Arlington Sun Gazette, August 21, 2006
http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2006/08/25/arlington/opinion/acmt941.txt
Highs & Lows
THUMBS UP: To the Green Party of Virginia, which has fielded its first County Board candidate (Josh Ruebner). He will be in the race with Democrat Chris Zimmerman and Republican Mike McMenamin.
Do we agree with many of the positions espoused by Ruebner and the Green Party? Not so much. But are we glad that Zimmerman will get a general-election challenge from the left, and will be forced to defend County Board policies that mouth the “progressive” line even as diversity is being squeezed out of the county? You betcha. Arlington deserves that debate.
Voters need to pay attention. Given the current state of county political apathy, the only successful challenge to the status quo is likely to come from the left, not from the right. Making Ruebner, political neophyte though he may be, an important factor in Arlington’s future.