George,

When considering Tom Perriello’s chances in November, we should not forget that he has something that few candidates ever have – he has an army of enthusiastic supporters. When the latest poll shows 66% saying that they are “absolutely certain” they are going to vote, don’t believe it. We all know that turnout in off-year congressional elections is never nearly that high. Most of those answering the poll will not vote. It is the one’s that go to the polls on election day who will count. It is up to us, Tom’s army of supporters, to ensure, by canvassing and phone calls, that voters will learn the truth about Tom and get out and vote.

This is not the time to carp about strategy. It is the time for those of us who know him to point out the truth about Tom, who he is and what he has done for the people of the 5th district in the short time he has been in Congress. (Perhaps a brief list of accomplishments prepared by the Perriello campaign would be helpful.) Throughout the year, Tom has been falsely painted by a withering barrage of attack ads paid for by outside big money. Tom needs money to present himself in his own ads as he did in 2008.

Voters do not begin to really concentrate on a campaign until after Labor Day. To Paul Goldman I say, we have just begun to fight. Tom’s greatest asset is that he is Tom, someone whose major “strategy” is to serve the people. He just needs to get his story out, and we must help him do that.

David RePass (August 21, 2010)