Virginia in the vanguard : political leadership in the 400-year-old cradle of American democracy, 1981-2006

Authors:Frank B. Atkinson, University of Virginia Center for Politics

Summary:"Virginia in the Vanguard" continues the story of Virginia's reemergence as a competitive, trend-setting state. In the 1980s, with Reagan's "revolution" underway in Washington, Democrats led by Chuck Robb reclaimed the governor's mansion in the Old Dominion. By the decade's end, Douglas Wilder had become the first African American elected governor of a U.S. state. The landmark event placed Virginia in the limelight and focused attention on the Robb-Wilder centrist formula as a possible prescription for Democratic renewal nationally. "Virginia in the Vanguard" describes these and other dramatic events that have placed the 400-year-old cradle of democracy back in the forefront of American politics and produced two dynamic leaders -- Democrat Warner and Republican Allen -- widely touted as presidential timber. -- From publisher's description