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Webb says he does not need Va. Democrat support before going national

Posted at 7:59 PM, Dec 03, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-04 07:06:32-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- It was one of former Virginia Senator Jim Webb's biggest appearances in Virginia since announcing he had formed an exploratory committee to run for president.

The crowd was made up of mostly journalists, unless you count the one man who showed up in a custom-made Jim Webb for President hat.

The event was the 2014 AP Day, the annual gathering of Virginia journalists ahead of the General Assembly's session.

"I am very concerned about our country on a number of different levels," Webb told the crowd.

Webb explained that after leaving office he took a one-year hiatus from public life in order to reestablish is own identity.

"Our national security and foreign policy has in many ways been on auto-pilot since 9/11," Webb said.

Webb spoke for 20 minutes and then took questions for about a half hour.

Webb told journalists he was months away from making a decision and that he would base it off of his "own analytics"and not what Hillary Clinton decides.

When CBS 6 political reporter Joe St. George asked Webb if he needed the support of Virginia Democrats before he could ask for the support of national Democrats he said "frankly no."

Currently, Governor Terry McAuliffe and Senator Tim Kaine have pledged support for the Clintons.

"Everyone has their own agenda, their own political affiliations. I am not offended by other people's endorsements or how they see their own futures," Webb said.

CBS 6 was the only local television station at the event, to watch some of Webb's remarks, click the video above.