Mad Voter: Warner a good example for GOP

As Democrats announced Wednesday that former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner will be a keynote speaker at their national party convention here in Denver this month, most Americans likely responded with "Mark Who?" Smart Western Republicans, however, should start taking notes.

While it's safe to assume that presumed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama selected Warner because of his ability to win over southern voters, he will also have appeal in the west-and likely for many of the same reasons.

Warner, a former Virginia governor and now a U.S. Senate candidate, has written the book for how to win over conservative voters. Step One: Raise tons of money. Step Two: Drive for hours to counties where no Democrat has appeared since Prohibition. Step Three (the most important step): Be good-really good-on a single issue that really matters to conservatives.

Virginia, like Colorado, has become a battleground state for fiercely competing political ideologies. With northern Virginia, a liberal stronghold, representing the bulk of the state's population, it rarely plays nice at the legislature with the rest of the state, which includes rural farmers and small business owners (including my own extended family).

Serving as governor is made even more difficult by the fact that under Virginia statute, governors are only allowed to serve one term.

So how did Warner manage to gain steam while the state's other hopefuls, floundered before they hit the national limelight?

Warner took over Virginia in 2002 by snapping up rural votes through an effective use of his three step model. Prior to Warner, Virginia had been run by the back-to-back conservative GOP administrations of Jim Gilmore and George Allen.

Warner made conservatives happy where it counted while still sounding somewhat like a liberal. According to his 2001 campaign Web site, "Virginia has a long tradition of outdoor recreation. Mark supported amending the Virginia Constitution to preserve hunting and fishing rights. He supports the Second Amendment. And as Governor, he'll preserve Virginia's public parks and protect the rights of sportsmen."

While giddy Republicans jumped on board, Warner maintained liberal positions important to his party's base. He encouraged a hike to the state's minimum wage, he supported pro-abortion policies, and he called for universal health coverage for the state's children. These three issues were enough to buy the Left's silence on 2nd Amendment issues.

While Warner has dashed rumors that he might be Obama's vice presidential pick, his popularity across ideological lines should not be underestimated.

Jessica Peck Corry is a public policy analyst with the Independence Institute in Golden, Colo.

From a Web site titled "Draft Mark Warner," a Democrat named Steve Deak writes, "Why I want Mark Warner to run for President: I fish for Largemouth and Striped bass. I love NHRA drag racing and have taken my own car down the track a number of times. I believe everyone has a right to own a gun. I drive a Dodge 1500 Hemi pickup with which I tow my boat to the lake and I served in the Navy for 9 years. If you knew nothing more about me than this, many of my Democratic friends would consider this a bio of a Republican."

As Deak points out, Warner understands the need to build ideological movements that don't appear ideological.

"[Democrats] must grow and truly become more tolerant," Deak writes. "Calling someone stupid because they live in a 'red' state is counterproductive and just plain wrong. We must listen to the folks first, then provide real answers as to why they should be voting FOR Democrats."

So what could this mean for Republicans hoping to reverse the tide of Colorado's 2004 Democratic takeover of the state legislature?

Figure out the most important issues to liberals and find a way to capitalize on them.

One suggestion immediately jumps to mind, including limiting government's role in our personal lives when it comes to social issues.

Can Republicans do it?

Two weeks from now, Mark Warner will stand on the same stage that Barack Obama stood on four years ago to give a DNC keynote speech that made Obama's career. And while today, Warner says he remains exclusively committed to his U.S. Senate bid, we must wonder what's next for the savvy Virginian.

Similarly, we must yearn for what's in store for the Colorado Republican Party seeking to take back Colorado. Can they successfully follow the Warner Model?

Editor’s note: Jessica Peck Corry's weekly blogs are part of a feature on PoliticsWest called "Diary of a Mad Voter." The group blog, published in partnership with NewWest.Net/Politics, is intended to give a glimpse into the hearts and minds of several independent-minded voters and thinkers in the Rocky Mountain West in the 2008 election year.

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