Virginia Tomorrow

He won’t even be leaving town.

He’ll be giving his response to the President at the Capitol here in Richmond.

A few days ago Democratic legislators told the media they were very proud that a Virginian was so honored (again).

The headline in The Post read Senate Democrats Praise McDonnell’s State of the Union Honor.

Roz Helderman quotes Janet Howell saying “this is a great honor for Virginia” and John Edwards observing that “its good for Virginia to have our Governor on national television.”

They said that it was wonderful that our Governor had been chosen by his party to respond to the President, just as their own party had chosen Tim Kaine and Jim Webb to do the same.

By today, the pride’s subsided. 

Democrats seem to have gotten over the honor.

Concern and worry are the dominant themes.

The Dems fret that the Governor’s attention might be divided and they’re delivering a very different message to The Post.

Chairman Cranwell told Anita Kumar that “this Governor ought to be at home taking care of Virginia… it concerns me in this environment he is off to these other things that take him away from the job at hand.”

What a difference a week makes!

It’s a perfect Emersonian moment-

You know, the 19th century philosopher who said that “consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

What are the odds that some “little-minded” Republican is likely to ask whether the Democrats expressed the same level of concern for the Commonwealth when former Governor Kaine accepted a second job as Chair of the Democratic National Committee?

I fully expect McDonnell to acquit himself and the Commonwealth relatively well this evening, especially in comparison to Bobby Jindal’s performance last year.

Still.

There is an important truth contained in the Democrats’ statements, even if the party hasn’t been perfectly consistent in its application of it.

Virginians are not small-minded people and they certainly do not begrudge the new Governor’s moment in the sun.

But they have not been very supportive of Governors who spend much time on national matters while they’re serving in the Capitol.

So here’s the final twist to the story.

The better McDonnell does this evening, the more in demand he’s going to be by Republicans in other states, by the Washington media, and by the national party in a crucial election year– none of which has traditionally helped a Governor in Virginia.

Maybe if the Democrats were really cagey,

They wouldn’t be complaining about McDonnell’s audition for national stardom, but wishing him the very best.

“Break a Leg!”