Senatorial candidate Mark Warner campaigns at Old Fire Station #1 in downtown Roanoke yesterday alongside Virginia governor Tim Kaine.
The state that was once barely touched by presidential candidates may determine who moves into the White House, with southwest Virginia's preference swaying the polls.
Campaigners in southwest Virginia are aware of their upcoming impact on the world. Walking into the Republican or Democratic Headquarters off Main Street in downtown Blacksburg, it's easy to recognize this immediately. Dozens of volunteers are making hundreds of phone calls in the few hours they have to commit, while last-ditch canvassing efforts are spreading throughout the commonwealth.
Politicians' pathways on Monday were a testament to the area's importance.
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, running for the Senate seat vacated by John Warner, joined current Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine in downtown Blacksburg Monday at 8 a.m.
Alongside several other politicians, such as Tom Perriello and Sam Rasoul, who are running for Congress, Warner and Kaine asked the audience to continue campaign efforts.
"We could be the state that starts this avalanche of red to blue," Kaine said.
Kaine suggested that southwest Virginia has a responsibility to support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama because he has been campaigning so heavily in the area. He noted that Obama made his 11th visit to Virginia Monday, and he was the first Democratic candidate to visit Harrisonburg since Steven Douglas, who ran against Abraham Lincoln, did so in 1860.
"He is investing in us," Kaine said. "He's spending his time here. When someone puts that much trust and investment in us, we got to produce. If you win this campaign for Barack Obama, every candidate after this will come to Virginia."
Perriello spoke to the Collegiate Times about the importance of college students in this election.
"Young people started this," Perriello said, explaining that if Iowa hadn't voted for Obama, Hillary Clinton would still be the Democratic presidential nominee. The younger population was partly responsible for Obama's win in Iowa.
"My generation believed that they could make more of a difference by volunteering than voting," Perriello said, adding that this college-aged generation is smarter because it recognizes the need to do both.
Audience members, many of whom were ardent supports of the federal and statewide Democratic tickets, were very optimistic about Tuesday's outcome.
"When I was young, Virginia was a Democratic state," Ronaoke native June Arthur said. "I really, really want to see it blue again."
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Tim Kaine needs to get real! Just because a candidate campaigns heavily in a particular location it doesn't mean that people have a "responsibility" to vote for that nominee.
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