Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Does Virginia Need a Two-Term Governor?

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The Times-Dispatch has dredged up a perennial favorite: Does Virginia need a two-term governor? Tyler Whitley polled Virginia’s former governors and found them to be divided on the point — and not along party lines.

Former Govs. Charles Robb and George Allen prefer the status quo. Former Govs. Gerald Baliles and Linwood Holton favor a single, six-year term for governor. And former Govs. L. Douglas Wilder, Jim Gilmore and Mark R. Warner like two, four-year terms.

Here’s what would have helped the story immeasurably: Give us examples of how a six-year or two-term governorship could have helped. What policy initiatives or reforms did Jim Gilmore or Mark Warner leave undone as a result of having departed after four years? Conversely, it would have helped to cite examples of where a governor was hopeless mucking things up and people were saying, “Thank God we got rid of that idiot after only four years — it would have been a disaster if we’d been stuck with him for six.”

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6 responses to “Does Virginia Need a Two-Term Governor?”

  1. Reid Greenmun Avatar
    Reid Greenmun

    Q: Does Virginia Need a Two-Term Governor?

    My Answer: No.

    Let’s keep our focus on what is important – this idea is not it.

    Reid
    Virginia Beach

  2. Southern Democrat Avatar
    Southern Democrat

    Posted about this yesterday at our blog,
    bypi.blogspot.com.

    Check it out and join the discussion

  3. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Dear Bloggers:

    I think Virginia needs a governor who can serve
    either one six year term or two four year terms.

    We now have 7.5 million residents and we may have
    10 million residents within two decades.

    Our problems need a system that provides better
    management of our state government. The one four
    year term our governor now serves does not allow
    that to take place. We are confronting complex,
    difficult problems.

    Our four year governor’s term worked well in the
    days of the Byrd Organization, when it allowed them
    to have various figures in their group serve in the
    office. Nor did it matter that we changed our top
    spot in state government every four years for the
    policies did not change much during a nearly 40
    year control of the state by the Byrd crowd.

    Sincerely,

    Rodger Provo
    Fredericksburg

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Jim: I belive you mean that Wilder, Gilmore, and Warner prefer two four-year terms, not two two-year terms.

  5. Jim Bacon Avatar
    Jim Bacon

    Anonymous, thanks for catching that careless mistake. I’ve corrected the text in the post.

  6. tromba Avatar
    tromba

    Let’s just look around. 49 states allow for a second term, only Virginia does not. What makes this state different? NOTHING. It is just redneck arrogance that says we have it right and EVERYONE else is just stupid and wrong.

    This idiotic stance is expensive and contributes to a lack of stability in our government.

    First, let’s get up to speed on this issue and then, let’s join the better part of our civilized nation and abolish the death penalty.

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