Vote for the Top Ten People to Watch in West Virginia Politics

After several people contributed to this list of 50, I’m asking you to vote from the following list for the Top Ten People to Watch in WV Politics!

Here's the list of 50 West Virginians involved in politics whose names were mentioned as people to watch over the next two years, in no particular order. Vote for your top ten!

1. Carte Goodwin
2. Robin Davis
3. Joe Manchin
4. Earl Ray Tomblin
5. Truman Chafin
6. Jeff Kessler
7. Joe Minard
8. Natalie Tennant
9. Kent Carper
10. Rick Thompson
11. Doug Reynolds
12. Harry Keith White
13. John Perdue
14. Betty Ireland
15. Evan Jenkins
16. Jim Justice
17. Brooks McCabe
18. Deborah Linz
19. Kenny Perdue
20. John Raese
21. Richard Browning
22. Larry Puccio
23. Don Blankenship
24. Oliver Luck
25. WV Tea Party
26. Matt Woelfel
27. Chris Doddril
28. Doug Skaff
29. Tom Cambell
30. Dave Hardy
31. Daniel Hall
32. Ryan White
33. Jason Pizatella
34. Andy Richardson
35. Tish Chafin
36. Larry LaCorte
37. Danielle Waltz
38. Ryan White
39. Brian Powell
40. Jennifer Sayre
41. Ry Rivard
42. Carrie Clendening
43. Rachelle Beckner
44. Tiffany Lawrence
45. Meshea Poore
46. Suzette Raines
47. Conrad Lucas
48. Stephen Skinner
49. Steve McElroy
50. Steven Adams
51. _______________(write in)

Special Election 2011: Let the battle begin!

According to the West Virginia Constitution, Article 7, Section 16, & the West Virginia Code Section 3-10-2, we’re having a special election for governor, where party conventions choose the candidates. According to some, Tomblin could say the nearest election day would be in 2012, but several agree that’s precluded by the current statute.

After acting-Governor Tomblin’s press conference yesterday morning, Speaker Thompson issued a press release stating that we need an election sooner than 2012.

“If Gov. Manchin’s replacement is not chosen until November 2012, for the next two years, more than one half of the term, the people of West Virginia will have a governor they did not select, while the counties of the 7th Senatorial District will be represented by only half of their senatorial delegation,” Thompson says in his press release. (Full version here: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/House/Speaker/news_releases.cfm).

Tomblin told Phil Kabler in this morning’s Charleston Gazette that, “I am aware of the strong desires of some wishing to have an election prior to 2012. If my fellow West Virginians express an overwhelming desire to have a quick election, I will work with the Legislature to make that a reality.” (Full story here: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201011081053).

For what it’s worth, I say all this “mess” goes to the Supreme Court who then rules we have a special gubernatorial election prior to 2012. Needless to say, the next year in West Virginia politics could be quite a headache.

So who all will run for governor? We already know several names (see previous blog posting), but for some reason, and I could be wrong, I have a strong feeling some dark horse could come out and pull a Caperton on the wild, wonderful West Virginia political scene....

To have or not to have another Very Special Election? That is the question!

Senate President and now acting Governor Tomblin (@Senator_Tomblin) held a press conference this morning to clarify what West Virginians can expect to see as he takes over Manchin’s mansion. Not surprising to hear that, according to Tomblin, there doesn’t seem to be a need to have an election for governor until 2012. After all, he’s been saying that for quite some time now. But that opinion comes with several objections from state Democrats and Republicans.

Kanawha County attorney and former candidate Thorton Cooper called for a special gubernatorial election in 2011, threatening to sue moments after Tomblin becomes governor. State Senate (@wvsenate) Minority Leader Mike Hall states that the State Constitution calls for an election sooner than 2011. Speaker of the House (@wvhouse) Thompson (@RT4WV) stated in a Charleston Gazette (@wvgazette) article by Lawrence Messina (@lmessina) this morning, “Clearly, acting governor is not governor. We would be without a governor until we have an election. The constitution envisioned a reasonable election date... It could be very costly for us not to have the election.” (Full article :http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201011080268)

Having an election in 2011 bears one major burden on us all: the amount of money it will cost the state. Overall, the decision to have or not to have a special election is in the hands of the Supreme Court. But when will we know the outcome?

