Some questions were posed, via Electronic Mail, to the members of the Charlottesville City Council and to the candidates for the Democratic nominations. Here are the questions, with Blake Caravati's comments:

What do you think of outside political ads? Does the sponsorship of the ad make a difference in your thinking? Are outside political ads any different from formal endorsements?

Outside ads like this don't bother me .. I think they're good for the political process ... they open up discourse. As long as they're truthful.

What do you think of Oliver Kutner's ad? Do his implicit criticisms of the actions of the current city council resonate with you? Do you think there is a buddy-buddy system in City Hall?

I don't want to comment specifically on this ad ... but I will say, emphatically, there's no buddy-buddy system in City Hall.

Do you think Oliver Kutner's ad will have an impact on the result of the vote in the upcoming Democratic Convention?

I'm not sure if it will have an impact. If he comes, that will be one vote. That's the impact of anyone's attendance.

I don't think ads and bumper stickers have much impact on [people who will attend] the Democratic Caucus. Maybe later.

And on the subject of endorsements, Councilor Caravati says that in general he does not solicit them.

It is possible that [an endorsement] might help you with people on the fence, but I've spent what time I could calling individual Democrats ... the best way to get support is person-to-person.

This is my third campaign. I lost one, I won one, and we'll see how this one goes. I think that people look for a long-term relationship [with an elected official] and personal attention." (Blake Caravati, Telephone conversation, February 22, 2002)