Progressive candidate for governor in Virginia Tom Perriello plans to use footage of President Barack Obama praising the former congressman as a part of his campaign, according to a Monday report from Politico’s Morning Score.
Obama praised Perriello for his “bravery” in voting to pass the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, despite the fact that local polling revealed the bill was deeply unpopular in his district. Perriello voted for the measure March 21, 2010. The poll revealed that 17 percent of Democrats supported his opponent, as well as 90 percent of Republicans.
“The reason I am here is because in this day and age, let’s face it political courage is hard to come by,” Obama told the crowd just days before Perriello lost to former Republican Virginia Rep. Robert Hurt.
“The easiest thing to do is make your decisions based on the polls, you put your fingers up to the wind, you check which way the political wind is blowing before you cast every vote,” Obama continued. “That’s not who Tom is. He did not go to Washington, he didn’t go to Washington to do what was easy, to do what was popular, he went to do what was right.”
Obama specifically chose to stump for Perriello, to prove that adherence to the Democratic party line on health care would win elections. Perriello lost one week later, earning 47 percent, compared to Hurt’s 50 percent.
Interestingly enough, Perriello was always on shaky ground in Virginia’s 5th congressional district. The Republican-majority district went to Perriello with only a 700 vote margin, the lowest in the country at the time of the race.
Although the voters disagreed with Obama and Perriello in during the 2010 mid-term election, the former congressman is still working with the same message: bravery wins above all else.
“One of the proudest moments of my life was voting to pass the Affordable Care Act,” Perriello asserts on his campaign website. “But now the ACA is under attack by a Congress and President threatening to roll back this progress and take health insurance away from 18 million Americans. As Governor, I will work to protect access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for every Virginia family. It is not only the right thing to do, it will save our state money and support a healthier and more productive workforce.”
The Perriello campaign didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
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