Chap Petersen

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Chap Petersen is a Democratic state senator in northern Virginia, and he seems to be very popular among people in Virginia on websites I look at.

So why does the blogosphere's "vote blue no matter who" maxim not apply to Petersen? They're always talking about how you should vote Democratic no matter what, but they keep recruiting opponents to run against him.

I looked at Petersen's record, and he seems to be more of a real Democrat than the so-called Democrats that the blogosphere likes. I'm sure he's not perfect, but being just sort of OK is still much better than the blogosphere's candidates. He actually fought very hard to reopen Virginia, when very few other people did.

[Minnesota Mike]

??

Care to add a little background for those of us who are not familiar with every state legislator in the country.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

??

Care to add a little background for those of us who are not familiar with every state legislator in the country.

For instance, someone on Daily Kos accused Petersen of trying to kill their parents by ending lockdowns. And now, Blue Virginia (another supposedly Democratic site) has recruited a candidate to oppose Petersen.

[jamestroll]

He was my state Senator when I lived in Oakton, VA. I strongly approved of him.

My general vibe is that he was popular with his constituents and in the state as a whole. He would be an amazing gubernatorial candidate in 2025.

He will almost certainly survive a primary challenge from the left this year. His district is not full of clowns who follow Dr. Fingle Dingle's twitter.

He has a voting record with more unity with Democrats than several Republicans have unity with the GOP in Virginia. lmao.

[Minnesota Mike]

??

Care to add a little background for those of us who are not familiar with every state legislator in the country.

For instance, someone on Daily Kos accused Petersen of trying to kill their parents by ending lockdowns. And now, Blue Virginia (another supposedly Democratic site) has recruited a candidate to oppose Petersen.

Still trying to figure out the point of this topic. This is really not the place to complain about what somebody on a different blog said. If you have a problem with what was said elsewhere I suggest you take it up there.  From a general point of view I am not opposed to primaries, if this guy is as popular as you think it should be no problem for him.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Chap Peterson is among the best State Senators in VA.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Petersen is a hardline anti-gun control nutjob, for one thing IIRC

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Petersen is a hardline anti-gun control nutjob, for one thing IIRC

He actually did vote for some gun control bills.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

He's too anti-woke for today's Democrats.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Based on the replies here, he sounds great.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia". Because reopening from COVID before the vaccine was a horrible, selfish idea that would(and in places where it happened or never closed down in the first place, did) result in many deaths for little gain.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia".

May 2020, possibly even April.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia".

May 2020, possibly even April.

I should have figured, considering that the single issue pro COVID deaths guy likes him.

[Frodo]

He is one of those rural Democratic senators who only survived as long as he had because Democrats won the chamber back in 2007, preventing an all-out Republican gerrymandering blitzkrieg after the 2010 census like what happened in the House of Delegates. 

[Roll Roons]

He is one of those rural Democratic senators who only survived as long as he had because Democrats won the chamber back in 2007, preventing an all-out Republican gerrymandering blitzkrieg after the 2010 census like what happened in the House of Delegates. 

He's literally from Fairfax County...

[LabourJersey]

For the record, I currently work in Northern Virginia local government, so here's my additional context:

Chap Petersen was (is?) the defense attorney for a local towing company, Advanced Towing, that is infamous in the Arlington/Fairfax County area for predatory towing. To the point where their owner, John O'Neill, is probably the most hated man in Arlington. O'Neill is big on legal action, which is why he hired Peterson to go after the (Democratic) Attorney General's legal suit against Advanced. The court case ended where the Towing company only paid a small fine in penalties because the laws weren't clear enough for more targeted action. O'Neill very prominently declared that he "won" the case, in a manner not unlike Trump. 

So anyone associated with Advanced Towing is kind of wounded by association among some people, at least among more engaged citizens.

[jamestroll]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia". Because reopening from COVID before the vaccine was a horrible, selfish idea that would(and in places where it happened or never closed down in the first place, did) result in many deaths for little gain.

Initially Virginia was quite locked down until summer 2020 then basically everything was opening.

Their were capacity and gathering limits that were never enforced, even in Nova.

I had multiple emails in my job at the time that told us NOT to enforce any capacity limits. Not worth the fight, and Fairfax County PD was not going to assist about masks, capacity limits, etc.

VA was open in sense that no businesses were stopped form operating once summer 2020 hit, but we did have a pretty strong MASK mandate and capacity limits. Not like they were enforced in daily life though

As far back as April 2020, Peterson saw the BS in covid: https://bluevirginia.us/2020/04/responding-to-sen-chap-petersens-latest-criticisms-about-virginias-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic

[GoTfan]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia". Because reopening from COVID before the vaccine was a horrible, selfish idea that would(and in places where it happened or never closed down in the first place, did) result in many deaths for little gain.

Initially Virginia was quite locked down until summer 2020 then basically everything was opening.

Their were capacity and gathering limits that were never enforced, even in Nova.

I had multiple emails in my job at the time that told us NOT to enforce any capacity limits. Not worth the fight, and Fairfax County PD was not going to assist about masks, capacity limits, etc.

