You might have heard the news about Terry McAuliffe and his possible run for Virginia Governor. Terry is the former chair of the DNC and he served as the Clinton Campaign Chairman. Like Hillary, he campaigned hard for President Elect Obama. I am a big fan!
I am a fan of McAuliffe for an unlikely reason .... I drove him around Dallas for a several hours about seven years ago! He was in town to raise money and speak at a couple events. The DNC staff heard that another high profile Democrat had a funky driver a few days before and they wanted someone less crazy. I guess I fit the profile and someone gave them my name.
If you are a regular of my blog or a friend, you may remember that I get requests to drive notable people from time to time...its kinda funny. I also have passed on opportunities in order to recommended other people who might be a big fan or supporter of the individual. However, nothing beats the story of a close friend who drove Rob Lowe to a Bill Clinton rally out in East Texas back in the 90's.
Back to McAuliffe.... While driving through Downtown Dallas to a fundraiser at the Aldophus Hotel, I pointed out to McAuliffe the locations involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy including the grassy knoll of Dealey Plaza and Texas School Book Depository. McAuliffe was definitely moved by the experience and asked if we could stop for a moment. I mentioned there was a great museum near by and we did a quick tour of the The Sixth Floor Museum, a non-profit museum run by a local foundation.
It was a great experience to be able to share a moment of reflecting on the assassination and its impact with the leader of the Democratic Party. McAuliffe earned my respect and I am glad to see he is stepping up to the plate to considering a run for office and to serve his state.
Hillary's campaign office sent out an email about Terry's possible run noting that "Clinton Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced this week that he would explore the opportunity of running for Virginia Governor in 2009. Terry’s wife, Dorothy, sent the following email yesterday: As you may know, Terry's been contemplating a run for governor of Virginia for some time now. And this week, he officially kicked off a two-month long process of touring the Commonwealth in order to initiate a conversation with fellow Virginians. He'll make a final decision about whether to run for governor in early January. That decision will be based in large part on what kind of enthusiasm is out there for his candidacy."
I think McAuliffe would make a great elected official. McAuliffe once wrestled an alligator so I am sure he is up for the job!
You can check out Terry's website here:
Politico notes that "McAuliffe starts Va. charm offensive"
Richmond Times Dispatch notes that a former campaign manager for Gov/Sen. Warner and Gov. Kaine to advise McAuliffe
U.S. News and World Report Blog:
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