22 January 2009

Virginia 2009 - Democrats

I've always been hesitant to comment on the Virginia Democrat Party's nominating process or its candidates. I'm not a Democrat, never have been and never will be. That said, I believe that if the Virginia Democrats are smart, they'll nominate Creigh Deeds. Mr. Deeds seems to me to be the most serious of the declared candidates and despite partisan differences, has earned a shot at his party's top spot on the ticket. Mr. Deeds would be a formidable candidate and the general election campaign that would ensue would be a barn burner for sure.

I've made it clear that Creigh Deeds would be the smart choice for Virginia Dems. That said, my heart and the GOP hack in me wants them to nominate Terry McAuliffe. I'd pay ringside seats to see Bob McDonnell campaign against the very incarnation of the Clinton era in Washington. My personal opinion is that Mr. McAuliffe is a celebrity pick, one designed to energize the base, but would have serious "what have you done for me lately" problems in the Southwest and Southside regions of the Commonwealth. I may be wrong, but I cannot recall a single visit that McAuliffe has made to Southwest Virginia.

The final candidate is Brian Moran. I have no clue what to make of Brian Moran. It seems to me that he has been campaigning for this race for the past two years.

The Democrats will be at a disadvantage in the Governor's race. There are three qualified candidates that will make for a bruising primary season. Bob McDonnell has already wrapped up the nomination months before the GOP convention. This means that all his fund raising will be allocated toward his general election campaign and that means huge media buys this fall as well as an organized GOTV effort as well. It will be an interesting year in Virginia.

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