Southwest Virginia’s choice between Sen. John Edwards and Dr. Nancy Dye on Nov. 3 is crucially important.
First, we are losing major employers. Keeping our young people here has been a perennial challenge, but with Norfolk Southern, Advance Auto, and others cutting jobs, that struggle gets harder. Edwards did not single-handedly cause those businesses to move, but they have left on his watch, his Year 20 in the state Senate.
It seems when Republicans are in office and the economy is bad, we blame the leadership (think back to George W. Bush). But when Democrats like Edwards are in power and times are bad, we blame “economic forces beyond our control.” Dr. Dye has signed a pledge to seek to foster new job creation and not raise taxes.
Edwards voted for the crazy gerrymandering that split up our region, just to help his political career by putting Democrat Roanoke City and Tech together. The Roanoke Valley is split among three senate districts, and Roanoke and Montgomery Counties are split into two. These grotesquely-gerrymandered districts reduce our influence by not giving us one, consistent voice in the Virginia Senate.
Lastly: the male strip-tease act Edwards legally defended. I understand Edwards is a lawyer, but he could have recused himself. As a lifelong politician, Edwards should be a community leader, so defending the male strip-tease act shows poor judgment.
During my childhood the Roanoke City Market was a seedy, sleazy place. After years of hard work, the Market has become a gem, but now Edwards is taking us backward. Virginia voters are grown-ups in a free country who should be able to hear all the evidence and make their choice based on the issues and criteria important to them, and matters of judgment and community decency matter.
Job losses? Gerrymandering? Striptease on the City Market? Career politician? After twenty years, Southwest Virginia deserves much better than John Edwards. Bring in a fresh person with the keen intellect, sound judgment, and medical knowledge of a career surgeon, and send another woman to Richmond in the process. Vote Dr. Nancy Dye on Nov. 3.
– Scott Dreyer
