SHOWDOWN IN VIRGINIA

February 25, 2000
		Kwame Holman reports on the open primary campaign in Virginia and how the McCain and Bush camps are working for support.

Online NewsHour Special Reports: Election 2000 Virginia Politics Feb. 24, 2000: A discussion on the GOP and its "establishment" Feb. 23, 2000: Campaign strategists Feb. 22, 2000: McCain wins Michigan and Arizona Feb. 22, 2000: A discussion about the negative tone to the presidential campaign Browse the NewsHour's coverage of politics and campaigns.	PHONE WORKER: McCain 2000. KWAME HOLMAN: It may not look the part, but this is senator John McCain's national campaign headquarters located in Alexandria Virginia. All this week volunteers and a few paid staffers sorted mail, shipped campaign posters, and took contribution pledges over the phone. PHONE WORKER: How much do you want to contribute today? KWAME HOLMAN: Virginia holds its Republican primary on Tuesday. It's an open primary, meaning Democrats and independents also may vote. McCain campaign officials say that gives their candidate the same advantage that earned McCain an upset victory in Michigan on Tuesday. DAN SCNUR: We're bringing in independents, we're bringing in swing Democrats, just as Ronald Reagan did in 1980. We're putting together a multi- component coalition that can elect a Republican president in November. So having an open primary in Virginia is very, very helpful for us. KWAME HOLMAN: The McCain campaign also hopes to draw support from moderate Republican voters concentrated in the northern suburbs near Washington DC, and from the state's large military establishment, anchored by the pentagon to the North and Norfolk Naval base to the South. And McCain is appealing to conservatives, as well. This ad started airing in Virginia yesterday. SEN. JOHN McCAIN: I'm a proud Reagan Republican. I'll tear up the 44,000-page tax code that benefits special interests, stop the outrageous waste and pork barrel spending that steals your money, use the surplus to secure Social Security, cut middle class taxes, and pay down the debt. Give me your vote, and we'll give you back your government. KWAME HOLMAN: But overall, Virginia, with its many Christian conservatives, is friendly territory for Texas Governor George W. Bush - and those -- uphill fight in Virginia. Governor Bush has been organized here and organized very effectively for many, many months.
	A Henrico Snapshot
	KWAME HOLMAN: On Wednesday night, at the Pocahontas Middle School in the Richmond, the Henrico County Republican Party met to plan for a large turnout in Tuesday's suddenly important primary. GOP MEMBER: I'm trying to get everyone to go on in. KWAME HOLMAN: Some 70 Republicans sat attentively as representatives from the bush and McCain campaigns made their pitches for the candidates. Charlotte Neal, McCain's state co-chair, spoke first. CHARLOTTE NEAL: I urge you to vote for John McCain on February 29 and let him return the United States of America to honor, fairness, dignity, and greatness. KWAME HOLMAN: Paul Harris, an elected state delegate from Charlottesville, spoke for his candidate, George W. Bush. PAUL HARRIS: We Republicans in Virginia have to get out and vote on Tuesday so that we can pick our own candidate. Let's not follow the example we've seen in other places. It's time for Republicans to get up and get out so that we can choose who our standard-bearer is going to be. KWAME HOLMAN: Afterward, McCain supporter Neal thought she made a good presentation on behalf of her candidate. CHARLOTTE NEAL: I could tell that they were listening to what I said, and had people shaking their heads and winking when I went back to my seat. KWAME HOLMAN: But the majority of Republicans at this meeting were solidly behind Governor Bush. However, Paul Harris was concerned voters from outside of the party might determine the ultimate winner. PAUL HARRIS: Clearly with an open primary, anyone who's legally entitled to vote can come in and vote for the candidate of their choice, which does disturb me in some sense. I think each party should have a right to pick its own candidates without undue interference from others. But we have to deal with the hand we're dealt and the hand is that we have a open primary on February 29. And we just got to get Republicans out vote on Tuesday. If that happens, I'm very confident that Virginia is going to be a really good state for George Bush. KWAME HOLMAN: As executive director of the state's Republican party, Ed Matricardi, also expressed concern about the open voting. ED MATRICARDI: I think the real question is what is the intent of the voter. If the intent of the voter is good and honest and just, and they're there because they like our party and they like our candidates; then great, we welcome them to our primary. But if they're there with bad intent and they're there to manipulate the result and they're there to skew things for who they think is the weaker nominee; obviously we have a problem with that. KWAME HOLMAN: McCain supporter Charlotte Neal disagreed. CHARLOTTE NEAL: The whole Republican philosophy is to increase our party and to bring in different people who are not... who do not belong to any particular party. We want to bring them in. So we're saying we want to bring you in but we don't want to bring you in unless you're going to vote for George bush. KWAME HOLMAN: Henrico County party chairman, Linwood Cobb, said he knows Virginia voters well enough to predict a light cross- over vote. LINWOOD COBB, Chairman, Henrico County Republican Party: I'm not as concerned as we were in Michigan. Michigan is heavily union. It only takes one call from a union boss to mobilize hundreds and hundreds of people. You know, that organization is not here in Virginia, and historically Democrats and Republicans have left each other's process alone and respected each other's process. And I would think there would not be any organized Democratic effort as you saw in Michigan here in Virginia. KWAME HOLMAN: This morning in Newport News, Virginia, Governor Bush expressed similar confidence. GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: Next Tuesday, the people of this important state have a chance to say that we, the Republicans and like-minded independents, are going to determine the outcome of this election. That it's the Republican party who's going to nominate who the next Republican nominee for president is of the United States. (Cheers and applause) KWAME HOLMAN: As for the McCain supporters in Virginia, they'll get a visit from their candidate on Monday.