Mark Herring Just Lost the Governorship

When voters head to the polls on November 7, 2017, chances are that Mark Herring's name will be on the gubernatorial ballot.

But Mark Herring will never be Governor.

In spite of his progressive nature, the reversal of the ban on same-sex marriage, and his good ol' boy network, Herring has a problem: a small, private women's college in central Virginia.

Pffbt.  Who cares about Sweet Briar College?

Never mind that there are 3,000 Sweet Briar College alumnae living, working, and voting in Virginia.  Never mind that those 3,000 women have significant others, parents, children, siblings, and friends who live in Virginia.

Never mind the economic collapse of Amherst, VA (population: 2,200) when hundreds of consumers disappear.  Never mind the 300 faculty and staff who stand to lose their jobs if Sweet Briar closes.

Mark Herring will never be Governor for two reasons: 1) a lack of action; and 2) a lack of foresight.


Action Jackson
Do you want a leader who will step up to the plate and take charge?  (Yeah!)  Or would you prefer a person in a position of power to sit back and see what happens?  (No!)

Who would you respect more: a person who stands by his unpopular convictions, or someone who says nothing?  (How about popular convictions? Can we get those?)

Do you want a Governor who will go to bat for the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia?  (Yes, I do!)

If so, Mark Herring is not the leader you need.  (You know me so well.)

Herring had opportunity after opportunity to take a stand on the Sweet Briar College scandal, but he only grabbed the bull by the horns once, when he erroneously submitted an amicus curiae brief against his own Commonwealth's Attorney.

Since that time, he has avoided taking any action that would resolve this situation: mediation meetings that he does not attend; ignoring a call for investigation by 39 Virginia legislators; refusing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

No, Virginia, this is not a man who can lead your citizens through four years' worth of decisions.  Herring has a knack for sitting idly by, waiting to make a tough call until the outcome is already clear.

Virginia doesn't need Mark Herring's brand of leadership.

60,000 Non-Profits Can't Be Wrong
If the Board of Directors of Sweet Briar College succeeds in its mission to shutter the school, what does that mean for the nearly 60,000 non-profit organizations registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia?  (I'll go with "Breaking Bad" for $200, Alex.)

Donors have publicly announced that they may take their charitable donations out of state, where donor rights are protected and they don't have to worry about misuse of funds with zero accountability.  When 60,000 charities suddenly find that their sources of funding have dried up due to the inaction of Mark Herring, what do you suppose they'll do?  (I'm leeeeeaving on a jet plane)

Do you want a Governor who brings business into the Commonwealth, or pushes it away?  (Can we stop with the rhetorical questions?)

Yes, Virginia, this is a possible outcome.  Herring, however, doesn't understand that his actions (er, rather, lack of action) affect more than a handful of old biddies gasping, clutching their pearls, and bemoaning the closure of a teeny-tiny finishing school: there are serious economic consequences.

Virginia doesn't need Mark Herring's brand of economic growth.

Mark Herring wants to be Governor.  But he has a big pink-and-green problem: if 3,000 "emotional" women can derail his gubernatorial aspirations, what does he think his political opponents will do during election season?

His weaknesses have been exposed; come and get 'em.