The politics of Shad Planking, then and now
In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories of how intriguing (and often odd) campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
Michael Thomas 鈥 Richmond-based Republican Consultant
Michael Thomas. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
鈥淰irginia is a very different state then what it was many years ago. I鈥檝e seen reporters go ape over this event we have every spring, called the Shad Planking. It is an . It started back in the 1930s (as a tribute to the start of the fishing season) as a Democrats-only thing (the event was an opportunity for Democratic party leaders to select the next governor).
鈥淣ow there are probably more Republicans there. It鈥檚 old Virginia. Politicians like to go and meet lots of people (For more information on the political history of Shad Planking, ).
鈥淏ut Virginia is not that anymore. People don鈥檛 gather once a year and somebody stands up and says, 鈥楾his is the guy鈥 and it is all done. It doesn鈥檛 work that way any more. You go there and people fly a confederate flag on their house or have it on the license plate of their pickup truck. But that鈥檚 not Virginia.
鈥淰irginia is two different states 鈥 Northern Virginia and the rest of Virginia. And the rest of Virginia is not all the same either. The misconception is to look at Virginia as the capital of the confederacy, a southern state. It is probably more southern than Maryland, but it is very different.鈥
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