Decision Virginia

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

Happy Halloween! (btw take your political signs down from your front yard tonight, unless you really want them vandalized or stolen.) 

A new poll shows that undecideds (big surprise) are still “undecided”. It leaves open the chance that a surprise is still possible come election day.

Barack Obama played to another big crowd in Virginia Beach yesterday. Today, the Democrats bring Bill Richardson to Richmond today at 1pm and promise more big stars in the days left before the election.

96 year old Roberta McCain, the mother of the Republican candidate charms a group of supporters in Henrico last night and is expected to this morning in Hanover.   

In case you missed it:

Here is my uncut interview with Sen. John McCain from Monday and here is Laura Geller’s lengthy uncut interview with Governor Tim Kaine from Wednesday. 

Gwyenth Paltrow’s visit to Richmond has been cancelled. The Obama campaign said today that an illness has prevented her from making the trip to Central Virginia to rally supporters for Barack Obama.

I am also told that a collective “oh no” went up from the male contingent of the Obama campaign office when the news came out.

The same reaction was felt here in our newsroom.

Supporters will now have to settle for a visit from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson who will be in town tomorrow. He has not won or even been nominated for an Oscar, but he was the chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association.

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

We are now down to 6 days left in the race for the White House and the Virginia battleground is well established. Here is a look at some big time visitors heading to town over the next few days. 

The visits are from politicians, governors, mothers and an academy award winning actress.

THURSDAY-

Democrats:  
2:45pm- Google CEO Eric Schmidt will speak on the economy at VCU

4:30pm- Delegate Brian Moran (and candidate for Governor) will appear on MSNBC

The candidate himself, Barack Obama will headline a rally in Norfolk at 5:45 tonight. 

Republicans:
2:00pm- Senator John Warner and Attorney General Bob McDonnell hold Veteran’s Victory Rally at Parham Road Headquarters 

7:45pm- Sen. McCain’s mother Mrs. Roberta McCain will meet with volunteers at an appreciation rally at Parham Road Headquarters. 

FRIDAY-

Republicans:
11am- Roberta McCain headlines volunteer appreciation rally at Hanover Headquarters on Chamberlayne Road.

Democrats:
11am- Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow (yes that Gwyneth Paltrow) headlines a get out the vote rally at Marshall Street Headquarters.

1pm- Gov. Bill Richardson headlines at get out the vote rally at Marshall Street Obama Headquarters.

The McCain/Palin campaign also released the final details for Saturday’s event featuring Gov. Sarah Palin at Deep Run High School. The Palin event will begin at 8pm. Doors to the event open at 6. Tickets are available at all campaign offices or at www.virginia.johnmccain.com. 

Check back all day long for updates. Who knows who could be in Richmond next!

Two governors, both former presidential candidates, are coming to Virginia in the week ahead in support of their respective candidates for president. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and current New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson both have big followings with key constituencies that both campaigns are trying to reach out to.

Richardson is an Hispanic-American with extensive foreign policy experience. A one-time Clinton confidante, (he was President Clinton’s Secretary of Energy) he broke ranks and endorsed Obama after he dropped out of the race for president. He was also considered to be among Obama’s choices for a running mate. He will tour traditionally Democratic strongholds in Virginia (NOVA, Charlottesville and Richmond) with the goal of rallying supporters to get out the vote.

Huckabee is the darling of many evangelicals on the conservative right. He spent the waning days of the primary as a thorn in John McCain’s side, exposing many of the current GOP’s nominee’s problems with that key constituency. (A problem that McCain improved upon with the selection of the conservative Sarah Palin).  Huckabee will tour the social conservative southwest, with a former president of the NRA. This is an area where Huckabee beat McCain pretty badly in during the primary. It’s an area, whose returns came in first and made it initially seem like Huckabee might have a chance of winning. (McCain went on to win by about 8 points.) 

Details for both visits are after the jump. 

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