By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

Democrats may not have figured out how to react to today’s surprise John McCain veep pick of Sarah Palin.

If they pillory Palin, they risk provoking a sympathetic backlash. Voters ca…

Continue reading " Will Ds handle a Palin pick well? "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

One of the students in the Sorensen Institute’s College Leaders Program class of 2008 sent a fascinating email to the rest of the class today, noting that former Delegate Dickie Cranwell is…

Continue reading " Will Dickie Cranwell run for LG? "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

Jeff E. Schapiro, ever colorful and never shy to express a point with personal panache, has pronounced Gov. Tim Kaine an increasingly lame duck, thanks to the state’s, and not Kaine’s…

Continue reading " Lame ducks and lead-pipe districts "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

Former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee of Roanoke, a GOP candidate for Virginia attorney general in 2009, addressed a Danville audience on leadership Tuesday night and discussed the huge Purdue Pha…

Continue reading " John Brownlee on leadership "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

W&L’s Shepherd Poverty Program is becoming a model for the nation.

One in five students at the university in Lexington, which certainly has its share of rich kids, studies povert…

Continue reading " W&L poverty program to be copied "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

One of the more interesting public television documentaries produced in Virginia this year airs Wednesday night, May 28, at 8 p.m. on WCVE-TV Richmond and WHTJ-TV Charlottesville.

Read all …

Continue reading " A great public television documentary "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

To “swift boat” a candidate is a verb that gets more and more use in our political culture today.

The practice is hardly the exclusive preserve of Chris LaCivita and the GOP.

…

Continue reading " “Swift boat” as a well-used verb "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

Two of the better blogging conferences I’ve attended were in Charlottesville a few years back and were sponsored by the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virg…

Continue reading " Would Virginia bloggers like a gathering? "

By Bob Gibson

Charlottesville political blogger

Paul Harris, a Northern Virginia Republican who served two terms in the House of Delegates from Albemarle County until 2001,

has decided not to run for attorney general next year.

Harris…

Continue reading " Paul Harris not running for attorney general "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Jim Richardson, the chaplain of the California Senate, has been chosen as the new rector at St. Paul’s Memorial Church in Charlottesville. 

Richardson of Sacramento, Calif.,…

Continue reading " California Senate Chaplain headed to Virginia "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Bob Marshall said fellow GOP U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore is trying to tally ignore him and pretend he’s won the nomination

“I am the space alien in this race to him,” Marshall said. �…

Continue reading " Marshall says Gilmore treats him like space alien "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Potential GOP candidates for attorney general are dropping out in pairs.

One day after Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, said no to a 2009 bid, Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, joined him in cit…

Continue reading " Obenshain says no to attorney general bid "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, said today that he will not be seeking the statewide office of attorney general next year.

“Jessica’s pregnant and we just got our test back,” Bel…

Continue reading " Bell won’t make ‘09 attorney general bid "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

I love going through the drawers of a desk that I’ve been using the past 18 years and finding stuff like the April 6, 1991, Daily Progress story: “Remapping plan OK’d by House.”…

Continue reading " Look what I’m finding in my messy desk "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

For the first time in the history of the world, some ads run on a pair of Arab TV networks may have an impact on a Charlottesville to Danville congressional race.

Tom Perriello, the Democrat challeng…

Continue reading " What impact will Arab TV ads have? "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

William Redpath, the Loudoun County man who lost to Mark Warner for governor and Republican candidate Mark Earley in 2001, wants to take on Warner again this year for the U.S. Senate.

The Virginia Li…

Continue reading " Libertarians nominate Redpath for Senate "

Paul Harris back in the AG field

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Former Albemarle County Republican Del. Paul Harris is rescinding his “I am not a candidate in 2009” stance of March 10.

Now that Bob McDonnell a…

Continue reading " Paul Harris back in the AG field "

Why does my mouth head south?

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Why in the world does my mouth head south when I talk on the phone with someone like Virginia GOP Chairman John Hager?

Hager is from the South—North Carol…

Continue reading " Why does my mouth head south? "

Why does my mouth head south?

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

Why in the world does my mouth head south when I talk on the phone with someone like Virginia GOP Chairman John Hager?

Hager is from the South—North Carol…

Continue reading " Why does my mouth head south? "

By Bob Gibson

Daily Progress political blogger

With my NCAA Tournament pool entry in the tank already, somehow I felt inspired today to try writing the worst pun of the year.

This weekend’s Political Notebook tends to be an otherwi…

Continue reading " Worst pun of the year attempted "