Controversial columnist a longtime contractor for Goode’s campaigns
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By Sarah Arkin
Published: October 10, 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign has ousted a prominent figure in Virginia GOP circles and a longtime contractor of Congressman Virgil Goode.
The McCain campaign announced this week that it was dropping Bobby May, a columnist and Republican political advertising specialist, after it discovered a racially charged editorial in a newspaper mocking a potential Barack Obama administration in the White House.
In the column, “The (clarified) platform of Barack Hussein Obama,” which originally appeared in Buchanan County’s The Voice, May mockingly lays out his opinion of what Obama’s presidential policies would be.
May writes that if elected, the Democratic candidate would hire rapper Ludacris to paint the White House black, change the national anthem to the “Black National Anthem” by James Weldon Johnson, and on the position of reparations to black communities, he writes that Obama “opposes before Election Day and supports after Election Day.”
Gail Gitcho, a spokeswoman for McCain’s campaign, said in a written statement to the Los Angeles Times that May’s attempts at humor “are offensive and have no place in political discourse. … The McCain campaign wholeheartedly disavows Mr. May’s column.”
McCain, R-Ariz., appointed May as the chairman of his campaign in Buchanan County in July.
May has been involved with dozens of Republican campaigns throughout the state of Virginia, including former gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Goode.
Over past election cycles, Goode has spent more than $100,000 on campaign gear from May, including buttons, pins and fans. Goode’s spending report from the Federal Election Commission shows he spent $3,298 on May’s supplies this year. Goode spent $38,866 on the campaign gear in 2006 and $28,860 in 2004.
Goode, R-Rocky Mount, said he isn’t in a rush to discontinue contracts with May.
“Bobby May is not and has not been on my campaign staff,” Goode said in a written statement. “I will take a look at the controversial material and make an evaluation and judgment after I have done that.”
Contact Sarah Arkin at or (434) 791-7983.
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Posted by ( jimmystick ) on October 12, 2008 at 9:43 pm
What incident? An incident would have been if Goode was the one who said it. Next time you buy gas maybe you should check to see if the owner has ever made any off color remarks about Obama. Or when you buy your groceries make sure the clerk never made a bad remark about Obama. Or when you get your dog groomed? I guess you better check them out too. Sounds mighty Socialist doesn’t it? How about breaking out the dunce cap for everyone who questions Obama or knows someone who does.
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Posted by ( Ten Commandments ) on October 12, 2008 at 6:01 am
This incident is another coffin nail in No Good’s campaign. When he first got elected, his finance report showed he was a “poor boy” from moonshine country. Now, he’s a multi-millionaire professional earmarker who “brings home the bacon”, according to him. Anyone want to connect the dots on how he got so rich? His time on the gravy train is over, and not a day too soon!
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Posted by ( Observer ) on October 12, 2008 at 5:18 am
What happened to Free Speech in this country.
But the R & B is printing everything these days during the election.
What is the big deal where Virgil gets his fans buttons and pencils and things. Some folks like seeing Virgil cause they know he is going to give them that pencil. It makes there day.
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Posted by ( jimmystick ) on October 11, 2008 at 9:09 pm
This is yellow journalism at its finest. Trying to link a statement to goods bought. So much for the First Ammendment I guess it only applys to Democrats like Rev Wright, Farakahn and Nancy Pelosi and Obama. Such a double standard when it comes to right and left. Virgil Goode had nothing to do with the statement this guy made. It is not like Obama who had dinner with a Domestic Terrorist.
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