{"id":741,"date":"2008-04-15T13:04:24","date_gmt":"2008-04-15T18:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/2008\/04\/15\/interview-with-candidate-mark-ellmore-8th-cd-part-i\/"},"modified":"2008-04-15T13:14:37","modified_gmt":"2008-04-15T18:14:37","slug":"interview-with-candidate-mark-ellmore-8th-cd-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/2008\/04\/15\/interview-with-candidate-mark-ellmore-8th-cd-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Candidate Mark Ellmore (8th CD) – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the first of a two part interview with Mark Ellmore<\/a>, candidate in the GOP primary, where he’s facing Amit Singh<\/a> (also interviewed at Blacknell.net<\/a>). The winner of the June 10th primary will face long time incumbent Rep. Jim Moran<\/a> (D) this fall.<\/p>\n

I’d arranged to meet Mark Ellmore at Sette Bello in Clarendon. Arriving a few minutes before him, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d just grabbed a drink and claimed one of the quieter spaces for us. Ellmore walked in, and I waved him over. We briefly introduced ourselves, and he excused himself to get some water from the bar. On his way over, he spotted a few women that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recently met at a local Republican committee meeting, and he immediately launched into campaign mode. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve only met Ellmore moments before, but he struck me as the sort of guy who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always \u00e2\u20ac\u0153on.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He engaged in a bit of discussion on how to engage Arlington\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voters with one of the women, and made a soft pitch for a contribution from another (expertly rebuffed, on her part). He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quick on his feet, and in the first few minutes, I knew I was talking to someone who had done this before.<\/p>\n

The interview started with a bit of jujitsu on his part, with him conducting a bit of an interview of me, trying to get a handle on who it was that was interviewing him. Fair enough, I said, and submitted to it for a couple of minutes, talking about my political history and present views. And then we got down to business, with him jumping off my own viewpoint as a gun owner who supports a number of gun control measures.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mark Ellmore<\/strong>(ME<\/strong>): I do believe in the Second Amendment, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I support [open carry rights]. I want to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. I personally grew up a sportsman, going hunting, that type of thing. And I have full respect for those who choose to do that. Again, I personally would not feel comfortable going concealed carry. I have respect for those that do, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not me. I do believe that there should be some personal values and limitations when we come to some of the weaponry. That we would just say, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah, you have the right to own these, but would you use some discretion? And in your own persona liberty, consider just not exercising your liberty. You have the liberty to do it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to do a lot of things. But can we just ask you to please \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for the betterment of society \u00e2\u20ac\u201c could you not exercise your liberty? For the good of the bigger cause, so to speak.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> So this is not the best year for the Republican brand<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re starting in a trough. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done this before.<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> As I saw from entrance, over there \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that was just a masterful bit of campaigning. But just being good at that isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t enough. I mean, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re running against Jim Moran, a 17 year incumbent, majority party . . .<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> The Ted Kennedy. I got it. I got it down.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> Okay. Why are you doing it now?<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> Number one, when you feel led to do something \u00e2\u20ac\u201c without a better description of it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that I feel that my true life experiences. One, I love where I live. Two, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lived here all my life \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m an old guy. 50 years old. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve put in a lot of time here. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve worked in every segment of the community. I understand the dynamic that we face here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for all the people that live here. Of every lifestyle, every ethnicity, every race, religion, creed, and culture. I want to see if I can have an impact. Both in my community, and on my country. And I just believe that, if not me, then who will be better qualified? Somebody that gets it, somebody that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lived here, somebody that understands what Jefferson had in mind. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can you do me a favor, quit your job for two years, and go serve your for two years in the House of Representatives and then come back to your business?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the way it was set up. It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t set up to be a lifetime appointment over there. SO I just believe that I have the all the skills and the tools, the community connection, the involvement, the knowledge, the understanding of what the people want in a congressional representative. Now, we may be able to debate on some issues. But probably there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very little that we would divide over, when you come down to the true nature of what a member of Congress does. Especially one here. Which is, you get a lot of things when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m out on the road. You get where is my social security check type of questions, you get \u00e2\u20ac\u0153oh, by the way, my grandfather\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in a VA hospital, would you do me a favor and look into this this and this? Oh, by the way, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been a civil service worker for 32 years. Guess what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing to me at the Patent and Trademark Office? Oh, btw, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m with the IRS. Do you really just want to see it liquidated and dissolved? Oh, btw, as a member of Congress, what are you going to do about taxes and spending? ETC.<\/p>\n

And I feel that my real life experiences, like yourself \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re mature, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been down the road, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve experienced it, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve paid your dues in business. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re at a place in your life where, you know what it is you believe in, and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re ready to articulate that message to other people. I may not win the election, but what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re gonna do, is we are gonna give it a 110 percent. To show people that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a coronation, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a rite of passage. And then when somebody will step up \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m putting it all on the line \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done everything. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve raised a family here. Put kids into college here. Been a single parent \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot of work and growing up. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve paid the taxes. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been, basically \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not self employed, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been a consultant to financial institutions for the last 20 years. So all those things, like yourself, going out on a limb, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done those things so I can relate to the people here. And I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s led me [to running]. I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a lot of value to bring to the community.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> Back to your previous race, for a moment. As noted, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done this once before. You lost, in 2006, to Tom O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Donoghue. What lessons did you take from that?<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> I realized what it is that people want to talk about. The people want to talk about the fundamentals of what I stand for. They want to know where you stand on the basic issues that are important to them every day. The economy, transportation, and national security.<\/p>\n

