Virginia Republicans nominated Mark Obenshain, a state senator and respected lawyer, for Attorney General on Saturday in the same Richmond building where his late father, Richard Obenshain, received the Party’s U.S. Senate nomination 35 years ago shortly before tragically passing away in a plane crash.
Obenshain spoke to Breitbart News after his victory about what type of Attorney General he intends to be and about his late father. In the wake of the Obama administration’s recent scandals involving the IRS and AP reporters that have scared conservatives, independents, and liberals concerned with excessive government overreach, Virginians across the Potomac may be even more receptive to an Attorney General who will fight for liberty–and them–instead of for bureaucrats intent on expanding government’s reach for political purposes.
Perhaps more importantly, Obenshain can advance his brand of conservatism in a way that appeals to independents, minorities, immigrants, and women who are making up a greater share of Virginia’s electorate. He vowed to stand up to the federal government if it unfairly targets Virginia Tea Party groups–or any group, for that matter–with vigor.
Obenshain, in many ways, is like his late father, who was ridiculed in the 1970s for believing candidates like Ronald Reagan could win let alone have such a meaningful impact on the country.
Obenshain’s father built Virginia’s Republican Party and was a true Reaganite from the beginning before it was cool. Richard Obenshain, like Reagan, understood the concerns of working class Americans and built a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans who were against liberal overreach and cronyism on both sides of the aisle. He believed this coalition of voters has been and always would be America’s backbone. Unfortunately, he did not live to see his beliefs vindicated, as Reagan, as they say, won three terms (George H.W. Bush’s 1988 win is largely considered to have been a vote for Reagan’s third term) while defeating the Soviets and ushering in a wave of prosperity that lifted up all Americans.
The Republican Party has lacked messengers who can resonate with and unify broad segments of the electorate with a conservative working class message. Obenshain even connects with voters who may not fully agree with him because he is honest and not a phony–voters know where he stands.
If Obenshain wins in November, his beliefs, ideas, conservatism and personality may well resonate far beyond the Commonwealth’s borders.
Breitbart News: Why will Virginia’s Attorney General position be even more important during President Barack Obama’s second term? And why should Virginians trust you to be the people’s attorney?
Virginia Republican Attorney General nominee Mark Obenshain:
“The present administration in Washington seems to believe that it has a mandate to advance its policy initiatives against all obstacles, constitutional impediments included. Some liberals may cheer the outcomes, but liberals and conservatives alike should be concerned about an administration that runs roughshod over individual liberties, and about the precedent that it sets for future policies and future administrations. From Obamacare to attempts to designate stormwater a pollutant, the Obama administration has repeatedly exceeded constitutional authority. As Attorney General, I will defend the rights and liberties of all Virginians, and will work to preserve and expand the realm of personal freedom.”
Breitbart News: Virginia is becoming the national bellwether in many respects. How will you persuade the state’s significant number of independent voters that you would best serve them?
Mark Obenshain:
“I believe that the message of individual liberty and personal responsibility resonates across the political spectrum, and I think that most Virginians want the same things: safe communities, responsible government, and a firm defense of their liberties. I will be an Attorney General for all Virginians – the coal miners, commuters, small business owners, watermen and farmers, immigrants, and teachers, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, the successful and the struggling. Because we all have a stake in this thing called liberty — and it’s worth fighting for.
Breitbart News: Can you reflect on what this nomination means to you 35 years after your late father, who built Virginia’s modern Republican Party, received the U.S. Senate nomination in the same building?
Mark Obenshain:
“Winning the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia is an incredible honor, but it is even more special to me, because it happened in the same location where, as a 15 year old, I saw my father win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate 35 years ago. After his tragic death two months later, my mother found a well-worn piece of paper in his desk on which he had written a personal credo: ‘The most important goal in my life is to have some significant impact in preserving and expanding the realm of personal freedom in the life of this country.’ I’ve made that my life’s animating purpose as well. It is a tremendous honor to have my party’s support in my bid for Attorney General of Virginia as I carry that message forward.”
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