OUR VIEW: Larger forces are at play in race for Va. governor
Published: September 15, 2009
Updated: September 15, 2009
» Only a year removed from the Democrats’ high tide, the nation’s political mood now makes it hard for Deeds to beat McDonnell.
We’re seven weeks from Election Day, and the race for Virginia governor is heating up between Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell.
As any follower of state politics will tell you, Deeds — trailing significantly in the polls last month — has new life after his opponent’s strongly conservative past suddenly became an issue.
But will backlash from McDonnell’s controversial GOP “thesis” from 20 years ago be enough to push Deeds to an upset victory? Closer to home, will it cause Culpeper to buck recent tradition and vote for a Democrat? Those questions will be answered Nov. 3.
In the meantime, it should be noted that a larger phenomenon is shaping this race — specifically, the wave of momentum Republicans are riding in opposition to President Barack Obama’s widespread initiatives to expand the role of federal government. That, combined with historical off-cycle election gains for the minority party, aren’t helping Deeds at all. It’s a tough time to be a Democrat seeking votes.
Ironically, however, if this election were held a year ago, McDonnell wouldn’t stand a chance. By party affiliation alone, Deeds would have surfed the “change” tsunami straight into the governor’s mansion. Funny how McDonnell could very well do the same now that public opinion has cooled toward Obama.
Politics is cyclical, and it appears the GOP stands to gain — especially in the U.S. House — when voters head to the polls. But don’t count out Deeds just yet. There’s still a lot that can happen between now and then.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
“Ironically, however, if this election were held a year ago, McDonnell wouldn’t stand a chance. By party affiliation alone, Deeds would have surfed the “change” tsunami straight into the governor’s mansion.“
I’m not sure I really agree with the above statement. I guess I’d like to think the voters of Virginia would base their choice on the merits of the candidates as opposed to the greater political fad of the year. I think Virginia still tends to lean to the right, however you never know what might happen if a weak candidate is presented (see Mark Earley and Jerry Kilgore). It’s not like Tim Kaine was elected in a resounding majority as a backlash for Bush. He barely eeked out a win.
Eyesis: The plural of “anecdote” is not “data.“
As for Mr. McDonnell, how long will it take once he’s in office to start pushing his reactionary agenda through the General Assembly? He’s written that Republicans should do what they want, regardless of voter wishes, and it’s not as if he has any incentive to try to continue to have support of Virginians as governor with our ridiculous term-limit system. We can’t expect the General Assembly to be a meaningful check, since they demonstrated in 2006 that they’ll vote for any conservative “culture wars” bill that comes their way, no matter how poorly written.
Eventually, the democrats will talk themselves out of office by their deeds and actions just as the republicans did this last election. The best thing that the republicans can do is to let the democrats have free reign, that alone, will ensure their own demise. Jerry R. Beckett
McDonnell has had my vote from hello.
What was that all about? Think that the GA had nothing to do with the GA funding of VDOT?
If VDOT workers vote, it would be for a republican, VDOT goes broke under Dem governors. Wider, Warner,, and Kaine, yet welfare has become an 800lb. gorilla and it is fraught with fraud and cooruption. Please do not ask me to elucidate because I will post names of welfare abusers which could create legal problems. I can prove, but a deaf ear is cosistantly given.
Advertisement