Back to Tomblin, he plans to run for Senate President again, but will not draw a salary form the Senate, only from being acting governor. His agenda includes education as a top priority, but then again didn’t Manchin’s? (We all saw how successful the June 2010 special session was.) Overall, chaos 2011 here we come!

*While trying to link some twitter names stated above, Twitter failed on me. I apologize and will update later this afternoon.

Was there an actual debate?

Was there an actual debate?

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

Last night we watched as the four candidates for United States Senate “debated.” It might have been called a “debate”, but according to WSAZ’s Jessica Ralston (@JessicaRalston), the Gazette’s Kathryn Gregory (@kitgregory), the Daily Mail’s Ry Rivard (@ryrivard) what happened on TV last night was anything but. Where were the hardball questions? No one raised their voices, no one debated. So I’m calling for a Twitter debate between the candidates. No, we all know it most likely won’t be them doing the tweeting, but since their campaigns cannot pick a mutually beneficial date to debate in Charleston, this seems like the most logical solution. Thoughts?

Changing the subject a little, the most surprising candidate last night was the Constitution Party’s Jeff Becker. Whoever prepared him for that debate should have given him a xanex. Someone tweeted asking if he even spoke English. Another tweep said he would be the Daily Show’s dream. Needless to say, he won’t be our next United States Senator.

Winners and losers from last night’s debate:

Winning moments:

-John Raese (@RaeseforSenate) had two quotes I rather enjoyed, the first one being “We win, you lose.” The second one being “It’s called demand.”

-Joe Manchin’s charisma, calmness, appearance, and perfect sound bites. The quote that ended the debate, was nothing short of cheesy perfection: "I believe in you, and I'm asking you to believe in me."

-Manchin taking on the “rubber stamp” tag and owning it.

Big fat fails of the so-called debate:

-Raese wearing his Rolex and black suit. It’s not a funeral.

-Becker’s inability to speak coherently (I appreciate nervousness but there are pills for that).

-Johnson waisting half of his closing “minute” to speak fussing about how he didn’t get to respond to previous questions.

And moments I was lost:

-Becker talking about physics

-Johnson asking “Are you sick enough yet?”

-Raese’s statements on global warming

-Johnson dwelling on penmanship

-No one asking about subpoenas

I think West Virginians need to see a the candidates speak for two hours and it needs to be an actual debate. You can call what happened last night a debate, but for many of us it wasn’t.

Manchin’s Campaign: Recommendations from the Politico in Stilettos

I believe it was Mic Jagger who said, “You can let yourself go, just as long as you can bring yourself back.” The United States Senate campaign between Manchin and Raese has many politicos across the nation wondering if Manchin can bring himself back in and come out on top.

It’s without question that his campaign has made mistakes, and this Politico in Stilettos is not only learning from those mistakes, but moreover trying to learn how to spin them and come out on top. But how to you spin the GOP’s “rubber stamp for Obama” angle?

Simple. You rebrand Manchin’s relationship with Obama, with a little help from Ringo. Who do you go to for advice? Who do you trust? Who helps you in times of need?

“Oh I get by with a little help from my friends...”

Manchin is a friend of Obama, someone who can most effectively teach him about the very special needs of our very unique wild, wonderful West Virginia. Obama surrounds himself with friends, meaning people he respects and trusts. I’m sure he doesn’t trust someone who slams everything the man has or hasn’t accomplished since he ran for office. Would you give someone the time of day if all they told you was how wrong you were? I know I wouldn’t. We all know Manchin is a “Friend of Coal” and, especially based on some of the GOP’s ads right now, he’s a friend of Obama. Thus, Manchin is the man who can make Obama a friend of coal.

