Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By JOHN GOOLRICK
Rappahannock News Special Writer
L. Douglas Wilder has been the underdog throughout most of his political career and the betting may be against him should be decide to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb for the Democratic nomination next year.
To dump Robb the party world have to disown someone who brought it back to life in the 1980s and for years was the most popular political person in the state.
And even with the problems he has encountered in the past four or five years with rumors about his personal life and the threat of indictment by a grand jury in connection with an illegal recording made of the Wilder conversation, Robb would still make a formidable candidate for re-election to the Senate.
Though one poll reportedly shows potential Republican candidate Ollie North, who gained national fame in Iran-Contra days, leading Robb, such polls are at this stage are essentially meaningless. Robb has been traveling the state lately on a damage control mission and still has many powerful allies within the state Democratic party.
But Wilder, whose term as Virginia governor ends next January, has always been a consumate gut fighter when it comes to politics and is sending strong signals to Robb that it will be a no holds barred street brawl should he decided to seek the nomination.
Wilder in recent times has issued a series of comments belittling Robb. About the icumbent senator he said, ‘There is nothing distinguishing in his record,” and added, “I don’t think Virginians want a senator whose staff has been conspiring to diminish a sitting governor.”
For someone like Robb who is hoping to put past troubles behind him to concentrate on next year’s campaign, the Wilder reinarks must be highly disconcenting. He has to be very aware that should Wilder be his opponent for the nomination he will repearedly bring up the famous taped cellular telephone conversation and the sordid story that included plea bargaining by two members of Robb’s staff.
Indeed, the fire Robb could expect from candidate Wilder might
86.9%