Blue and red, political opinions abound in Culpeper

Blue and red, Culpeper voters, in moderate numbers, exercised their right to vote this Election Day with much of the focus squarely on the governor’s race.

“Straight Republican,” said town voter Jeff Norberg, 46, when asked how he voted outside the library, the East Fairfax polling location. “What’s going on nationally is like waking a sleeping giant.”

Norberg, a tech consultant, said Democratic legislators in Washington, D.C., couldn’t “just tax, spend and borrow that much” and not expect “negative consequences,” that is, losing the gubernatorial race in Virginia.

“Some of the negative campaign” tactics employed by Creigh Deeds’ campaign, he added, “contributed also to his probably losing,” Norberg said around 2 p.m. of his prediction for the governor’s race.

But James Hull, 31, was all Deeds, all day.

“I know Deeds is for (President Barack) Obama and Obama is for Deeds,” he said outside the library, “and I know I want to keep those kind of people in office. That’s why I voted the way I did — they represent change, and change is what we need right now.”

Obama, since taking office, has changed the way the world sees America, Hull said, adding, “Right now I am enjoying the benefits of what Obama has done for the country.” Hull said he works three jobs: for Geico, Food Lion and as a bouncer. He’s also pursuing a degree in health care.

Neither aforementioned voter knew enough to comment on the District 30 race for Virginia House of Delegates between incumbent Ed Scott, R-Madison, and independent Matt Carson.

By 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, 503 of the 3,349 registered East Fairfax voters had voted, according to chief officer of the election Nettie Lamerson.

“That is much more than I thought it would be,” she said. “And people know who they want to vote for — there have been very few questions.”

The East Fairfax District had a slight issue with one of its electronic voting machines around 10 a.m. related to the touch screen not working properly, Lamerson said. She said a technician fixed the issue promptly and the malfunction did not affect voting.

Campaign worker David McClung, 35, of Hume spent his morning standing outside Pearl Sample Elementary School in support of his childhood friend.

“I believe Matt Carson is one of the most honest people I have met in my life,” said McClung, a small business owner. “What he says he does.”

Culpeper County Supervisor Larry Aylor, though running unopposed for the Cedar Mountain District, got up early to meet and talk with constituents outside Pearl Sample on U.S. 15.

“I’ve been out here since 6:30 a.m.,” he said around 11, noting that he did not accept any campaign contributions. “My theory is everybody needs to hang onto their money right now.”

Aylor took a moment to express his support for the GOP when asked his thoughts on the governor’s race.

“My gut feeling is I think it will be a strong message sent to Washington — that the Republicans have a great team and they will be the winning team this year,” he said.

Voter Finney Scott just hopes those who get elected will keep their campaign promises to create more jobs and help the economy.

“Everything is in such turmoil right now,” she said, “so we need to get the people in there who will get us through these trying times.”

Scott, who works at Horizon Funeral Homes of Culpeper, said she felt the delegates’ race would be close. “I hope the best man wins,” she said.

Back at the library, Culpeper County Supervisor Steve Walker, a town resident, campaigned for the red team. He said in all his years in politics he had never seen such a lead in the polls as Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell has over Deeds, the Democrat.

“It will be interesting to see how accurate the polls are,” Walker said, adding there is “a lot of substance” behind McDon-nell’s communication prowess and that he has “big concept ideas.”

If McDonnell wins by a large margin, it certainly is saying something about the state of affairs in Washington, D.C., Walker said.

What is it saying?

“That folks are really not happy with that direction as opposed to a year ago,” he said.