Following in the footsteps of political stablemates Kathy Galvin and Peter McIntosh, a third establishment candidate for Charlottesville City Council has refused multiple invitations to appear on WINA’s The Schilling Show.
Democrat Paul Beyer, 29, announced his candidacy on June 8 with a well-orchestrated kickoff on Charlottesville’s downtown mall. Prior to the public briefing (and unbeknownst to the general public), however, Beyer had sought political guidance from Schilling Show host, Rob Schilling, on multiple occasions.
On January 3, Beyer reached out to Schilling via email, re-establishing a relationship Beyer had initiated during Schilling’s City Council term (2002-2006).
From: “Paul Beyer” <beyer@beyerhomes.com>
Date: January 3, 2011 05:12:31 PM EST
Subject: meetingHey Rob, we had lunch a few years back and talked about City Hall, politics, and real estate development. My brother, Scott, is back in town and listens to your show every day on the construction crews. Richard Lloyd is an old family friend of ours and of course you have come up many times in those conversations. We both thought we’d be seeing you at one of Richards get-togethers but we always seem to miss you. I was wondering whether you were free for lunch or breakfast some day.
Hope you’ve had a great New Years. Best,
Paul BeyerR.L. Beyer Custom Homebuilders
www.beyerhomes.com
www.ashcroftviews.com
www.huntleyincharlottesville.com
c (434) 981-7045
Beyer and Schilling conducted the clandestine political powwow at iHop on January 11. Over a nearly 2-hour breakfast the aspiring Democrat candidate shared his desire to serve on Charlottesville City Council and requested advice in the areas of message shaping, media relations, issue formation, and campaign strategies among many related topics. Beyer took copious notes, profusely thanking Schilling upon the conclusion of their meeting.
On January 18, Beyer again asked for counsel, this time texting Schilling directly from City Council chambers regarding astronomical salaries paid by City Hall Democrats to other Democrats inside City Hall—an issue the two had discussed previously:
On Jan 18, 2011, at 08:37 PM, Paul Beyer wrote:
Hey Rob, sitting in a city council hearing right now. Reminded me that I’ve never found your report on salaries for city employees. Could you send it my way? Hope you’re having a good one, Paul Beyer
Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless
The relationship continued as Schilling inquired as to Beyer’s candidacy status on February 17:
From: Rob Schilling
Date: February 17, 2011 07:45:17 AM EST
To: Paul Beyer <beyer@beyerhomes.com>
Subject: City Council RunHi Paul,
I appreciate our recent breakfast and your sharing your plans with me. I do not wish to break your confidence, so I wanted to see if it would be okay for me to reference your name in a general discussion of potential City Council candidates.
I will respect your wishes either way.
Beyer responded within hours, seeking continued anonymity and soliciting additional campaign strategy and issue consultation:
From: “Paul Beyer” <beyer@beyerhomes.com>
Date: February 17, 2011 03:46:08 PM EST
To: “Rob Schilling”
Subject: RE: City Council RunStill working on it, Rob. Hope to have something official in the next couple weeks, but not ready to have that possibility discussed yet. Meeting with Jim Nix tomorrow. I’ll send you more information as I make a decision.
In the meantime, I’d be curious… we had a great time talking and I think we had some shared concerns about the lack of “business-sense” in the City. What’s your take on a pro-business platform in Charlottesville? How would you sell fiscal responsibility and economic vitality to a voter?
Let’s get together again soon.
But Schilling’s status as trusted, confidant-advisor instantly dissipated to that of political pariah as Beyer’s announcement date drew near. Beginning on June 3, and over the next several days, the fair-weather friend ignored a series of email invitations to appear on The Schilling Show, finally responding noncommittally on June 7:
From: “Paul Beyer” <beyer@beyerhomes.com>
Date: June 7, 2011 01:20:29 PM EDT
To: “Schilling Show”
Subject: RE: Beyer – Campaign Announcement – June 8Hi Rob, this is a pretty hectic week for me and I apologize for the slow response. I look forward to talking with you and being on your show, but at some future date. Hope all is well, best,
Paul Beyer
Paul BeyerR.L. Beyer Custom Homebuilders
www.beyerhomes.com
www.ashcroftviews.com
www.huntleyincharlottesville.com
c (434) 981-7045
In deference to his immediate scheduling issues, Schilling invited Beyer to set a date some time in the “next few weeks.”
After three days of silence and another email prompt, Beyer responded negatively:
From: “Paul Beyer” <beyer@beyerhomes.com>
Date: June 10, 2011 02:12:11 PM EDT
To: “Rob Schilling”
Subject: RE: Beyer – Campaign Announcement – June 8Hi Rob, thank you for the invitation to be on the show. At this time, I will decline the invitation but will be in touch when I think it would be appropriate for a conversation. Best regards, Paul
Beyer’s poltroon declination is shortsighted but not particularly surprising. His closest political advisors, Jim Nix and Tom Vandever, gave similar advice to Democrat Mike Baird, in the deputy’s failed attempt to win the Democrat nomination for Sheriff in 2009.
In a city that hates developers, loathes development and is hostile to business, Beyer faces an uphill battle under the best of circumstances. But, by bedding himself with the establishment wing of the Charlottesville Democrat Machine (i.e. Caravati, Vandever, Nix, Brown, Conover, Daugherty)—Beyer has committed political hari-kari. This cabal will position him as a reasonable, conservative anti-Norris, but political winds are shifting, and today’s Charlottesville voter prefers overt rather than covert socialism.
The political neophyte’s short-term memory for friends does not bode well for his political future or his personal character. Beyer’s refusal to appear on the region’s premier political forum shows a profound lack; it exposes the candidate as “unfit for service” to the citizens of Charlottesville.
[Photo courtesy of Charlottesville Tomorrow]
You know, Rob, in general I’m sympathetic to Democrats who decide not to appear on your show, because there are plenty of other media outlets where they can present their views, and yours is one where they’re usually treated disrespectfully when they’re not sitting across from you face to face.
In this case, though, yeah . . . you sure do have a case, at least if Beyer really blows you off and isn’t just waiting till he thinks he can best present himself to your listeners. Still, when you quote yourself as writing “I do not wish to break your confidence,” don’t you see the irony in this post?
How do you justify making public private emails? Do you really think Beyer would have emailed you if he’d known you’d do this?
Lol, gee a closeted republican candidate running on a democratic ticket sad actually a profound democrat he proclaims and then conspires with a well known republican to try to get a democratic seat IT APPEARS PAUL BUYERS GOT CAUGHT AND ROB CALLED HIM ON IT WHAT ARE THE DEMOCRATS TO THINK OF THIS GUY.
WAY TO GO DEMOCRATS
Doug Hanson
RUGBY ROAD
[…] establishment Democrats before them, Peter McIntosh, Kathy Galvin, Paul Beyer, and Satyendra Huja all said “no” or did not respond to repeated invitations to share their […]
[…] open seats council seats, thus backstabbing their reputedly ideologically aligned co-candidate, Paul Beyer. Establishment Democrats needed to secure only two seats to maintain their control of council (Huja […]
So let me get this straight. This guy asks for advice, but then respectfully turns down a radio interview until he thinks it’s the right time, and this makes him “unfit for service” for the community? And you write an ENTIRE article blasting the kid for not taking an interview? This is pathetic.