How far Democrats have come in Carroll County over the years was a key theme Sunday during the party’s dinner at a packed Countryside Restaurant.

About 40 years ago, there weren’t enough democrats in the country to even fill the room, Carroll County Democratic Party Chairman Jonathan McGrady said. U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher said the fact that he is running unopposed in his bid for a 14th consecutive term also speaks volumes about Democrats in the 9th District.

“It is a pretty rare thing for there not to be a contest in the congressional race. This is the 14th time that I have contended for the House of Representatives and only the third time that we have not had opposition,” Boucher said. “I think I know why, and the reason doesn’t really have a lot to do with me. It has everything to do with you.”

Because of his stronghold in the district, Boucher said the Republican party would probably like to defeat him more than any other candidate in Southwest Virginia. He attributed that to the hard work of the district’s Democratic party.

“When I am opposed, you are going to be there to lend assistance to my campaign. They can run who they want, but together we are still going to win,” Boucher said. “And what I want to say tonight is thank you for creating the condition for me to run without opposition. Thank you for doing everything you have done to keep this Congressional seat Democratic.”

Boucher was joined at the dinner by House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong, State Senator Roscoe Reynolds, Lt. Governor candidate John Bowerbank, future Lt. Gov. candidate Jody Wagner, and Carroll County Supervisors Wes Hurst, Sam Dickson, and Manus McMillian.

Before turning his attention to the presidential race, Boucher took time to note former governor and current U.S. Senator candidate Mark Warner’s work for Southwest Virginia. Boucher went on to call Warner the state’s best governor since Thomas Jefferson.

“When he was running for the office of Governor, he said everywhere he went that he wanted to make a special priority out of helping the 9th District. And that he wanted to help bring infrastructure, educational opportunities, and a new level of economic development to this region,” Boucher said. “And Mark Warner did those things. He brought jobs to just about every community here in Southwest Virginia and he spent more time and provided greater focus and placed greater effort to the role of assisting this region than any other part of the state. So from our vantage point, he was an absolutely terrific governor. He has traveled more in Southwest Virginia than any other statewide office holder in my memory.”

Boucher said he was more excited about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign than he has about any Democratic nominee since John F. Kennedy. Boucher said his grandfather took him to see JFK when he visited Roanoke 48 years ago, which he said inspired him to have a life devoted to public service.

“I was so impressed that I felt a need to do something to contribute to my community just as he was contributing his time and talents to the nation. And I haven’t felt that level of inspiration in one of our nominees until this year,” Boucher said. “The promise that Barack Obama holds for this country is truly extraordinary.”

Restoring the United State’s standing in the world is critically important, and Obama can do that, Boucher said. Boucher pointed to Obama’s visit to Berlin, Germany after he secured the Democratic nomination. Over 200,000 people attended that event, compared to just 40,000 when JFK visited as president, and 60,000 when Ronald Reagan did the same thing.

“I think that speaks volumes about the receptivity that people around the world have for the promise that he shows. They can hardly wait until he is elected, until there is a president with whom they already have established empathy, that will help restore the image of America and make this nation once again a leader in the world,” Boucher said. “We urgently need for that to happen. He can bring that about.

“Here at home we know we need the remedies that our Democratic party advances. The policies of the Bush Administration have been absolutely catastrophic over the last eight years. We are poised on the brink of what may be the most severe financial crisis this country has faced since the 1930s.”

Southwest Virginians should be excited about Obama, Boucher said, because he is the first presidential candidate to from either party to visit western Virginia since JFK did so 48 years ago.

“Until this year, there hadn’t been another presidential nominee of either party that came to any place in Western Virginia. And this year Barack Obama has been to Bristol, he came to Lebanon, and on Friday he was in Roanoke. He has been to Martinsville and Danville, and I have a feeling he may be back before the next two weeks are over,” Boucher said. “What is that, six visits he has already paid to the western part of Virginia and we haven’t had anybody since 1960? He cares about Southwest Virginia. He didn’t have to do that in order to carry the state. Most of the population is in the eastern part of the state. He could have done what everybody else often intends to do and campaign other places, but he came here. He wants to learn about this region, he wants to get to know Southwest Virginians and he wants to do things in partnership with us in order to make sure that our needs are met.”

Boucher said that care for the area has shown throughout the state as Virginia is competitive in a presidential race for the first time since 1964.

“In every year since 1964, the Republicans have just taken Virginia for granted. They haven’t campaigned here. The Democrats have effectively conceded Virginia to the Republicans. They haven’t campaigned here either,” Boucher said. “So in a very real sense, we have been passed over and the work that we have done on behalf of our Democratic nominees haven’t mattered all that much. Virginia was just going to vote Republican and that is what’s happened every year since 1964.”

But this year is fundamentally different, Boucher said. Virginia is competitive and both candidates are actively campaigning here.

“This year Virginia really matters. Virginia, I will suggest, matters more than any other single state,” Boucher said. “Here is why. If we are successful because of our hard work in carrying this state for Barack Obama, it is impossible for the Republicans to get the 270 electoral votes they will have to have to win. If Obama carries Virginia, and with your hard work he will, he will become the next president of the United States.”