Next problem: NRSC’s ad about “DC Joe”, how do you spin that?

Joe Manchin will not be the “DC Joe” the GOP has attempted to brand him as. Rather, he’s West Virginia’s Joe. Nobody knows West Virginia’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats like a full-time West Virginian. How many similarities does West Virginia have in common with Florida? As a legislator and as Governor, Manchin has been there for the people of West Virginia, and he will continue to be there because he’s West Virginia’s Joe.

If I had a hand in his campaign, these are what I’d propose to do on TV with corresponding direct mail and social media. But, that’s me.

Yachts, marble driveways, who cares?

So John Raese has a marble driveway and Joe Manchin has a yacht. It’s not the possessions a candidate has that matter, and I really wish political campaigns would quit slamming candidates for superficial things like what kind of cars they drive or how nice their private planes are. That’s not what it’s about!!

What really matters is what candidate will best represent the people and how they have contributed to their state and the people they would represent if elected. Just because a candidate pulls into a marble driveway at his second home or chooses to take his grandchildren on a boat trip does not mean he cannot relate to the people of West Virginia. What matters is humility, not what you go home to versus what I go home to. It’s what kind of person a candidate is inside, and what they will do to move our great state forward.

How about checking into how many charities candidates have donated to? Has anyone in West Virginia pulled a Bill Gates and donated a million dollars to education? Now that would be a great positive campaign ad!

The Politics Behind Polling

Polling has quite a history of miscalculations. One major upset took place in 1948, when the top three pollsters, Gallup, Archibald Crossley, and Elmo Roper, all predicted that Thomas Dewey would be elected United States President. They didn’t fathom that opinions would change, so polling came to a standstill a few weeks prior to the election . Wrong move. Harry Truman came out on top, winning by just 4% over Dewey.

Another polling “drama” occurred when Orion Strategies released results placing current Congressional candidate Mike Oliverio ahead of Rep. Alan Mollohan. The owner of Orion Strategies is Curtis Wilkerson, Oliverio’s campaign manager. For more information on that story, click here: http://bit.ly/9p5Qdm

Overall, America has witnessed a proliferation of polling, but can polling results be trusted? It all depends on who does the polling.

Yesterday, Rasmussen Reports released West Virginia Senate race polling results that placed John Raese just 6 points behind Governor Joe Manchin. But just how accurate are these results?

Scott Rasmussen, the founder of Rasmussen Reports, previously worked for George W. Bush during his 2004 presidential campaign. That being said, the majority of polling conducted by his company is thought to lean to the right. So should West Virginia Democrats be alarmed? I’d say no.

Excuse me, Mr. Bruner, it’s “Teflon Joe” Not “No-Show Joe”

In Phil Kabler’s column in today’s Charleston Gazette (@wvgazette) one GOP (@WVGOP) hopeful (very, very hopeful), calls out United States Senate candidate Joe Manchin (@JoeManchinWV) for not participating the in the August 19th debate in Charles Town.

Ken Hechler, one of Manchin’s opponents in this Saturday’s very special Primary joined Bruner in the call for Manchin to debate.

Several candidates and constituents are shocked at just how little campaigning Joe Manchin has done, but there are a few things I should point out: his website is finally up, it appears he’s had some professional photography shot, and I’ve received almost three times as many Google Alerts for him than ever before. But there must be a method to this madness. After all, he’s called “Teflon Joe” for a reason.

During one gubernatorial primary, it seemed he was the easiest candidate to beat. But Manchin proved that speculation wrong, becoming West Virginia’s own “Come Back Kid.”

Also, did we stop to think that maybe he’s not heavy on the campaign trail for a reason? After all, he is our Governor. Campaigning takes so much time, so much energy, and the campaign itself takes over your life until the election. But the people of West Virginia elected Manchin to be our Governor. Even though he contradicted himself by saying he would fulfill this term as such, it could potentially be even more devastating if all Manchin did was campaign and neglect the job we elected him to do in the first place.

