Virginia came to a fork in the road last night-not Robert Frost’s fork, but Yogi Berras’-and took it-not a whip-lashing hard right-that may come later, but I doubt it-but a graceful veer, Bob McDonnell at the wheel, to familiarity, to where it has always been-about two clicks right-of-center.
McDonnell stayed away from abortion, guns, gays, God-issues that shape him as an individual-and found a disciplined, superbly messaged ‘follow me’ pragmatism that offered a confidence and comfort antidote to the economic unease and uncertainty that lays on Virginia-and much of the country-like a blanket.
Message still matters in politics. McDonnell had one. It was simple. He stayed on it. More than a million Virginians followed him. That he instantly became a contender for the Presidency bespeaks again the power of message-and the paucity of the national Republican bench. But at least the Republicans have a bench.
The Democrats are down to suiting up the water boys and the popcorn sellers. Not to belabor the analogy, but it is going to be a rebuilding year for the Dems. Scratch that. A rebuilding decade. Here in Virginia, and across the country.
Deeds’ biggest handicap, his undoing, was intellectual honesty. That and the ‘pre-mortem’ Obama staffers. And the Washington Post. He never could figure out a straight-faced way to say that we can build roads without money. The ‘pre-mortem’ stopped the money-like cutting off a faucet. Of course the Post had to report it. And, hey, those whiz-bang Post folks catapulted him into the big game to begin with.
Incumbency, going forward, will never be the overpowering advantage it once was. Last night wiped the smugness off of every incumbent’s face in America. We’re going to see-not candidates running against Washington or Richmond-that’s not going to be good enough anymore. We’re going to some see adroit incumbents running against themselves. Guarantee it.
Two of Virginia’s U. S. reps are gone-and don’t know it. At least two. Maybe four.
Virginia Republicans caught the truck last night and I wish them the best with it. I caught the crow. I’ve had it cooked about every way you can put fire to it. I like mine fried.
Yes, Mr. Day, I, too, have had crow served every which way. That is why I refuse to engage in alot of sniping at Dems because I’ve been there (plus, I am a Redskins & VMI fan, so you know I suffer regularly).
The exit polls don’t reflect this, but at my polls in Kenbridge VA, everyone said they are tired of the President & Congress meddling in their lives. This is their comment on a state election. These comments reinforce my idea that this election had alot to do with Obama.
And I hope you are referring to Cong. Perriello when you said that two of our Reps are gone (and I don’t care whether he knows it or not). He has represented Charlottesville, not the 5th.
It is starting to get my goat that every republican is gloating that this is a mandate and means America is unhappy with Obama’s policies.
I am unhappy with Obama’s policies, I voted for Deeds.
The fact is almost half the people who voted last year stayed home. Those are the Obama voters. They didn’t vote this year, because they don’t care about a race between two old white guys.
The republicans voted this year because they couldn’t bear losing again.