Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my…Delegate Sam Rasoul is Running for LG!

He’s All Wet on the Green New Deal BUT …

I have been out of the blogging universe as we await who will be our next President but I was reading the Virginia Star (the electronic newspaper founded by John Fredericks) and I found this:

Delegate Sam Rasoul Announces Run for Lieutenant Governor, Joins Crowded List of Hopefuls

I go back a long way with Delegate Rasoul. I even suggested he run for LG! Rasoul has listened to me on ballot access and indigent defense. I even saw to it, during my brief period as a proud Crusader [Richmond Crusade for Voters] that the Crusade got to hear Sam speak. I admire him very much.

See this section from a prior blog post on Sam:

• Term limits (HJ 18) (I agree!)
• Ballot Access (HB 82) (I agreed so much I collaborated with Del. Rasoul on this idea and then blogged on it and then spoke to the subcommittee that killed the bill)
• Redistricting reform (HB 303) (I disagree – but this is the idealist position and I respect it)
• Top two primary system (HB 1040) (I disagree – see the US senate race in California where the top two were both liberal Democrats.  But again this is the idealist position – Del. Rasoul thinks this will cause the parties to run candidates closer to the center of their party.)
• Juvenile sentencing reform (HB53) (This bill would give juvenile offenders who commit serious non-homicide crimes a chance at parole after the offender turns 35 or 20 years of his/her sentence.  I would make it 4o or 45 or 30 years.  The SCOTUS will probably in next several years mandate us do it.  In that sense, Rasoul is ahead of his time.)

It takes grit to suggest this kind of platform and to resign from the party leadership in the House:

Virginia’s only Muslim-American state lawmaker resigned from his Democratic leadership post Friday and called for a “massive overhaul” in the party to reconnect with working-class voters after Donald Trump’s presidential victory.

***

Rasoul called himself a “proud Democrat,” but said “the establishment does not want to change.” Rather than change the platform, Rasoul said, the party needs to rethink its communication strategy to build trust and listen to people’s concerns.

R T-D November 18, 2016

Now the delegate from Roanoke has this slogan:

Sam Rasoul for LG: TRUTH, LOVE, GRIT

I am tempted to jealousy. Sounds like a idealist. And the delegate did show real vision and grit with this bill to immediately bring about a statewide indigent defense system. In 2018!

Now I know Del. Rasoul is very progressive. He’s all wet on climate. Ditto for the ERA. BUT, he’s in politics for the right reasons. I think he’ll listen and he has integrity. I am not endorsing anyone YET. But due to the GOP going to a convention, and due to the fact any voter can vote in the Democratic primary this spring or summer or fall, depending on new lines being drawn, I reserve the right to make ethical endorsements or even VOTE in the primary.