There are two things that I took from that last cycle, that I had to sit down \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I had a good three or four months off where I could just really ponder what the heck went on, and why I was kinda . . . well, beat down in that election. And I looked and said, you know what? I really needed to stress what it is that people want to hear. They want to talk about how do I keep them safe. How do I keep the quality of life here for every person in our community high. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really what came about from that. We needed a structure and an organization that we needed to talk about things that were relative to the Republican Party. They may not be relative to a lot of things that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re gonna offer up in the general election, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll attract those people, so they will like a conservative Republican candidate. And I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t water down who I am. I mean, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it. [ . . . ] Again, I think that I learned that you have to respect and trust and be willing to open up and be transparent to everybody. And they see through a show. We didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the organization or structure that we have now. Now we have the grassroots in place. And we are ready to dance. If the people will just give us a chance, we won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be one of those 35% run and done. I am back because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m committed. I could easily have said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m scared of my shadow, let me \u00e2\u20ac\u0153run and done\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it, just so I can say I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ran for Congress. No. That wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t why I got in it the first time.<\/p>\n

MB<\/strong>: So you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in it to win?<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> I am in it to win. Yes. Without being too clich\u00c3\u00a9. I know that sounds stupid.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> But getting to the dance \u00e2\u20ac\u201c well, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got quite the dance to do. First, you have to convince the Republicans that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re really a Republican.<\/p>\n

ME<\/strong>: Right.<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> And then, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to turn to this overwhelmingly Democratic district and say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Okay, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a Republican, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m the sort of Republican that can represent you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d So, focusing on the first part of this question, how are you speaking your primary voters? Because I have to say, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been bouncing around the Internet, and there are people out there calling you a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153socialist.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153socialist Mark Ellmore\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Now, the partisan me might have some words for you, but \u00e2\u20ac\u0153socialist\u00e2\u20ac\u009d isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t one of them. So, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re starting off by already having to deal with these extreme characterizations, how do you convince the Republican that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re Republican.<\/p>\n

ME<\/strong>: Well, for one, people have to do some research. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how much more Republican I can get than signing the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how much more Republican I can get than getting a 100 on my National Right to Life Survey. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how much more Republican I can get than being a member of the NRA and saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hey, I support the Constitution\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Second Amendment.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how much more Republican I can get than saying I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t support earmarks. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what other Republican things I can say that – you know, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m against embryonic stem cell research \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and the other fundamental things that say you have a more traditional conservative value.<\/p>\n

I mean, I laugh when somebody said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mark, do you know that somebody\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s calling you a socialist because you \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not the government \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I personally raised $60,000. Not going to the government, not going to the state, not going to anybody \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but I personally raised $60,000 to supplement, and support, and save a guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life who otherwise would have been left out in the cold. [These people] don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have anything to offer up, so all they can do is the same thing that people in politics do when you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have anything to say, no stance,- point fingers and criticize. You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be a socialist, just because you want to help others people who can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help themselves in a way that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t require the Federal government. And when they talked about my stance on Medicare, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re ignorant. They don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand the issues. They never took the time to dig down and say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153oh, btw, why don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we look into what the guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talking about?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Expanding Medicare, as I had on my site, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean that we need more money for Medicare. It means that if [your] mother or father is in an assisted living facility, and they outlive their savings, [your mother or father] will officially \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in the state of Virginia, which is one of 9 states \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you cannot use your Medicare dollars to pay for assisted living. Or maybe you want to keep them at home with you. And that to me is an injustice. For these people. The guy is a 105 years old. He paid. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got Medicare dollars available to him \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not more, you wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to put more in. But he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got the money available, [and] the state of Virginia wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t allow him to tap it to keep him alive. They want to put him in a nursing home \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a 105, and he can put his walker above his head, still fully functional, and can talk to you and I like we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re having this discussion.<\/p>\n

And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I call unfair, and the reason that nobody wants to get into politics. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the reason why nobody wants to serve. Because rather than do any homework, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pointing fingers. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what more I can do to say I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a Republican. And I was not shredded for that in the last election against a guy who is arguably right of Attila the Hun \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Tom O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Donoghue. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what else I can say. I just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand it. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the petty part of it, that makes it so other people say \u00e2\u20ac\u201c why do you even want to do this, when people won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do the work and get to know you and the issues. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m an issue based guy, not . . .<\/p>\n

MB:<\/strong> That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tough, because you still have to get those issues out. Being right is just the starting point.<\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what else we can do. How many people, if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a liberal, are you going to sign the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge? Be against the death tax? Be against the estate tax? What else can I do? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what else to do, other than say that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s who I am, and we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to package that in a way that repels people. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why you have to be prepared.<\/p>\n

Part II, including Ellmore’s thoughts on civil unions, Congressional oversight of the Executive, and his plans for winning the 8th CD’s Democratic voters, is forthcoming. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the first of a two part interview with Mark Ellmore, candidate in the GOP primary, where he’s facing Amit Singh (also interviewed at Blacknell.net). The winner of the June 10th primary will face long time incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) this fall. I’d arranged to meet Mark Ellmore at Sette Bello in Clarendon. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","category-virginia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}