1. The Yes Man
That’s what Bob McDonnell says he will be as Governor. In his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, McDonnell argued that in the upcoming campaign it’ll be the Democrats, not the GOP who’ll be the “Party of No.” McDonnell contended that he’ll be the candidate of new ideas and it’ll be the Democrats who will be saying no to offshore drilling, charter schools, merit pay for teachers, and governmental accountabiity. In modern politics, the candidate who is successful in framing the choices that are stake in the campaign is almost impossible to defeat. McDonnell is obviously aware that the GOP has lost the framing battle in recent campaigns and tha he is intent on reversing this.
2. Obama’s Partner
Terry McAuliffe’s response to McDonnell’s nomination repeated the Democratic mantra that McDonnell is undergone a makeover with the intention of disguising his opposition to the signature initiatives of Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. But it also introduced a new element that is likely to get far more play as the campaign proceeds, whoever wins the Democratic nomination. McAuliffe argued that Obama needs a partner in Virginia, not an adversary. So long as Obama’s job approval remains in positive territory in Virginia, I think that this argument will become more and more prominent. I also expect that Obama will be here to make the argument himself. McDonnell’s enters the race in very good shape, but he’ll have to take on not only the eventual nominee, but the entire Democratic national machine. Watch for McDonnell to talk far more about Pelosi than Obama.
3. One for the Conventional Wisdom
The conventional wisdom often takes a whipping in political campaigns, but not in the GOP race for Attorney General. When the party decided to pick its nominee at a convention instead of a primary, most observers felt that it would be very difficult to defeat Ken Cuccinelli, a senator with a strong base among social conservatives. The punditry was correct. Cuccinelli won a first ballot victory, turning aside a spirited campaign by John Brownlee, a fomer U.S. Attorney, and a challenge from Dave Foster.
4. It’s a Cruel Business
They start writing your campaign’s obituary before a vote is even cast. A story this week in Politico.com was especially harsh on Brian Moran. Politico granted anonymity to a “prominent Democrat who is a veteran of numerous campaigns” in order to get this observation into print: “there is a growing sense about the Moran campaign that Brian is a very nice guy, but he just kind of fell apart when Terry entered the race.” Just kind of what Moran needed 10 days before the primary. It also raises the question about why anonymity was granted. My sense is that the prominent Democrat could possibly be an existing officeholder, someone willing to contibute to a national story that is essentially a pre-election obituary but unwilling to have their fingerprints on it. Pretty tough stuff.
5. Fairfax vs. Krispy Kreme
This is the court battle that seems to be shaping up. Fairfax claims that the waste from a doughnut plant in Lorton is destroying part of the sewer system. Krispy Kreme says the assertion is completely groundless. The Washington Post reports that the lawsuit has already led to a number of wisecracks about what might be happening to our own plumbing if this is occurring to the sewer system.
6. Wipe that Smile Off Your Face
This is what the Virginia DMV will be telling applicants for Virginia driver’s licenses. In order to be prepared for the development of facial recognition software, DMV is asking customers to maintain a “neutral expression” and not to smile. The software is said to work better when the pictures are not showing a lot of teeth. So if you want to grin, you’ll have to learn how to do it with just a twinkle in your eye.
7. The African-American Vote
is likely to make up a substantial portion of the Democratic party primary electorate. But there has been little sustained attention in the media as to whether the vote wil be split relatively evenly or will a single candidate gets the lion’s share. As everybody tries to figure out what will happen in June 9, understanding the African-American vote is a key parameter.
Krispy Kreme: there seems to be an almost inevitable tension between the foods people like and what is good for us (and our arteries). In the days when we had, literally, to find our own food, fat (saturated and otherwise) got burned off and may even have been necessary. No more; the excess settles in the arteries. Anyone who can manage to satisfy the taste-buds and still remain healthy is to be congratulated.