We’re introducing a new SouthsideCentral feature today… SouthsideSeven. I’ll ask our guest six questions and they’ll answer them. The seventh question is all theirs. They can ask themselves anything that they want and if they’re stumped, they can always ask me one.
We’ll start big here with an exclusive interview with Lawrence Gaughan. He’s the Democratic challenger for the 5th Congressional District and will be facing Robert Hurt in the November elections. This is the first interview he’s done with the Danville media. I’ve got SouthsideOne ready to go… let’s start SouthsideSeven!
Zero down, SouthsideSeven to go…
SouthsideOne: Would you please introduce yourself and tell our readers all about you?
My name is Lawrence Gaughan and I’m from Charlottesville, VA. I’m a professional voter advocate, an actor, an activist and the founder of a non-profit organization called Gov360 (now the former director of that organization), and I’m now running for Congress because we need some change in Washington.
SouthsideTwo: Southside has its own special needs. Tell us what your ideas are for Southside.
We need to provide incentives for jobs for companies and manufacturers to create jobs here in Southside. That’s the # 1 issue on peoples’ minds is being able to have the opportunity to provide for themselves and their family. The way you do that is that you companies incentives to stop shipping jobs overseas and to reopen shuttered factories here in Danville, Martinsville and all throughout Southside.
SouthsideThree: Congress has the lowest popularity in a long time. Tell us what makes you different from the current Congress.
People are sick and tired of business as usual and that’s why the approval of Congress is at a record low. There’s been a general lack of participation of people in picking the members of Congress. I stand on the same side with the majority of people in the 5th District on all the issues that matter and if they all come out to vote, I will win in November.
SouthsideFour: What makes you different from the incumbent, Robert Hurt?
I can relate to ordinary working people in the 5th District. I have not come from a background of wealth and privilege like he has. My family does not own a uranium mine. I’m not a lawyer and the bottom line is that I’m not a career politician.
SouthsideFive: You just talked about uranium mines and that’s a big issue in Southside. Let’s talk about the environment. What can you do to protect the environment?
In order to protect our most precious and valuable resources, we need to have a certain degree of regulations…. but they’re not job-killing regulations. They’re regulations that are designed to protect the resources that we have so that they’re sustainable revenue sources in our communities. People will come to Southside and want to do business as long as we don’t destroy our rivers and other precious resources.
SouthsideSix: Southside’s economy has been devastated by trade agreements with multiple closed factories. What’s your opinion on the trade agreements and how can we get those jobs back… or new jobs to come here?
Both sides are equally guilty of creating these tax loopholes in the trade agreements to allow companies the incentive to ship jobs overseas. When Robert Hurt takes the side of this kind of activity, he’s really saying “Let’s not create jobs here, but in places like China” and that’s what he’s done. He’s created jobs in China but very few jobs here in Southside.
And now, our first SouthsideSeven question… ask yourself a question and then answer it!
SouthsideSeven: Aside from job creation, what is the most important duty for a Congressman?
To protect our country… and those two go hand-in-hand. Job creation providing sustainable solutions to unemployment is the best way to create a more secure and more safe homeland. Our greatest threat to our national security is financial instability here at home.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, SouthsideSeven! We’re done!
We’d like to thank Lawrence Gaughan for being our first guest on SouthsideSeven and we wish him well in the November election.
“I’m not a lawyer and the bottom line is that I’m not a career politician.”
This needs to be the standard from now on.
Both of these are the problem we have now, lawyers have made everything so complicated the average person does not understand anything anymore and multiple term politicians become too powerful over time.
More often than you realize, it’s actually the non-lawyers who muck things up and make them really messy. I don’t know about Congress, but we actually need several more lawyers in the General Assembly. They tend to be the ones who actually know how to write a law that is effective, and that’s a big part of the job of a state legislator. It’s probably not as big a part of being a member of Congress.
first, I have a law degree & I don’t wear that as a badge of shame; nor should anyone who slogged thru that horrible experience to better themselves. secondly, if he stands with Southside on all issues that matter, let him tell us if Obamacare matters. What is his stance on that? the EPA? the war on coal which will cause our electric rates to “skyrocket” (Obama’s term, not mine)? Thirdly, the reason jobs go to China is because our country is over-regulated. some regulations are positive: e.g. rules against child labor. However, the EPA, Obamacare, & the unions are a few reasons that job creation, especially manufacturing jobs, is low.