It’ll be interesting to see how he campaigns after the Primary that’s only four short days away.

Read Phil Kabler’s full story in the Charleston Gazette: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201008230849

Life After Manchin Moves Out of the Mansion

The man Larry Sabato called an “obvious assumption” will most likely be responding to “Senator Manchin” rather than “Governor” in a few months time, (Daily Mail article by Ry Rivard : http://bit.ly/dCnNHc).

Let’s take a moment to briefly reflect on the time Joe Manchin III spent as our 34th Governor. We saw worker’s compensation reformed with the creation of Brick Street. The Governor’s Mansion was renovated. Over $12 billion dollars worth of investments in the business sector occurred in the state. Phil Kabler wasn’t invited to the Christmas party. Our budget was well-managed and our overall debt decreased. Manchin’s been the best cheerleader and sales person for wild, wonderful West Virginia. We were able to host part of the PGA tour. The Governor’s Mansion received an addition: a white party tent. Phil Kabler never got to sit under that tent.

Phil, maybe there’s hope, because most likely Manchin will be elected on November 2nd, becoming West Virginia’s freshman United States Senator. And in 2011, we’ll have to elect a new governor. But what will life be like without Manchin in the Mansion? I guess it depends on who moves in....

We Need Governmental Transparency, Now More Than Ever

"Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government." -President Obama, 1/21/09

After reading today's Charleston Gazette (@wvgazette) article by Kate Long, it is extremely evident that this openness is exactly what West Virginia government is lacking. House of Delegates (@wvhouse) member Nancy Peoples Guthrie (@nguthrie4me), who is the chairwoman of the House stimulus committee, said, "There's no reason for this to be cloaked in secrecy... it's gotten beyond the point where 'trust us' is a sufficient answer." (See full article here: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201008100756)

As an advocate of social media being a connection vehicle for politicians and their constituents, I’m alarmed I just might need to take my stilettos two steps back before taking another step forward. It appears elected officials from different branches of government need to be more social and communicative with each other. Long’s article clearly points out the lack of information sharing from the executive branch to the legislative branch.

“Jim Pitrolo, legislative director for Gov. Joe Manchin, told legislators Wednesday the administration is doing everything it can to assure transparency as it spends $1.05 billion of federal stimulus funds,” (see full article here by Phil Kabler here: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201008110855).

But things haven’t been transparent. “This should not be difficult information to track down. It should be a matter of record,” stated Guthrie. Pitrolo cites that the information is available on the site www.recovery.wv.com, but tracking this information down is very difficult, noted members of the House.

While working on one particular client’s campaign this past primary, several figures were request in order to state how much money that client secured for their district. Those numbers, in detail, were not hard to come by. So why is this so difficult? And does the federal government not track how stimulus dollars are spent by states in order to measure if the stimulus money is even effective?

Recently a member of Generation X and I sat down to lunch and had a very inspiring, informative discussion. One of the main outcomes: Gen X and Gen Y, at least in West Virginia, are losing faith in elected officials for reasons just like this. Movements like govloop.com and Gov 2.0 are making leaps and bounds to increase transparency in government through social mediums and connecting more constituents to elected officials. I whole-heartedly support this effort, but after reading about the secrecy of stimulus spending, we need to open the communication lines between branches of government here in the mountain state.

We younger generations live our lives transparently; you can learn more about a person by their Facebook page than hours of conversation, tell what interests and hobbies someone has by their tweets, share joyous moments on Flickr, and learn someone’s professional history on LinkedIn. Older generations like their space, their privacy, and while I, too, enjoy a quiet moment every now and then, I want to know more about the lives of those who are elected to represent me. What do you do all day at during interims? Why do you oppose this bill? Why did you vote to amend that legislation? What are you eating for lunch? How was your drive Charleston? Why isn’t information on how stimulus money is being spent already out there?