VA was open in sense that no businesses were stopped form operating once summer 2020 hit, but we did have a pretty strong MASK mandate and capacity limits. Not like they were enforced in daily life though

As far back as April 2020, Peterson saw the BS in covid: https://bluevirginia.us/2020/04/responding-to-sen-chap-petersens-latest-criticisms-about-virginias-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic

Yes, we get it, you don't care about people who die from COVID.

[jamestroll]

When was he fighting to "reopen Virginia". Because reopening from COVID before the vaccine was a horrible, selfish idea that would(and in places where it happened or never closed down in the first place, did) result in many deaths for little gain.

Initially Virginia was quite locked down until summer 2020 then basically everything was opening.

Their were capacity and gathering limits that were never enforced, even in Nova.

I had multiple emails in my job at the time that told us NOT to enforce any capacity limits. Not worth the fight, and Fairfax County PD was not going to assist about masks, capacity limits, etc.

VA was open in sense that no businesses were stopped form operating once summer 2020 hit, but we did have a pretty strong MASK mandate and capacity limits. Not like they were enforced in daily life though

As far back as April 2020, Peterson saw the BS in covid: https://bluevirginia.us/2020/04/responding-to-sen-chap-petersens-latest-criticisms-about-virginias-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic

Yes, we get it, you don't care about people who die from COVID.

That is an absolute false statement.

I care deeply!

But the truth is that is that covid deaths were grossly inflated. Public health officials had all reason to inflate them.

For the record, I currently work in Northern Virginia local government, so here's my additional context:

Chap Petersen was (is?) the defense attorney for a local towing company, Advanced Towing, that is infamous in the Arlington/Fairfax County area for predatory towing. To the point where their owner, John O'Neill, is probably the most hated man in Arlington. O'Neill is big on legal action, which is why he hired Peterson to go after the (Democratic) Attorney General's legal suit against Advanced. The court case ended where the Towing company only paid a small fine in penalties because the laws weren't clear enough for more targeted action. O'Neill very prominently declared that he "won" the case, in a manner not unlike Trump.  

So anyone associated with Advanced Towing is kind of wounded by association among some people, at least among more engaged citizens.

I hate towing companies. I've never been towed, knock on wood. I tend to be very careful within the rules.

To me a sign that says customer parking only or no parking does not say you can park for a few minutes with your flashers on. Maybe I read signs differently compared to most.

But towing an individuals vehicle can be an inconvenience at best, and a financial or life calamity at worst.

People should be educated on parking procedures before punitive  measures are taken.

[Minnesota Mike]

Chap Petersen is a Democratic state senator in northern Virginia, and he seems to be very popular among people in Virginia on websites I look at.

So why does the blogosphere's "vote blue no matter who" maxim not apply to Petersen? They're always talking about how you should vote Democratic no matter what, but they keep recruiting opponents to run against him.

I looked at Petersen's record, and he seems to be more of a real Democrat than the so-called Democrats that the blogosphere likes. I'm sure he's not perfect, but being just sort of OK is still much better than the blogosphere's candidates. He actually fought very hard to reopen Virginia, when very few other people did.

I guess he is not that popular.

[Pericles]

'vote blue no matter who' is for general elections, because Republicans are terrible. It would be stupid to apply it in primaries.

[Skill and Chance]

Chap Petersen is a Democratic state senator in northern Virginia, and he seems to be very popular among people in Virginia on websites I look at.

So why does the blogosphere's "vote blue no matter who" maxim not apply to Petersen? They're always talking about how you should vote Democratic no matter what, but they keep recruiting opponents to run against him.

I looked at Petersen's record, and he seems to be more of a real Democrat than the so-called Democrats that the blogosphere likes. I'm sure he's not perfect, but being just sort of OK is still much better than the blogosphere's candidates. He actually fought very hard to reopen Virginia, when very few other people did.

I guess he is not that popular.

Taking the DeSantis position on COVID in the very heart of postgrad bureaucrat land was not a smart strategy!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Chap Petersen is a Democratic state senator in northern Virginia, and he seems to be very popular among people in Virginia on websites I look at.

So why does the blogosphere's "vote blue no matter who" maxim not apply to Petersen? They're always talking about how you should vote Democratic no matter what, but they keep recruiting opponents to run against him.

I looked at Petersen's record, and he seems to be more of a real Democrat than the so-called Democrats that the blogosphere likes. I'm sure he's not perfect, but being just sort of OK is still much better than the blogosphere's candidates. He actually fought very hard to reopen Virginia, when very few other people did.

I guess he is not that popular.

Dem primary voters=/=the general electorate.

[Minnesota Mike]

Chap Petersen is a Democratic state senator in northern Virginia, and he seems to be very popular among people in Virginia on websites I look at.

So why does the blogosphere's "vote blue no matter who" maxim not apply to Petersen? They're always talking about how you should vote Democratic no matter what, but they keep recruiting opponents to run against him.

I looked at Petersen's record, and he seems to be more of a real Democrat than the so-called Democrats that the blogosphere likes. I'm sure he's not perfect, but being just sort of OK is still much better than the blogosphere's candidates. He actually fought very hard to reopen Virginia, when very few other people did.

I guess he is not that popular.

Dem primary voters=/=the general electorate.

I would guess in a Biden+42 district there is not a a whole lot of difference.

[jamestroll]

I loved chap petersen MORE than claire mccaskill.