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Those who favor a DurretteChiehester-O’Brien ticket have a problem, however. The fronts runner for the lieutenant governor’s nod is believed by many to be Coleman, who has a broad following within the party, but whose moderate past has alienated him from the state’s famed independent conservative coalition, the fabled “Main Street r-Money Bovs." The coalition’s suppoft is seen as an essential inl gredieW of any GOP victory in a vstatevyide race. It is therefore oejieyed that while Coleman might defeat Wilder, he would be an ineffective gubernatorial candidate in 19X9 as well as a drag on the candidate for governor in 1985.
A prominent coalitionist was asked what the independent conservatives would do in the lieutenant governor’s race if Coleman was the Republican nominee and Wilder was nominated by the Democrats.
“Well, I'll tell you this,” he replied grimly, “you will be able to hear the wallets being zipped shut all up and down Richmond’s Main Street.”
.Thus Coleman’s opponents will be confronted with the task of stopping him on the first ballot at the party’s convention. If they can do this, and Chichester can work out some sort of accommodation with Giesen and Viguerie, the Stafford senator will be in an excellent position to grab the gold ring.
In the view of many party conservatives, his doing so has suddenly become a vital factor in Durrette's chances of becoming governor of the Commonwealth.
But these battles are far from over, and in a convention in which most delegates are not firmly committed to anybody, anything can happen — and very likely will.
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