Transparency is a way of life for the majority of us younger folk. Transparency is humanizing. If we don’t instill more transparency between and among our branches of government now, how will younger generations ever have faith in tomorrow’s elected officials?

Will Governor Manchin follow in PA Governor Casey’s footsteps?

With former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge speaking in Charleston today at the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasures (http://bit.ly/bIHyn0, story by George Hohmann for @charleywest), I felt it was only appropriate to review some PA political history and how it could relate to the future of one West Virginia politician.

In 1992, PA Governor Robert P. Casey was quite a leading figure for the Democratic Party. He even believed he could be the keynote speaker at that year’s Democratic National Convention. Approximately three weeks prior to the convention, Planned Parenthood sued Governor Casey (Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania vs. Casey) after he signed a law requiring both a 24-hour waiting period, as well as parental consent, for those under age 18, in order to have an abortion. This law also put a ban on abortions because of gender selection.

Casey planned on delivering a pro-life speech at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, but his plans never came to fruition, as he was denied the opportunity because of his anti-abortion views. A speech like his would have been devastating for the Democratic Party.

So what’s this have to do with a certain West Virginia politician? In an earlier posting, I talked about the strategic possibilities Governor Manchin has to get the bid for Vice President (http://bit.ly/cKjKqt), but I left out one major fact: He’s pro-life. Almost every Democratic national leader is pro-choice, and the likelihood of Manchin getting the VeePee bid as a pro-lifer is nothing more than a sweet dream.

Although, Al Gore changed his stance from pro-life to pro-choice...

Ireland for Governor 2011!?

**UPDATE!**

Betty Ireland is expected to be a leading Republican for the 2011 Very Special Election for Governor. Several West Virginia GOP members (@WVGOP) met yesterday to discuss plowing the way for Ireland to run, including; new WV GOP Chairman Mike Stuart (@MikeStuartWV) and former Governor Arch Moore. Speaking of Moore, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito still tops the list for 2011 GOP gubernatorial candidates, because she can keep her House seat while running for Governor.

It's also rumored that Stuart would like to run for public office in 2012. Other GOP 2011 gubernatorial possibilities include Mark Sorsaia, the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney. For more information on Sorsaia, check out Zac Taylor's story in today's Gazette (@wvgazette) : http://bit.ly/chT1dH.

Ireland and Pritt: Strapping on Stilettos in 2012?

Here’s an option I haven’t heard yet: Betty Ireland for Governor in 2012? Charlotte Pritt for Congress?

Everyone seems to think Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (@Capito4Congress) will run for Governor in 2012, but with the possibility of having 5 people sitting in the Governor’s seat between now and then, why would she want to? Her father was Governor, so continuing the family legacy in her father’s footsteps seems reasonable. But what will our beloved Mountain State look like between now and then? And with her eye on Rockefeller’s seat in 2014, why would she pass that up?

So what other Republican female has statewide recognition and could be strong contender for our first female Governor? Former Secretary of State Betty Ireland (@bettyireland). She’s “politically connected,” weekly Facebook updates and tweets that depict her as a lover of family, policy, and profession. Her latest tweet was about Governor Jan Brewer (@GovBrewer) and how they knew each other when they were both Secretary of State. Ireland was the first female elected to West Virginia’s Executive Branch when she became the 28th Secretary of State in November 2004. Winning that election proved she knows how to campaign to “likely voters,” so she’s got her media vehicles to all demographics covered.

Another former female politico who seems to be under the radar is Charlotte Pritt.

Pritt served in the West Virginia House of Delegates for 4 years,then went onto serve in the State Senate for two terms. In 1996, she became the first female to secure the gubernatorial nomination for either political party in West Virginia, running against Manchin. She also ran for Governor in 1992 but was defeated by Gaston Caperton. Does she have her eye on something in 2012?

2012 has been dubbed the year of the female in the political world, and these are two experienced West Virginia women that just might be strapping stilettos on and hitting the campaign trail.

