The White House is stepping back from lending its heft to a bellwether gubernatorial race in Virginia, party strategists say, seeking to conserve its political capital and avoid close association with a candidate who might lose. – White House Steps Back in Virginia Race
The White House hasn’t been shy about butting in to state races, so everyone knows what this means.
I’m a newcomer to the DC area, so I won’t pretend to have historical insights on Virginia, particularly. However, anyone who believes the problems of Creigh Deeds’ candidacy is all about politics in Washington isn’t seeing the whole picture, regardless of what Mr. Deeds says. Via Politico:
“Frankly, a lot of what’s going on in Washington has made it very tough,” Deeds said in a “Battleground Virginia” interview sponsored by ABC 7/WJLA-TV, POLITICO, Google and YouTube. “We had a very tough August because people were just uncomfortable with the spending; they were uncomfortable with a lot of what was going on, a lot of the noise that was coming out of Washington, D.C.”
Shorter Deeds: Don’t blame me because I can’t overtake McDonnell. It’s “Washington’s” fault.
Ah yes, that amorphous blame Washington excuse, as if anything could make up for Deeds’s pathetic campaign, even with the gift of McDonnell’s thesis. Seriously, nothing could have offered a more advantageous opportunity. Remember what Jim Webb did with one George Allen “macaca” moment?
That said, Virginians sure do seem to have bailout blues, representing their biggest beef with Obama so far.
But really, this was all just so predictable. After all, Deeds lost to McDonnell once before. So, I just don’t understand what Virginia Democrats were thinking in the first place.
Even while behind, Deeds refused more debates, then used the old my staff made me do it excuse. According to Creigh Deeds, nothing is his fault.
A loss in Virginia will ricochet through Republican circles, as they take it as foreshadowing for 2010. After all, Virginia went for Obama, so if they’re tiring of his politics already can big wins next year be far behind?
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