My reasons for establishing C'ville Too are many. Competition or sour grapes with Sorensen is not one of them. I have my problems with the way the Sorensen Conference was organized, I also have publicly questioned their choice for Keynote Speaker. But if it had not been scheduled for Father's Day weekend, I would most likely be signed up now as an attendee. The Virginia community of blog commentators is both wide and deep. I'm sure there will be enough interesting people in Charlottesville to keep everyone from Virginia Centrist to Conaway Haskins involved in some fine conversation and debate.
A conference in Martinsville and Henry County was originally proposed by Will Vehrs. Not in an effort to get himself out of the hole he had recently dug for himself, but as a sincere effort to bring some attention to an area of the Commonwealth that is hurting right now. Will and Ben Tribbett proposed moving the Sorensen Conference to Martinsville, as did I, at a time when none of us in the Virginia blogging community knew just how far along the planning for that event was (or wasn't).
UPDATE:
Will states;
Just to clarify, the idea originated completely from Not Larry Sabato. I signed on immediately because it made so much sense.I know that a simple conference will not cure the economic problems Martinsville and Henry County are experiencing, and that is not the purpose anyway. But, stranger things have been known to happen.
Will Vehrs | 06.02.06 - 5:47 pm
