While our nation's most important cities were overwhelmed with tea bag protests yesterday, the three top contenders in Virginia's gubernatorial race traveled to the amorphous town of "rural Virginia" to attend one of the state's most historic political traditions, the Shad Planking.
The Shad Planking dates back to the 1930s, when a bunch of rich people would go out to the woods, complain about taxes, and then decide who would be the governor of their state -- usually the one who could best keep his liquor.
In more modern times, however, it's been harder for these few folks to simply deign a winner in the secrecy of the forests without the public-at-large making a big stink, because citizens read too many mean liberal blogs that are bad for them.
But the most bizarre (and recent) tradition of the Shad Planking takes place before the Fat Cats and candidates even get to the site: the candidates with the most money try to show off by littering a 20-mile country road with as much trash as possible.
And Terry McAuliffe proved yesterday that he has an insane, if not vulgar, amount of campaign money:
McAuliffe dispatched 60 staff members and 38 volunteers, many arriving more than a day early, to erect 25,000 signs extending 20 miles. He flew a plane overhead with the words: "New Energy. New Jobs. Vote Terry." A sea of supporters in blue T-shirts cheered him on, chanting, "Go, Terry, go!"
A Brian Moran supporter captured this baroque display of wealth in the chilling video below. (You know, Brian Moran, the poor one.)
So when Terry Mac sends you another e-mail in the near future soliciting donations, maybe tell him to tap into his own mutual funds from now on.
Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.
