THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 17, 1994 TAG: 9409170327
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARGARET EDDS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 228 lines
The Lazarus of Virginia politics was stirring with fresh life on Friday.
With U.S. Sen. John W. Warner campaigning at his side, former GOP state Attorney General J. Marshall Coleman rejected calls from Democrats and Republicans to abandon his independent race for the U.S. Senate. Momentum has swung his way in the past 48 hours, he said.
Coleman, whose political fortunes have fluctuated like a yo-yo during a two-decade political career, said the departure of former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder from the Senate race leaves him as the sole hope for thousands of embarrassed Virginians.
``The whole country's not looking at this race because of anything good that's been done,'' said Coleman, who was joined by his political mentor - Warner - at press conferences in Northern Virginia and Norfolk and at two evening fund-raisers in Virginia Beach.
``Two people very much want me out,'' he said, referring to Republican Oliver L. North and Democrat incumbent Charles S. Robb, their parties' nominees, ``because the only chance they have is in being compared with each other.''
As Coleman and Warner received a guided tour of Nauticus, most fellow tourists seemed oblivious to the celebrities in their midst. But both men said they were greeted warmly earlier as they paused for fried chicken and frozen yogurt in the food court at Waterside.
``Everybody's been congratulating me all day,'' said Coleman.
``People came up to me and said, `Thank you for giving us a choice,' '' added Warner.
Two polls published this week showed both Coleman and Wilder hovering in the low teens in percentage of support among voters, while North and Robb each attracted between 28 and 34 percent of the vote, depending on the poll.
Those numbers prompted Wilder to exit the contest on Thursday, a departure that political scientists said could benefit Coleman. The most obvious beneficiary of Wilder's demise will be his fellow Democrat, Robb, they predicted.
But several said narrowing the race to three candidates gives Coleman a long-shot chance of victory if voters become so disgusted with the major party candidates that they demand an alternative.
Should Coleman win, it would be a stunning moment for a politician who has been counted out repeatedly during his career, only to re-emerge.
A Republican, Coleman won his last election to office in 1977 when he ran for attorney general. He was the GOP nominee for governor in 1981, losing in the general election to Robb. Four years later, he was so unpopular in his party that he lost a nomination fight for lieutenant governor. But by 1989, he won a startling upset in the GOP primary for governor. That fall he lost to Wilder by fewer than 7,000 votes in the closest such contest in Virginia history.
Some observers, including Thomas R. Morris, a political scientist who is president of Emory and Henry College, said Coleman has ``a narrow window of opportunity'' to capture voters' attention during the next couple of weeks.
Others, including Democratic strategist Paul Goldman, said the more likely scenario - if Coleman has a shot at winning - is a come-from-behind rally in the campaign's closing days.
Warner seemed to subscribe to that theory. ``Oliver North may well have peaked,'' said the Republican senator who has broken with his party over the nomination of North. ``We want to come from way behind and gain momentum.''
Warner said Coleman strategists had always thought Wilder would eventually leave the race, because to split the Democratic vote would have ended any future he might have in the party. ``But it happened much sooner than we thought,'' Warner said.
Campaign workers in both Coleman's Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia offices said they received several anonymous, harassing telephone calls after Wilder announced his withdrawal. The callers had intimidating voices and left messages such as ```You'd better get him out,''' said Rose Brown, Coleman's local coordinator.
``I refuse to be intimidated. I'm not giving up my freedom,'' said Brown, who said she did not record the messages but plans to do so if there are future calls.
Brown, who was hosting one of Coleman's fund-raisers, said she expected attendance to be up because Coleman is the remaining independent. ``If everyone who isn't satisfied with Oliver North being our candidate and everyone who isn't satisfied with Chuck Robb's voting record will go and vote for Marshall, he'll win,'' she said.
NORFOLK - The Lazarus of Virginia politics was stirring with fresh life on Friday.
With U.S. Sen. John W. Warner campaigning at his side, former GOP state Attorney General J. Marshall Coleman rejected calls from Democrats and Republicans to abandon his independent race for the U.S. Senate. Momentum has swung his way in the past 48 hours, he said.
Coleman, whose political fortunes have fluctuated like a yo-yo during a two-decade political career, said the departure of former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder from the Senate race leaves him as the sole hope for thousands of embarrassed Virginians.
``The whole country's not looking at this race because of anything good that's been done,'' said Coleman, who was joined by his political mentor - Warner - at press conferences in Northern Virginia and Norfolk and at two evening fund-raisers in Virginia Beach.
``Two people very much want me out,'' he said, referring to Republican Oliver L. North and Democrat incumbent Charles S. Robb, their parties' nominees, ``because the only chance they have is in being compared with each other.''
As Coleman and Warner received a guided
tour of Nauticus, most fellow tourists seemed oblivious to the celebrities in their midst. But both men said they were greeted warmly earlier as they paused for fried chicken and frozen yogurt in the food court at Waterside.
``Everybody's been congratulating me all day,'' said Coleman.
``People came up to me and said, `Thank you for giving us a choice,' '' added Warner.
Two polls published this week showed both Coleman and Wilder hovering in the low teens in percentage of support among voters, while North and Robb each attracted between 28 and 34 percent of the vote, depending on the poll.
Those numbers prompted Wilder to exit the contest on Thursday, a departure that political scientists said could benefit Coleman. The most obvious beneficiary of Wilder's demise will be his fellow Democrat, Robb, they predicted.