Thanks for this. Good scoop Bruce.
Unions are a problem here in south side? Where are you living because it certainly isn’t here. So let’s just toss all regulations out and have a free for all! Hmmm so why are Chinese companies moving here if the regulations are so stiff and and unions are a problem? Your argument holds no water…..
the Chinese companies moving here are getting tremendous tax advantages & grants to do so. In many cases, they are moving closer to US supply routes (interstates) or closer to dependent ventures. as for unions, Toyota moved to a southern right to work state. Boeing wanted to move to SC which is right to work. I think the interviewee was speaking not only about 5CD but the US in general.
Regardless of your political views, give the guy credit. What people don’t understand about today’s defanged media is that politicians tend to only go to those outlets that are favorable to them and then they will prescreen questions or state that certain topics are not to be discussed.
I very seriously doubt SouthsideCentral is like that. So this guy truly did take a chance. Kudos to him.
I would also make this observation: While it’s not happening in Danville, the rest of the Fifth District GOP is in a civil war b/w the Tea Party and Hurt’s people. Gaughan is making a pretty good first impression on a lot of media outlets throughout the district. Yeah, he’s to the left of the average voter, but you can definitely sense a bit of his acting charisma in interviews….now, I’d say that it’s about a 95% chance that Hurt wins. But, Gaughan is charismatic enough that if he had some money, he might could take advantage of the Tea Party/Hurt split.
good thought about Southside Central & Gaughan taking a chance. yes, we should give both credit for the interview.
I give credit to both of them as well and look forward to having Mr. Gaughan on my live TV show “Real Conversations” to discuss these and other questions you asked in a couple weeks. I think he has some real potential and look forward to seeing his candidacy develop in the coming months.
David– What channel carries “Real Conversations”? Looking forward to it.
He says ” I’m a professional voter advocate” now just what does that mean? Somewhat like a “community organizer”? I wo0nder how much being “professional voter advocate” pays? Where can a fellow go to apply for such a job?
As for his being actor, he does have a few acting credits to his name, but when he was trying to get the nomination of the Democrat Party, he was claiming to be appearing in the cable TV show “Veep”, yet that show does not give him any mention or credit. Not even one show. Reckon he has engaged in “resume enhancement”?
From his bio, ” Most recently, Lawrence played the role of Secret Service Agent Warner on three episodes of the upcoming season of the HBO TV comedy series, “VEEP”. ”
Keep watching VEEP and spot the Congressional hopeful! More importantly, though, watch his interviews and read his positions as that is truly what matters in this race since we are interviewing him for a position representing the 5th and not for a future acting gig.
As for the “professional voter advocate” bit, here is another section for his bio that might better help you understand:
“Lawrence founded GOV360 as an educational 501 (c)(3). He acquired grant funding from Google and other sources and began conducting research into the crisis of low civic participation, especially focusing on local and non-presidential elections. While continuing to work as an actor and serving as the CEO of GOV360, Lawrence found time to travel to Nicaragua to observe that country’s 2012 municipal elections, which, for the first time in that nation’s history, called for equal representation by women.”
Information is key to making informed decisions.
1. It appears that “professional voter advocate” doesn’t pay a thing, it is a non-profit type gig.
2. The credits may still show his name in upcoming episodes once they update the episode extended cast depending on how big his role really is. He named the Secret Service Agent role so we can, at the least, look for him. Keep watching for our local guy in VEEP.
3. Applying for the job of Voter Advocate seems to be non-existent since it is a non-profit so I assume if you wish to become one, just start doing it. I would suggest contacting Lawrence Gaughan for some tips on how to do so. He seems to have done very well with his Gov360 and would probably love the chance to mentor upcoming advocates.
I hope this helps you with your questions. Have a wonderful day.