Meeting a Gubernatorial Candidate from the Great State of Virginia!

Yesterday, my friend Angie Haddock told me she was going to a democratic fundraiser that her father in law Ed Haddock, the owner/founder of Full Sail in Winter Park, FL, John Morgan, the founder of Morgan & Morgan, and a few others, were putting on for Terry McAuliffe, the former DNC chair and best friend of Bill Clinton. I wasn’t going because it was democratic, because I usually tend to vote for the person who I feel will be most effective leading.

I went primarily to support my friend Angie and to meet people in my home town. And meet I did! I met so many amazingly nice people who were so interesting and fun!

When Ed Haddock got up to introduce his old friend Terry was when I knew we were in for a treat. Ed is an incredibly charming distinguished. speaker and person, with a quick wit and fun story or two, told about his long time relationship Terry and with Virginia. His own father was Mayor of Richmond so he grew up with southern roots.

When Terry took the floor, he was like an electric charger that brings the electricity up in the room about 10x. . He’s a go getter, ambitious and says what he feels. He’s passionate about Virginia and about creating jobs for the people who are suffering there. He shared stories of some communities that actually have big and great jobs available but they’re unable to find anyone who can actually pass the drug test! So, we heard many stories of the traffic congestion on the beltway around Virginia, about the difficulties of commerce and how he’s gotten the support of big named Republicans because he’s Pro business!

There is hardly any way to resist the message the Terry is espousing! He’s dynamic, passionate and as John Morgan calls him, a “force of nature”. That’s absolutely true. Listening to him, it’s easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm and you just absolutely believe that Terry CAN and WILL fix the problems! Then, you start thinking, wow.. I’d really like to work on that campaign.. because he really stands for something great! This was honestly the first and only time that I ever thought about going back to Virginia after leaving in 1993!

I felt great to get to be in the presence of what I felt was a really strong leader and I enjoyed hearing his ideas and his passion for helping people all over his state. I was curious and gathered, that he’d probably be open to a higher office in the future, if the opportunity arose.

Terry McAuliffe, a moderate democratic candidate for Governor is the real deal. I won’t be voting because I don’t live there.. but if I did, I’d be voting for him!