As a longtime political watcher,  I have been intrigued by an ad for Mark Warner’s senatorial campaign.   It has been running regularly on my TV. 
What makes it unusual is that there is no negative mention of the opponent,  Mr. Gilmore.  It simply discusses the problems that Warner found in Richmond when he became governor in 2002 and what he did to fix them.   Much of it features favorable remarks by a Republican State senator.

This is the kind of positive message that Americans regularly tell their politicians they want to hear rather than the mud slinging that too often characterizes such ads.  The Warner campaign is to be congratulated for listening to the public and “going positive.”

My hope is that Mr. Gilmore,  the Republican candidate, will follow suit. He was governor just before Mr. Warner.   He surely must be proud of his accomplishments during his four years in office.   He should tell us about them — thus keeping his message similarly positive.

It is an unusual circumstance to have two former governors of Virginia running for the same office.   Each has a record.  During this campaign each candidate has an opportunity to present that record to the voters in determining who should be the successor to John Warner,  himself a model of positive campaigning.

Some fear that this campaign will get “down and dirty” before election day.  It need not.  Mark Warner has set the bar high.   Let’s hope that Jim Gilmore has noted this and will present an equally enlightened representation of his candidacy.

John H. Sullivan
Alexandria
Ale (703)