IN 1997, when Mark Earley ran for Attorney General, he spoke before a crowd of College Republicans at which I was present. After speaking dynamically not of technical issues but of a larger desire to uphold the core principles of the Declaration of Independence, Earley stood around and talked with groups of students. One of my friends, someone Earley did not know, spoke with him for almost 20 minutes on issues that he had discussed in his recent philosophy class. At the conclusion of their talk, Earley encouraged my friend to call him if he ever wanted to talk philosophy - and gave him his cell number.
This anecdote acts as an example of now-gubernatorial candidate Mark Earley's unique personal qualities. Simply stated, Earley is a genuine, intellectually curious and - despite what television ads may suggest - nonpartisan individual who would make an exemplary governor of Virginia.
Predictably, both candidates, through television and radio advertisements, have begun to engage in finger-pointing exercises. The more recent exchanges have revolved around very narrow and heretofore unknown issues.
For those who have not paid attention to Virginia politics since 1997, both candidates may appear to espouse similar viewpoints and positions. For example, both appear to put forward comparable environmental and agricultural plans. Assuming that a number of both candidates' positions fall within the middle of the political spectrum, the non-political aspects of the candidates' lives should hold a greater deal of weight.
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Earley's entire life before entering politics embodies one whose primary motivation has not been the achievement of higher office. Without a doubt, he has neither been constrained by nor been overly directed by the bounds of traditional political practice.
Earley entered electoral politics when he decided to run for the Virginia Senate in 1987. Around the time of this first race, Earley had not yet decided to run as a Republican. The reason the Republicans recruited him to their party was simple: Earley had friends across the political spectrum.
Having spent a number of years as a missionary in the Philippines, Earley had strong ties to a substantial Virginia minority. As a devoted religious individual, he built substantial support with numerous churches and religious groups. As a member of the local NAACP for years prior to running for office, he built relationships with local African-American leaders. Additionally, Earley's own support of public education - all of his ever-expanding family has attended public schools - suggested that he might even garner local teacher union support.
Ultimately, the reason Earley won election to the Virginia Senate was not because he ran as the Republican candidate. He won because a majority of voters, across political stripes, picked the individual they trusted most with representing them.
Some have disagreed with Earley's positions on such social issues as abortion or the state lottery. However, when people watch Earley speak about a topic, they can recognize that his reasoning for and commitment to pursuing a particular issue lies deep within him. This sincerity appears equally when he speaks of Democrat-sounding issues like racial reconciliation - a major theme in his gubernatorial candidacy announcement. It does not appear simply because he wishes to make a token play for one group of voters or another.
In much the same way that Earley cast a broad net for support in his Senate elections, he has continued to appeal to voters outside the traditional Republican base. As a state Senator, Earley helped shepherd juvenile justice reform legislation through a then-hostile Senate. He supported requiring judicial candidates to disclose their membership in discriminatory country clubs, something that didn't have unanimous support in the Commonwealth at the time.
As attorney general, Earley has pushed for recruiting thousands of mentors to assist troubled and at-risk youth. He has worked to decrease binge drinking on college campuses. By being himself, Earley has even attracted the ire of some conservatives who feel he does not yell, "I'm a conservative" loudly enough in a crowded room. A large number of these individuals opposed Earley's candidacy for the Republican nomination.
If anything, his long-standing nonpolitical background suggests that Earley will not abide by the dictates of a small cadre of political operatives. He won't be the political plaything of any particular group or interest. He simply will be the Mark Earley he has been for decades: a genuine, thoughtful and complex individual who would make a strong, independent and successful governor.
(Seth Wood's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at swood@cavalierdaily.com.)
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