LAST TUESDAY, all eyes focused on Virginia's gubernatorial election, which was billed as an indicator of larger political trends in the country. Under such intense national scrutiny, the Commonwealth acquitted itself well.
Despite some negative press earlier this year about racial incidents at the state's premier university, Virginians reaffirmed last week their commitment to fair play and clean elections. At the same time, they also had to contend with the sharply contrasting interests of an increasingly diverse electorate. The amicable way in which Virginians faced this challenge serves as an example of how we at the University should handle similar concerns.
As a legal assistant for the Republican Party, I visited more than a dozen voting sites in Richmond last week. Compared to the brass-knuckle politics I have encountered working on campaigns in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Virginia election was by far the most orderly and civil I have ever seen. In contrast to coming under physical attack in Philadelphia last year, never once did I fear being assaulted this year by thugs from the opposing party.
What's more, lawyers in other states often have to sue in court to stop partisan election workers from interfering with voters and fixing the ballots. To my knowledge, not a single election lawsuit was filed in Virginia last week. Even the prospect of a recount in the attorney general's race so far does not point to protracted litigation or allegations of fraud.
Joshua Scott, Director of Programs at the University's Center for Politics, reinforced this impression in a post-mortem discussion last week. "Virginia tends to be cleaner than other states" in its elections, he noted.
This sense of fair play was on display not only on Election Day, but throughout the campaign. Although Jerry Kilgore raised eyebrows with his ads about Tim Kaine's opposition to the death penalty, even those "negative ads were not so negative," said Scott.
Kilgore's ads addressed a legitimate public policy issue. In contrast, New Jersey voters were treated to salacious messages and innuendo about their gubernatorial candidates' personal lives. One Jersey Democratic committee purchased petty ads whose only substance was to childishly taunt the Republican candidate that he was a loser.
As exemplary as Virginia is in its politics, it is not perfect. Like many other states, Virginia must contend with growing regional gaps and demographic changes. From the Shenandoah foothills to urban Richmond to suburban Fairfax to "exurban" Prince William County, statewide candidates must try to appeal to everyone while falling short of being all things for all Virginians. This tension was on display between Kilgore, who played up his native Southwest roots, and Kaine, a Harvard-educated Missouri native who was mayor of Richmond.
Being that the University is Virginia's premier educational institution and attracts students from all over the state and beyond, it is only natural that the same statewide tensions are replicated here, often in the unfortunate guise of race. Despite these common concerns, we must remember our shared values of fair play and civility that were so well represented in the election.
What has always impressed me most about the University is its tolerance for all viewpoints. As in the election, people here can disagree strongly with each other's positions but still be fair to one another. Despite the occasional skirmishes between College Republicans and University Democrats, the University still lives up to Mr. Jefferson's ideal of a forum for free enquiry and debate. The same level of honesty and lack of shenanigans at Virginia polls is replicated in the University's "community of trust" and the honor code.
Outgoing Gov. Mark R. Warner likes to take credit for the fact that the Government Performance Project has ranked Virginia the best-governed state in the country. I, for one, tend to believe it has more to do with Virginians' common culture of honesty and fairness that also permeates the University. Thus, despite our differences in politics or backgrounds, as long as we remain true to these shared values, Virginians will continue to lead the nation in governance and higher education.
Eric Wang's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at ewang@cavalierdaily.com.
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