Going “Negative”: If You Can’t Take the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen

With a very Special and General Election rapidly approaching, campaigns are going to get down right dirty. All this negativity, and the accompanying publicity, can really get under a candidate’s skin, especially if they aren’t prepared. That’ s why thick skin, a proactive mindset, and learning the art of “spin” are critical for campaign success.

Very Special Election Democratic Primary: Governor Manchin won’t go negative, he’ll spin Ken Hechler’s anti-mountain-top-removal around attempting to discuss jobs, how important coal is to our economy, and talk about how he’s been there during coal mining tragedies. Manchin will be passionate, he’ll be dedicated, and most likely he’ll win. And wildcard Sheiri Fletcher? I’m definitely in the dark on that one.

Very Special Election Republican Primary: Raese wins. (I think Mac Warner will campaign really hard, but Raese will outspend him.)

Very Special Election General: It’ll be an election that will simultaneously move and remove mountains. In the end, I bet Manchin will win, but so much mud will be slung that both candidates and every West Virginian will be so dirty, we’ll look like we came from an underground mine!

So if you’re ever considering running for public office, take a good step back in your stilettos and analyze what will go on from today through November 2nd. If people talking about you behind you back hurts your feelings, if you’re paranoid, if there are negative comments on a blog about you, if you have any skeletons hidden in your Carrie Bradshaw-esque closet, if you have burned any bridges, if you have done anything illegal, reconsider. Politics is a profession for the passionate, and in the heat of a campaign anything can happen. All is fair in love, war, and politics. After all, they don’t make firefighter uniforms for politicians.

Going After Non-Historic Voters : Campaigning Hechler-Style

After reading the news in bed this morning with my chihuahua cuddled up next to me, I reviewed Ken Hechler’s (thanks for the correction Ken Ward/@Kenwardjr) first campaign speech (check out footage from @WVWatchdog http://wvurl.com/gLf).

He doesn’t stand behind a podium. He’s 95. He’s managing his own campaign. He’s definitely a different kind of candidate. And I’m excited.

“Well I”m not only going to go after historic voters, I’m going to go after unhistoric voters... the average people of West Virginia,” he proclaims, “I stand for a new form of politics.”

What’s so appealing about Ken Hechler? He is going after regular West Virginians. He, and his campaign, are modest and approachable. My dad, a blue-collar guy who owns and manages an electrical contracting company, said he’d vote for Hechler over Manchin because he likes his style and he feels Hechler can relate to him. I must admit that as a 25 year-old “average” West Virginian, Hechler-style campaigning is much more attractive to me than that of the suspected Senate “shoe-in.”

Hechler is not alienating anyone, (keep in mind I’m not talking about issues, just candidate campaigning styles). If you’d like to make a donation, he’d really appreciate it. I can’t afford to attend Manchin’s $5,000 per person fundraiser at Senator Rockefeller’s D.C. residence, and even if I had the money, I’d rather spend it on shoes. It’s pretty obvious Manchin hasn’t attempted, yet, to engage your average West Virginia “Joe” or younger voters (he still isn’t following anyone on Twitter).

While the spotlights don’t shine in Hechler’s favor, I wish Manchin would make note of what made me stop and turn my head away from the handsome man who made me fall in love with politics almost ten years ago and take a long look at 95-year old Ken Hechler.

Palin + Blankenship = One Bad Outfit for WV Candidates

Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) and Massey’s Don Blankenship (@donblankenship) are contributing to West Virginia GOP (@WVGOP) campaigns. According to Lawrence Messina’s (@lmessina) AP article (http://bit.ly/aJR32L), “Blankenship, Palin among W.Va. GOP US House donors,” candidates “Spike” Maynard (@SpikeMaynard) and David McKinley (@mckinley4cong) received $3,500 from Sarah Palin’s PAC, SarahPAC. Blankenship reportedly contributed $4,800 to Maynard’s campaign, and McKinley received $2,400, (obviously we know who “The Don” likes more).

