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Come out Virginia .....(Part One)
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The legendary Billy Joel was down in Virginia Beach about this time last year and by far, the biggest roar from the jam packed stadium was to “only the good die young”.
Virginia Beach is the former home to the gubernatorial candidate for the Republican Party who represented a House of Delegates seat in the area.
Joel’s lyrics, in retrospect make interesting reading and/or listening.
“Come out Virginia, dont let me wait
You catholic girls start much too late
Aw but sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one….”
You catholic girls start much too late
Aw but sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one….”
Bob McDonnell, a catholic, might just be the one to take the Governor’s mansion back for the Grand Old Party and reverse the recent political trend for the state voting for the Democratic Party.
Chuck Todd, National Barack Channel’s (that’s NBC) Chief political director and senior White House correspondent has both written and extensively mentioned polling which shows that the nation at large and Virginia were in lock-step on most major issues. On the arguably most important issue – that of who should occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – Virginians voted for Obama 53% to 47% for McCain. So did the nation.
Virginia is now the nation’s bellwether state and all eyes from the White House on down will be on the Commonwealth this November. This race is interesting for myriad reasons; a Republican who is competitive in Northern Virginia versus a Democrat who will be more than a match down state as Clintonista Terry McAuliffe found out in the primaries where most pundits had him winning due to his fund raising prowess and almost household name status.
So, come the Fall we have a Republican who once voted for gun control and a pro Second Amendment Democrat.
This will be a seminal election. Pundits will write with hindsight that it was either the beginning of a Republican revival whereby GOP candidates came up with a blueprint of message politics and policies along the lines of Newt Gingrich’s ‘Contract with America’ or the demise of the Republican party turning Virginia into a permanent purple to blue state.
Was Barack Obama a blip or a trend?
Independents hold the key and polling nationwide and within Virginia seem to show a trend that those swing voters who voted for the President have buyer’s remorse. How this will translate into the Virginia gubernatorial and state campaign is anybody’s guess.
So does it come down to issues or personality or a bit of both?
The two candidates are stand up men and the race thus far has been devoid of malice.
So, issues…jobs, the economy and transport top most Virginian’s critical list. Then there are quality of life issues – energy, the environment, education and effective government. These issues will be important to the voter rich target environment that counties such as Fairfax, Loudon and Prince William not to mention Richmond and Chesterfield.
Deeds seems to be trailing McDonnell in terms of issues. Perhaps this is because McDonnell had an uncontested primary and has had the chance to present detailed and critically regarded plans on a wide range of issues. We are yet to hear from Mr. Deeds on such issues as card-check, off shore drilling and comprehensive education and transport plans.
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