After Success as Governor in G.O.P. Stronghold, Democrat Seeks a National Identity
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: December 12, 2005
ORLANDO, Dec. 11 - Propelled by his popularity at home, Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia has begun a major foray onto the national stage, raising millions of dollars for his likely presidential bid and visiting states already being courted by potential 2008 contenders.
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Chris Livingston for The New York Times
Virginia's governor, Mark Warner, signed a poster Sunday for Rita Posner at a Democratic event in Florida.
The latest stop came in Florida this weekend at a state Democratic Party convention just outside Orlando, where Governor Warner took the opportunity to tell how he had led Democrats out of the political wilderness in heavily Republican Virginia - with the implication that he could do the same for Democrats nationally in 2008.
"Virginia is as red a state as you can imagine," Governor Warner told Democrats who packed a hotel reception room on Saturday night.
Then, describing his own formula for success, he continued: "As Democrats, what we have to do is put forward ideas and candidates that can win in places like Florida, that can win in places like Virginia."
Governor Warner's visit here comes as he and his advisers seek to capitalize on a sudden wave of attention from those active in Democratic politics around the country, who say they are excited by the prospect that a centrist Southerner could rise to the top of their leadership, as Bill Clinton did more than a decade ago.
Recently, Mr. Warner has made appearances before Democratic audiences in South Carolina and New Hampshire, both crucial primary states.
Perhaps as important, he raised at least $2.5 million at an event last week in Tysons Corner, Va., that his advisers described as a kind of coming-out party as he prepares to leave the governor's mansion after four years and enter a new phase in his political life.
The gathering, billed as a "Taste of America," was the first fund-raising event organized by Governor Warner's national political action committee, Forward Together. It offered guests a sampling of regional dishes against a backdrop of ice sculptures of national landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge.
The theme of the event was telling, reflecting Governor Warner's initial efforts to introduce himself to people outside his home territory. While he has enjoyed high approval ratings in his home state, his name carries little recognition outside it.
For example, Art Torres, the California Democratic Party chairman, said Governor Warner barely registered among Democrats on the West Coast. "No buzz here," Mr. Torres said.
Mr. Warner is the first to acknowledge that he has his work cut out for him. "I'm under no illusions," he said in a recent interview. "This is a giant mountain to climb."
Governor Warner got a bounce for his national aspirations when his political protégé and lieutenant governor, Tim Kaine, won the race for governor in Virginia last month. Political analysts say Mr. Kaine benefited greatly from his association with Governor Warner, who enjoys an 80 percent approval rating in a state that has supported a Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1964.
Democrats have begun taking a closer look at Governor Warner as someone who could have strong appeal among moderates and conservatives, particularly in Republican strongholds like the South.
Staking out territory in the middle, Governor Warner has played down core Democratic issues like abortion rights, even though he supports them. At the same time, he has emphasized themes like fiscal discipline, school accountability, the streamlining of government services and gun rights. Recently he granted clemency to a convicted killer, declaring that the loss of a crucial piece of evidence had convinced him that the man should not be put to death.
Governor Warner clearly hopes to encourage the idea that he can compete in states that have delivered the White House to Republicans in the last two elections.
At a reception here in Florida, State Senator Steven A. Geller, a Democrat from Broward County, pulled Mr. Warner aside and told him the only candidate he would support for president was one "who can turn those red states blue." Governor Warner suggested he was that candidate. "If we can do it in Virginia," he said, "then we can do it in the rest of America."
Some Democrats have suggested that he could rival several of the big-name Democrats considering a presidential run, chief among them Hillary Rodham Clinton, the junior senator from New York.
"Clearly, Hillary Clinton is the first among equals," said Don Fowler of South Carolina, a former Democratic National Committee chairman. "But clearly, Warner is now among the people you have to take seriously."
More than a week ago, for example, Governor Warner attended a Democratic Party lunch in Manchester, N.H., that had been expected to draw about 40 people.
Ray Buckley, vice chairman of the state Democratic Party, said more than 200 people wound up reserving seats at the last minute.
"I really didn't think his name was all that well known," said Mr. Buckley, who organized the lunch and who has been involved in nine presidential campaigns. "Then, the Virginia elections happen, and there's all this media attention, and the R.S.V.P.'s just start pouring in."
Mr. Warner, 50, who made millions in the telecommunications industry, is a relative newcomer to elected office. In 2001, he rattled the Republican establishment in Virginia when he became the first Democrat to capture the governor's office in 12 years.
While Mr. Warner had been a mainstream Democrat for much of his life, he ran as a "Virginia conservative." Once in office, one of his most notable achievements was dealing with a fiscal crisis. Working with the Republican-controlled Legislature, he managed to balance the state's books with, among other things, a $1.4 billion tax increase.
Today, he and his aides point to his stewardship of Virginia as evidence of his ability to build consensus with the opposition, though his support for a tax increase may become fodder for his opponents down the road.
He has offered himself as a leader whose governing approach favors practical results over ideological clashes, in a style reminiscent of Mr. Clinton's "third way," the middle course the president tried to steer between the political right and the left.
Mr. Warner and his advisers note that Time magazine recently listed him among America's five best governors, while a survey by Governing magazine identified Virginia as the "best-managed state."
"The country is much more interested in getting things done," Governor Warner said, declaring that Washington had become paralyzed with partisan antipathy.
The next year will be crucial for Mr. Warner, as other prospective candidates maneuver for the 2008 presidential race, among them former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, both of whom made appearances at the Democratic convention here this weekend.
Political analysts say Governor Warner will need to establish a national identity and a network of support that enables him to compete, particularly against Mrs. Clinton.
"I don't think 'front-runner' is too strong a word in describing her," said Mr. Fowler, the former Democratic chairman, referring to polls showing that Mrs. Clinton enjoys greater support among Democrats than anyone else mentioned as a possible presidential contender in the party.
Still, some strategists maintain that Governor Warner may benefit from the fact that he is an unknown quantity. It provides him with the opportunity to fill in the blanks, these strategists say, as he introduces himself to party regulars, whereas Mrs. Clinton is already considered a polarizing figure.
As Mr. Fowler put it, Mr. Warner has "no known negatives" at this point.
"He has an opportunity to write on a clean slate," Mr. Fowler said.
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