “a passion for progressive values”.   Since “Liberals” have made the term “liberal” unpalatable, they now call themselves ”progressive”.    Much of the stuff on the Issues page is empty rhetoric, but there are also specifics.  Connolly promises:

• To balance the budget (what politician doesn’t).
• End the war in Iraq (retreat).
• To “Act boldly to control rising health care costs and provide quality, affordable care for the 47 million uninsured Americans” (there went the balanced budget).
• “Change “No Child Left Behind” and Invest in Education” (further ensuring that there will be no possibility of a balanced budget and a decent education for our nation’s children). 

Connolly actually expands upon what he intends to do about Iraq and protecting the environment.  With respect to Iraq, voters should have no doubt that Connolly’s policy is to put our nation in full retreat.  His environmental plan would be equally disastrous.  Connolly actually has the gall to propose EARMARKS in his plan.  He claims he intends to balance the budget.  Then he campaigns by promising to earmark funds?   What is worse is Connolly proposes a mess of tax credits and other such nonsense. 

Connolly does not seem to understand two important things. 

• Taxpayers are not bottomless ATM machines.  Taxes are about as high as they can go.  High taxes stifle our economy.  If he wants to balance the budget, he must cut spending.
• Both the environment and the economy are extremely complex.  We cannot keep the environment clean with bunch of mandates out of D.C.  By the same token, our economy cannot work properly if we let people with self-inflated egos try to run everybody’s business from D.C.

Obviously, I have no intention whatsoever of voting for Gerry Connolly.  Why am I so dead set against this guy?  We need government to protect our right to make our own choices, but Connolly promises make our choices for us.  Consider what happened when our General Assembly proposed special taxes on Northern Virginia, taxes the like of which the voters had already rejected at the polls.   Instead of protecting his constituents from unconstitutional taxes, Connolly led the organization that tried to implement those taxes (see here).

How does Fimian’s website portray him?

Fimian’s website remains a work in progress.  Nonetheless, it is taking form.  Fimian’s front page tells us he is not an experienced politician.  Instead, Fimian is a successful businessman.

Fimians about page is brief.  Fimian started and runs U.S. Inspect, the nation’s largest provider of residential and commercial property inspection services.  As a former small businessman, Fimian knows how the government gets in the way, and he know how to balance a budget.  In fact, he knows how to turn a profit on a small business.

Fimiam’s issues pages could be expanded.  What is a relief, however, is that Fimian does not make any outrageous promises.  Instead, he just says what he thinks needs to be done.  Consider some examples.

• With respect to the energy issue, Fimian says we need to utilize both domestic energy sources (coal and petroleum) and to develop clean alternatives. (see here)
• Fimiam says we have runaway federal spending. He correctly defines the problem that prevents a balanced budget.  (see here)
• Fimian says we need to control our borders.  (see here)  What Fimian proposes is weak, but Connolly website says nothing about this issue — and for good reason, but that is another post.
• Fimian supports a strong national defense.  He emphatically supports the surge.  “I support the surge effort led by Gen. David Petraeus” (see here)

There are problems with every candidate?  What is the problem with Fimian?  We can all agree that Fimian is an unknown quantity.  The same thing he claims as an asset is also a liability.  Fortunately, there is a remedy.  Fimian can go out and meet people, and that is what he has been doing. 

Watch out Gerry!  This time it may be your opponent who is elected OVERWHELMINGLY.

Updates include links to earlier posts in this series and links to related posts on other blogs. 

This is the sixth post in a series on the 2008 election candidates (from the perspective of Gainesville, Virginia).  Here are the earlier posts.

• DOES DISASTER LOOM BEFORE US?
• ELECTION 2008 CANDIDATE PROS AND CONS: CANDIDATE WEBSITES
• ELECTION 2008 PRO AND CONS: BARACK OBAMA WEBSITE REVIEW
• ELECTION 2008 PRO AND CONS: JOHN MCCAIN WEBSITE REVIEW
• ELECTION 2008 PRO AND CONS: MARK WARNER AND JIM GILMORE WEBSITES REVIEW

Other Views

Too Conservative tackles the issue of Connolly’s employment (see here).

Anonymous is A Woman reviews Fimian’s funding (see here).

Down the Ticket  (see here) and Northern Virginia Current (see here) also consider Fimian’s cash advantage.

Bearing Drift reviews Fimian’s chances (see here).

This race has even sparked some international interest (see here).