Ryan Nobles – bio | email

Today will be a relatively quiet day, before the Richmond area braces for a full on assault by both campaigns for President. Tomorrow, President Clinton comes to VCU for an event in support of Barack Obama and then Monday VP candidate Sarah Palin will headline a rally at RIR. In preparation for these events are a few developments worth noting.

Rep. Jan Schkowksy will be in Richmond all day tomorrow leading up to the Clinton appearance that night. The Illinois Congresswoman serves in the state’s congressional delegation with Barack Obama and will be meeting with supporters and will participate in a forum at Temple Beth-El in Richmond which I will be moderating. The McCain campaign will be represented at the same forum by local Delegate Dr. John O’Bannon. Here are the details of the event, if you are interested. Stop by and say hello. It will be a good chance to see what both campaigns have to say.

Temple Beth-El Sisterhood Forum

When: 2 p.m.

Location: Temple Beth-El, 3330 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA

Featuring:

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

Del. Dr. John O’Bannon (R-VA)

Gail Parker (Independent Greens for VA)

Moderated by Ryan Nobles, NBC12

Also breaking today is news that Sarah Palin’s visit to Richmond is going to have some pretty big country music star power attached to it. The campaign announced today that Hank Williams Jr. and John Rich will be performing at the event in Richmond on Monday. Williams Jr. is also going to be with McCain and Palin in Virginia Beach. Rich is one half of the massive duo Big and Rich which is best known for their hit Save A Horse (Ride a Cowboy). Jerry Kilgore, the McCain campaign’s Virginia Co-Chair told me last night that they have received over 20 thousand RSVPs already for the event. I can only imagine how this latest injection of star power could bring even more people in.

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Ryan Nobles - bio | email

Now that the debate is back on, so are our coverage plans. We plan to give Central Virginia voters an instant view of how local people are reacting to the event on our web site and then during our 11pm newscast. Here is a breakdown of our plans:

On the Web: Through our political web site www.decisionvirginia.com we will be running a liveblog that will be open to viewer comment during the debate. I will moderate the discussion from our NBC12 studios and we will have contributions from two sets of student reporters embedded at debate watching parties hosted by both campaigns. Our online coverage will begin at 8:55pm and you will be able to give your opinions as you watch the debate and read the reactions from supporters on both sides.  

On the Air: We will have comprehensive local coverage of the debate before and after the event on NBC12. Tonight during our 5:30 newscast I will preview the debate, with insight from two heavyweights from both campaigns. We will hear from McCain’s state co-chair Jerry Kilgore and Obama’s National Communications Director Robert Gibbs. I plan to ask them both about the back and forth leading up to the debate and how it will impact tonight’s proceedings.

Then at 11 after the debate, we will look back at what viewers had to say about the debate and specifically what issues were discussed that impact voters in Virginia. 

Check back often for updates.

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

The McCain camp has put out a dispatch featuring Virginians singing the praises of the Sarah Palin pick.  One name not on the list is Rep. Eric Cantor. I’ve reached out to his office to see if he has any opinion. His staff told the Times-Dispatch today that he is spending the day with constituents.

I also reached out to the McCain folks today to see if and when there will be a visit in the near future from either member of the newly formed ticket. All they would tell me is that they “can’t confirm anything right now.”

After the jump you can read the comments from the McCain “Virginia Leadership Team”

U.S. Representative Thelma Drake, Virginia Campaign Honorary Statewide Co-Chair

“Alaska Governor Sarah Palin represents an exciting and historic pick that changes the dynamic of this presidential race. During her tenure as Alaska’s top executive, Palin has established a reputation as a reformer who achieves results. A mother of five, including one son who will be deployed to Iraq in September, Governor Palin is well-respected as a leading fiscal conservative. American women everywhere will respond well to her inspiring story and her willingness to shake up the status quo. The selection of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running-mate underscores the point that this fall Republicans will run as the true party of reform.”

Christy Swanson, Democrat from Richmond, Citizen for McCain Vice Chairman

“Senator McCain has made an excellent choice for Vice President. Once again, we are seeing why John McCain is a candidate who speaks to voters like me who care more about strong leadership than party labels. As a small business owner, her fiscal conservatism and her strong record on energy security are critical to me. As a woman, I am proud to support her. Most importantly, she is a Washington outsider, a maverick, who will put reform and results first for working families like mine. She has spent her time in office shaking up government in Alaska. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington. I will actively campaign for John McCain and Sarah Palin and will proudly vote for them in November.”

Lori Ann Miller, Woman for McCain from Alexandria, Young Republican Federation of Virginia Chairman

“Sarah Palin is a strong choice that represents a fresh breath of air for those of us looking for representation in this election and who can make a difference in Washington. I am a mother-to-be and I admire what Sarah Palin has been able to achieve as a local elected official, Governor of Alaska as well as being a mother to five children. No one understands more than Sarah Palin the effect that rising prices of oil have on families like mine. She understands that we need energy security to be energy independent and lessen the pain at the pump. As a young professional and mother-to-be, I am proud to campaign for John McCain and Sarah Palin.”

Delegate Chris Saxman, Virginia Campaign Co-Chair

“Governor Sarah Palin is an excellent choice for Vice President. Like John McCain, she is a maverick who has a strong record of accomplishment and the reputation to reach out to Republicans and Democrats to achieve real results. By choosing Sarah Palin, John McCain has sent strong message to Washington that a shake up in the status quo is imminent. Both John McCain and Sarah Palin understand the needs of Virginia’s families when it comes to lower taxes, energy independence and national security. John McCain and Sarah Palin do not need any on-the-job training. They are ready to lead from day one.”

Jerry Kilgore, Virginia Campaign Co-Chair

“With his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, John McCain has demonstrated that this will indeed be a historic election. Governor Palin has a proven record as a reformer who gets results and will feel at home within a McCain administration. As a working mother of five and an experienced executive, Palin has a great story that will connect with working families. Virginians can feel confident that a McCain-Palin ticket will bring to the White House the experience and leadership necessary to address our nation’s most pressing problems.”