Does this affiliation to a grizzly bear and a black-hearted coal baron help West Virginia GOP candidates, or put them in need of the political fashion police? There is no question that campaigns need money, but at what cost? Obviously both candidates opponents now can run negative ads slamming them for accepting donations, especially after Don Blankenship’s recent interview where he deemed the UBB disaster as “an act of God.”

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (@Capito4Congress) does not account for any campaign donations from this “bad outfit.” Smart move.

It’ll be interesting to see if Blankenship contributes to Governor Manchin (@JoeManchinWV, I don’t know why I’m including this since he still isn’t following anyone), and how he spins that campaign contribution around...

From the Manchin to the White House?

With Capito out of the race for Senator Byrd’s seat, Governor Manchin must be thrilled. Now that Manchin heads to DC, I predict his term as United States Senator will only last for two years. With his eye is on the White House, Manchin for President in 2012 is very possible. But will America allow another man in the White House who has only served one term in Congress? Manchin does possess more charisma than Obama, heck he’s the man who made me fall in love with politics.

But President Manchin? I think Vice President Manchin is more like it. If Obama wins the Democratic Primary in 2012, he’ll need someone with an extremely high national approval rating as his Veepee: and that man is soon-to-be Senator Manchin. Another option? Obama doesn’t go past the primary and someone else wins the Democratic nomination for President, and they select Senator Manchin to join them as Vice President.

With the highest approval rating of any elected official in America, maybe “President Manchin” isn’t too far out in left field after all. West Virginia House of Delegates member Tiffany Lawrence said during a speech at a fundraiser that Manchin greatly inspired her to go into politics. If he make me fall in love with politics, he just might make America fall in love with him.

My fashion background begs me to ask one question of the soon-to-be Senator and his first lady ...who is going to be your stylist? I just might have a couple recommendations.

Calling All Politicians: Stop Being Anti-Social! Be Social By Design!

What does the term “PC” mean to you? Politically correct? Wrong! “PC” means POLITICALLY CONNECTED! How connected are you to your constituents? The number one way to get real feedback and converse with the folks who elected you is through SOCIAL MEDIA!

The number one fail in political social media right now, and I don’t mean to be harsh, is @JoeManchinWV. The man who made me fall in love with politics isn’t following a soul on Twitter. I spoke with Senator Oliverio (Mike_Oliverio) last night, a future U.S. House of Reps member, and mentioned he might want to change his Facebook picture. Delegate Doug Skaff (dougskaff) asked me how much he should tweet.

With the youngest and sexiest United States Senator in office right now, West Virginia politicians need to know how to better utilize social media (or new media, whichever), to communicate with their constituents. Goodwin doesn’t even have a Twitter account.

The most recent political social media development in West Virginia, in my opinion, has been Speaker Thompson (@RT4WV) using his Facebook page to post statements regarding his views about what’s going on at the Legislature (@wvlegislature). Mannix Porterfield, a reporter, even asked the Speaker a question on his page and Thompson replied! He’s effectively using social media to communicate with both the media and constituents.

So all you politicians in the great state of West Virginia and across the United States, when you’re ready for my class on political social media, give me a call, 304.993.8464.

$160,000 for shoes? I’m in!

The lights keep flashing, the camera keeps rolling, but the movie just isn’t turning out the way he thought. And with West Virginia in the national spotlight, I bet Governor Manchin (@JoeManchinWV) wishes we could cut to a commercial break.

One bad camera angle: At a rate of approximately $30,000 per day, the West Virginia Legislature (@wvlegislature) failed to pass a bill both the state Senate (@wvsenate) and the House (@wvhouse) agreed upon. Overall, this special session cost approximately $160,000, http://bit.ly/dx8T6Y (story by Daily Mail (@charleywest) reporter Ry Rivard (@ryrivard).

