OUR VIEW: Deeds on the doorstep of big upset in primary
Published: June 9, 2009
Updated: June 9, 2009
» As voters head to the polls today, the Bath County Democrat has come on strong in his bid to face Bob McDonnell for governor.
Today, voters across the state will go to the polls to select the Democratic Party’s candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.
The winners will face Republicans Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling, respectively, in November.
As for the governor’s race, it’s been a tight three-way battle among the Democrats for most of the campaign. But recent figures provided by Public Policy Polling show Bath County Sen. Creigh Deeds “has opened up a commanding lead” over one-time frontrunner Terry McAuliffe and former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria.
This would constitute quite an upset, as Deeds a) has nowhere near McAuliffe’s war chest or national reputation, b) is from a rural part of the state and c) exudes far less political sex appeal than either of his well-polished, big-city opponents. But if the polling numbers are accurate, then Deeds is coming in at a whopping 40 percent of the vote, with McAuliffe (26%) and Moran (24%) trailing in a major way. (The remaining 10% are undecided.)
One of the knocks against Deeds until now was that he wouldn’t fare well in urban areas like northern Virginia (where Moran and McAuliffe are naturally strong). The PPP poll, however, found he is leading in every part of the state except Hampton Roads.
Virginia has open primaries, so it will be interesting to see if Republicans show up today to vote for the candidate they believe has the least chance of beating McDonnell.
As usual in primaries, turnout is expected to be low, so, statistically, your vote could go a long way.
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Reader Reactions
rjma - I’m not a republican (also not a democrat), but thank you for your “benefit of the doubt” comment. The reason you stated is pretty much why I voted in the primary. Of course, I also voted so that I could tell myself that I had done everything in nmy power to prevent the would-be usurper Terry McAliffe from having ANY chance at becoming the governor of this state. I only hope that now that he spent SO much money, but lost SO decisively anyway, that he will decide to move back to wherever he is actually from.
I think any republican who voted in the primary for the democrat they perceived as “weak” or “most beatable” was disingenuous and was essentially voting to harm the Commonwealth. What would they be able to say if the “weaker” or “easier to beat” candidate won the primary, but then also won in November? At that point, those republicans who voted for that candidate in the primary would have no one to blame but themselves.
I have little to no problem with either McDonnell or Deeds as our next governor.
I think we should give at least some of the Republicans the benefit of the doubt that some may simply be voting for their second choice.
There is also a race for Lt. Gov. I’m voting for Mike Signer in that one.
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