I had my first conversation with Terry McAuliffe today as he was traveling from Richmond to Charlottesville on his announcement tour. I don’t know if he’ll win the Democratic nomination against Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran or be able to defeat Bob McDonnell in the fall, but I am becoming more and more convinced that we are going to have a very special gubernatorial race this year, one that will be crucial to the future of Virginia and that will keep the state at the center of the national political debate for the next 11 months.
Almost every conversation and all the media reports about McAuliffe have focused on the money that he can bring to the race. To an extent, this has been generated by McAuliffe’s background as a fund raiser for the Clintons and the national Democratic Party. And it has been abetted by some of McAuliffe’s own conversations with local officials in his pre-announcement listening tour around the state.
The 2009 gubernatorial race will break all fundraising and campaign expenditure records ever set in Virginia. But money is not the reason that the race promises to be so interesting. And, as hard as this may be to believe, it is unlikely to be the most distinctive feature of McAuliffe’s candidacy.
Yes, I really said that.
Here’s why.
- McAuliffe told me that he wants to advance a set of Big Ideas about the future of the state and let Virginians decide who has the best vision and is best equipped to execute it.
- He will include a specific plan to improve transportation in the state.
- McAuliffe said that our economic development strategy is inadequate to attract 21st century jobs and the biggest, most impressive projects. He thinks that Virginia doesn’t have a structure that enables us to be sufficiently proactive in targeting industries and bidding on projects.
- He mentioned that Virginia needs to have far better strategies for economic development outside of NOVA.
- McAuliffe acknowledged that he is not a big fan of how the Dillon Rule constrains local initiatives and that we need to have a real dialogue about it in Virginia.
Not bad for opening day!
This is already clear. Terry McAuliffe will not be running a safe campaign, nibbling around the edges of the status quo, promising more of the same with a little bit of a tweak.
When I asked him why he wanted to run, he told me that we wanted to try to make Virginia a better place by confronting the major issues head on and bringing forward ideas for voters to consider. He may be linking himself to the legacy of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, but he is not running as the Warner-Kaine third term.
McAuliffe’s entrance will make everyone a stronger candidate. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran are seasoned public servants who already have substantial support in communities across the state. But to win they will be compelled to match McAuliffe’s vitality and vision.
McAuliffe’s boldness will also improve the overall quality of the contest. In the last two Governor’s races, for example, transportation plans were not at the center of the race. In 2001, the question focused on whether the candidates would support a local referendum, not on what their plans were. And, in 2005, the issue was addressed only indirectly, lest anyone be forced to say how they might actually pay for what should be done.
This won’t be the case in 2009. McAuliffe will compel all his opponents to put forward real ideas and genuine plans that can be compared and contrasted.
There is no doubt that McAuliffe will be the largest target in the race. Moran and Deeds will press him to show that he really can relate to the people of Virginia. And, if he wins the nomination, Bob McDonnell will make him explain his support for all the positions of the national Democratic Party that he endorsed as its Chairman.
But McAuliffe’s entrance raises the bar for every candidate and not just financially.
What’s not to like about that?
Good for McAuliffe and whatever Big Ideas he says he has. The race for Virginia Governor could use some excitement. However, someone should ask him to tone down his email press releases. He is too much over the top and reminds us of the quote “The louder he spoke of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” Deeds and Moran may not have the juice to blow McDonnell out of the water in the race for Governor, but we are hoping that if McAuliffe is the Dems’ pick, someone tells him to tone it down, and that we like our politicians to talk with us, not yell at us.