Another bad angle: Today Manchin is expected to make a proclamation for a special election. If he had done this originally, West Virginia could have saved almost $200,000. While it’s obvious the Governor attempted to go about this with as much legislative support as possible, it just didn’t happen. So W.W.M.D (What Will Manchin Do)?

Please understand that I am not bashing Governor Manchin, I deeply respect the man, worked for him when he was Secretary of State, volunteered on his first gubernatorial campaign, and dated a close member of the Manchin family. But from a PR perspective and as a tax payer, I’m just confused. And I would rather my tax dollars be spent on shoes than four days of a session with no real solution. Speaking of shoes, Senator Chafin (@Senator_Chafin), Senator Browning, and Delegate Doug Reynolds (dougreynolds16) have the best shoes of any legislators I’ve seen.

Taking a step back, with an obvious constituent outcry for an election to fill Senator Byrd’s seat, I can’t help but wonder if Governor calls for a special election and runs (which we know he will), how much the very special session that didn’t produce any very special succession legislation hurt him? Guess we’ll find out in the coming weeks and months!

@Capito4Congress: Both House and Senate?

Thursday: Nothing. Friday: Nothing. Saturday: Nothing. Sunday: Still nothing. The West Virginia Legislature (@WVlegislature) has not produced a bill the Senate (@wvsenate) and House (@wvhouse) an agree on. As of Saturday evening, Governor Manchin (@JoeManchinWV) and House Minority Leader Tim Armstead (no twitter account) couldn’t come to an agreement. And as of today, everyone is blaming everyone else for yet another special session where nothing really got accomplished (although the Senate did pass several education bills that weren’t slated to be dealt with until next week). I can’t help but wonder how much this very special session for a very special election is costing West Virginia tax payers.

What a big headache for Governor Manchin. According to several sources, he will call for a proclamation for a special election, as long as he has the Attorney General’s blessing. Now the question is whether or not Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (Capito4Congress) will run for Byrd’s seat.

The Senate Minority introduced the amendment to the Senate’s bill so Capito could run for Byrd’s seat and for her House seat. The Senate passed the amendment and the bill, although Senate President Tomblin (@Senator_Tomblin) wasn’t happy. Apparently Senator Randy White (@wvsenator) gave the final vote needed for the amendment to pass. Senator Mike Oliverio (@Mike_Oliverio) was seen trying to persuade White otherwise, and disapprovingly shaking his head when White wouldn’t change his mind/vote. Just a side note, White was defeated in the Primary this past May, (www.defeatrandy.com).

Back to Capito, I think she’d be silly not to run for both seats. What’s there to lose? Her decision is expected tomorrow after Manchin calls for a special election. Wonder what she'll wear for her press conference...

Carte Goodwin Makes Politics Look Hot

With Governor Joe Manchin’s recent appointment of Carte Goodwin to fill Senator Byrd’s United States Senate seat, I can’t help but wonder how much the media will play up the new U.S. Senator. He’s handsome, well-connected, and the first of his kind; he’s the youngest U.S. Senator. Carte Goodwin is already the new face of West Virginia, but the more I think about it, Governor Manchin’s appointee is more than that. Could Carte Goodwin be the new face of American politicians?

During an election, voters tend to cast their ballot for the candidate they feel best represents them. And, no offense, but what does someone twice my age know about what I want and what issues are important to me? What policy needs do I share with my grandparents? If given the option, I would vote for someone I can relate to who understands the needs of my generation over someone who’s been in office for years and years. Historically, voters tend to choose a more attractive candidate, regardless of their politics. Remember Kennedy and Nixon’s debate during the boob tube revolution in politics? Kennedy was so much nicer to look at.

Handsome enough to be a boy-band pop-star and more attractive by far than Scott Brown, Goodwin will surely make the front page of newspapers and be on the cover of magazines. With Senator Rockefeller and Governor Manchin behind him, he’ll be sure to work well alongside current U.S. senators, but he also attractively appeals to Gen X and Gen Y. In other words, Carte Goodwin makes politics look hot.