Warner under fire - Virginia Sen John Warner

National Review, March 25, 1996 by Rich Lowry

This cultural/class gap also played into Warner's opposition to 1994 GOP Senate nominee Ollie North, who drew support from the same category of voters as Farris. Warner recruited a two-time state-wide loser, Republican Marshall Coleman, to run against North as an independent. The bloodless Coleman was the perfect candidate of the Warner wing of the party. He pulled 11 percent of the vote, enough to throw the election to incumbent Chuck Robb, a member in good standing of the Senate club. In the midst of Robb's ethical problems in 1992 -- allegations of adultery, drug parties, wire-tapping -- Warner had praised him as "a strong working partner in the Senate on behalf of the interests of Virginia that we pursue jointly, and we will continue to work together." But Warner won't be around for this collegial work unless he survives a June primary against former Reagan Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Miller. Party activists drip with hatred for Warner -- justifiably. The Senator has sabotaged his party consistently, deepening the GOP's internal divisions at a time when it should be realizing Obenshain's vision of a durable conservative coalition. Why? A growing party cramps his style. It means women with baby-strollers, grimy guys with gun-racks on their trucks, those "born-again Christians" -- none of whom are likely to appreciate his bi-partisan work in the Senate, let alone his work with oil on canvas. Warner will depend on the Virginia Federation of Republican Women, a moderate stronghold whose members still dote on their dashing Senator, for his base come June. He will also count on the support of grateful independents and Democrats in the open primary.

Warner professes to be taking take the primary race "very seriously." Watching him is like seeing an actor in a play that suddenly had its plot changed. Warner has always starred as John Warner. But now being the distinguished-looking incumbent Senator just isn't enough. Asked about his record, he proclaims it solidly conservative, then asks an aide: "You got a sheet -- you can hand it to me -- so I can talk from it?" There is almost a desperation: What are my lines again? At one point, a young aide says he has to run and the Senator calls out, "Give her my best, will you?" Wink-wink -- I remember those days, boy. Alas, for John Warner, those days and much else that made his career such sunshine now live only as memories somewhere on his office walls.