Part 1: A Journey Fraught With Peril
Developing a story out of thin air on a bi-weekly basis isn't as easy as it may seem. For every idea that is published, there are a few asinine posts that I dismiss. Additionally, the time constraint of school limits the amount of research that can go into an article. However, the impending statewide elections motivated me to go above and beyond the call of duty to bring you the best journalism an agriculture major with no journalism experience can provide.
The state of journalism is such that it is increasingly hard to trust news sources to provide objective facts without political bias. With this in mind, my only solution was to talk to the candidates myself. I assumed this would be easy enough. Candidates are always touting newspaper endorsements, and newspaper endorsements are still relevant. In fact, the Washington Post's endorsement of Creigh Deeds played a substantial role in his Democratic primary win.
All of the large newspapers in the state have already chosen sides. Mr. Deeds has endorsements from The Washington Post, Roanoke Times, and the The Virginian-Pilot. Mr. McDonnell has endorsements from The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Free Lance-Star (Fredricksburg — a pleasant town past Kings Dominion, but before D.C.), and The Washington Times. One publication that remains absent from either list is the Juris Publici.
I understand that an all-online student newspaper serving a law school of approximately 450 students is not top priority for candidates engrossed in a brutal statewide election. That is why I took the initiative to reach out to candidates from both major parties for the three statewide elected positions. This would allow me to ask the questions that mean the most to us as citizens, or at least three-year residents, of the Commonwealth.
The internet should have made contacting these candidates and providing them a simple questionnaire simple enough. On Sunday, October 25, I drafted an e-mail with a request to ask a few questions of the candidate and submitted the e-mail to the "Press Inquiries" portion of their respective campaign websites. Then, I waited for the phone calls and e-mails to come pouring in. With all the large publications already spoken for, candidates would surely be willing to seek the endorsement of publications that may aspire to be equal in greatness, but smaller in circulation, right? Who wouldn't want to buttress their endorsement list with a newspaper whose primary function is to provide a forum to report information regarding programs and events at the T.C. Williams School of Law?
Apparently, most of the statewide candidates did not see it the same way as you or I would. Even with the carrot of an endorsement, five of the six campaigns did not agree to play ball. Thus, I am forced to follow Doug Wilder's lead and issue a non-endorsement in the campaigns for Governor and Attorney General. Unlike Governor Wilder, my non-endorsement does not stem from a lingering grudge over refusal to support my one-gun-a-month legislation in the 1990s. Instead, it's strictly personal. Likewise, I am unable to endorse Lt. Governor Bill Bolling in his re-election bid. This is because the one campaign that was courteous enough to follow up on my press request was Jody Wagner, which leads us to part 2.
Part 2: An Unashamed & Ego-Fueled Fluff Piece: Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor!
Based on the information that I received from the campaigns, Jody Wagner is simply the only choice for Virginia's Lieutenant Governor. The constitutional duties of the Lieutenant Governor range from breaking ties in the state senate to replacing the governor if he is unable to serve or resigns, and they don't go much further than that. There is no doubt Jody Wagner is up to the task.
Mrs. Wagner has four passions in life: her family, small businesses, fiscal responsibility, and popcorn. On top of this, as Treasurer and Secretary of Finance under the Warner and Kaine administrations, Jody has gained the necessary experience to meet our state's tough economic challenges.
Mrs. Wagner is an attorney who lives in Virginia Beach. Her husband, Alan, is an ophthalmologist and a partner in her small business. She has four children ranging from 17 to 27 years old. As an owner of a small popcorn business, Mrs. Wagner understands the difficulties facing Virginia's small businesses. She will certainly put these skills to good use as our new lieutenant governor.
Mrs. Wagner's top priority for Virginia is job creation. She envisions Virginia as a hub for "green energy" and biotechnology. She wants to continue Virginia's investment in K-12 and higher education. She believes that high school graduation rates should increase and Virginia's public colleges should be more affordable. Long-term solutions to Virginia's transportation issues remain a strong priority for Mrs. Wagner as well. She will work across party lines to help improve and maintain Virginia's transportation infrastructure.
Mrs. Wagner has a strong record of fiscal responsibility. The pragmatism that she gained while serving as state treasurer will serve her well in the capacity of lieutenant governor. She has helped see the past two administrations through some tricky budget crises. Her steady hand will be necessary for helping Virginia manage during a time of falling revenue. She knows that it is not a good time to raise taxes during a recession.
Oh, and we can't forget the popcorn. Jody Wagner loves popcorn so much that she turned her passion into a business. Her treats incorporate agricultural products grown in Virginia presented in novel flavor combinations and packaging. She also sells fudge and has been featured on Rachel Ray. If you're in the Virginia Beach area, I highly recommend that you check it out, or order online at www.jodyspopcorn.com.
While the latest polls show that Bill Bolling is currently leading the campaign, there are plenty of undecided votes out there. Mr. Bolling's campaign was aware that it had an opportunity to be considered for an endorsement in a prestigious publication best known for comparing celebrities to law school professors, yet they chose to ignore the invitation. If Mrs. Wagner pulls off a win on November 3rd, it will be substantially due to the previously undocumented "J-Pub bump." For this, I expect free popcorn.
John Dillard is a first year student at Richmond Law and a fan of free popcorn. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his alone. Submit comments, letters to the editor, and requests for personal addresses to ship popcorn via jurispub@richmond.edu . | 