But several said narrowing the race to three candidates gives Coleman a long-shot chance of victory if voters become so disgusted with the major party candidates that they demand an alternative.
Should Coleman win, it would be a stunning moment for a politician who has been counted out repeatedly during his career, only to re-emerge.
A Republican, Coleman won his last election to office in 1977 when he ran for attorney general. He was the GOP nominee for governor in 1981, losing in the general election to Robb. Four years later, he was so unpopular in his party that he lost a nomination fight for lieutenant governor. But by 1989, he won a startling upset in the GOP primary for governor. That fall he lost to Wilder by fewer than 7,000 votes in the closest such contest in Virginia history.
Some observers, including Thomas R. Morris, a political scientist who is president of Emory and Henry College, said Coleman has ``a narrow window of opportunity'' to capture voters' attention during the next couple of weeks.
Others, including Democratic strategist Paul Goldman, said the more likely scenario - if Coleman has a shot at winning - is a come-from-behind rally in the campaign's closing days.
Warner seemed to subscribe to that theory. ``Oliver North may well have peaked,'' said the Republican senator who has broken with his party over the nomination of North. ``We want to come from way behind and gain momentum.''
Warner said Coleman strategists had always thought Wilder would eventually leave the race, because to split the Democratic vote would have ended any future he might have in the party. ``But it happened much sooner than we thought,'' Warner said.
Campaign workers in both Coleman's Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia offices said they received several anonymous, harassing telephone calls after Wilder announced his withdrawal. The callers had intimidating voices and left messages such as ```You'd better get him out,''' said Rose Brown, Coleman's local coordinator.
``I refuse to be intimidated. I'm not giving up my freedom,'' said Brown, who said she did not record the messages but plans to do so if there are future calls.
Brown, who was hosting one of Coleman's fund-raisers, said she expected attendance to be up because Coleman is the remaining independent.
NORFOLK - The Lazarus of Virginia politics was stirring with fresh life on Friday.
With U.S. Sen. John W. Warner campaigning at his side, former GOP state Attorney General J. Marshall Coleman rejected calls from Democrats and Republicans to abandon his independent race for the U.S. Senate. Momentum has swung his way in the past 48 hours, he said.
Coleman, whose political fortunes have fluctuated like a yo-yo during a two-decade political career, said the departure of former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder from the Senate race leaves him as the sole hope for thousands of embarrassed Virginians.
``The whole country's not looking at this race because of anything good that's been done,'' said Coleman, who was joined by his political mentor - Warner - at press conferences in Northern Virginia and Norfolk and at two evening fund-raisers in Virginia Beach.
``Two people very much want me out,'' he said, referring to Republican Oliver L. North and Democrat incumbent Charles S. Robb, their parties' nominees, ``because the only chance they have is in being compared with each other.''
As Coleman and Warner received a guided tour of Nauticus, most fellow tourists seemed oblivious to the celebrities in their midst. But both men said they were greeted warmly earlier as they paused for fried chicken and frozen yogurt in the food court at Waterside.
``Everybody's been congratulating me all day,'' said Coleman.
``People came up to me and said, `Thank you for giving us a choice,' '' added Warner.
Two polls published this week showed both Coleman and Wilder hovering in the low teens in percentage of support among voters, while North and Robb each attracted between 28 and 34 percent of the vote, depending on the poll.
Those numbers prompted Wilder to exit the contest on Thursday, a departure that political scientists said could benefit Coleman. The most obvious beneficiary of Wilder's demise will be his fellow Democrat, Robb, they predicted.
But several said narrowing the race to three candidates gives Coleman a long-shot chance of victory if voters become so disgusted with the major party candidates that they demand an alternative.
Should Coleman win, it would be a stunning moment for a politician who has been counted out repeatedly during his career, only to re-emerge.
A Republican, Coleman won his last election to office in 1977 when he ran for attorney general. He was the GOP nominee for governor in 1981, losing in the general election to Robb. Four years later, he was so unpopular in his party that he lost a nomination fight for lieutenant governor. But by 1989, he won a startling upset in the GOP primary for governor. That fall he lost to Wilder by fewer than 7,000 votes in the closest such contest in Virginia history.
Some observers, including Thomas R. Morris, a political scientist who is president of Emory and Henry College, said Coleman has ``a narrow window of opportunity'' to capture voters' attention during the next couple of weeks.
Others, including Democratic strategist Paul Goldman, said the more likely scenario - if Coleman has a shot at winning - is a come-from-behind rally in the campaign's closing days.
Warner seemed to subscribe to that theory.
``Oliver North may well have peaked,'' said the Republican senator who has broken with his party over the nomination of North. ``We want to come from way behind and gain momentum.''
Warner said Coleman strategists had always thought Wilder would eventually leave the race, because to split the Democratic vote would have ended any future he might have in the party. ``But it happened much sooner than we thought,'' Warner said.
Campaign workers in both Coleman's Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia offices said they received several anonymous, harassing telephone calls after Wilder announced his withdrawal. The callers had intimidating voices and left messages such as ```You'd better get him out,''' said Rose Brown, Coleman's local coordinator.
``I refuse to be intimidated. I'm not giving up my freedom,'' said Brown, who said she did not record the messages but plans to do so if there are future calls.
Brown, who was hosting one of Coleman's fund-raisers, said she expected attendance to be up because Coleman is the remaining independent. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON/
As J. Marshall Coleman, left, and Sen. John W. Warner toured
Nauticus Friday, most tourists seemed oblivious to the celebrities
in their midst.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE CANDIDATE by CNB