Anybody who was looking could see the changing tide, but the magnitude of the Democrats' defeat today in Virginia was stunning, personified by the loss of Shannon Valentine's House of Delegates seat in Lynchburg. Valentine was truly one of the brightest and shiniest of the new stars in that body (one I projected as a governor) and she went down to a non-descript, marginally-accomplished right-winger. Ditto Jody Wagner, a sharp, intensely qualified professional. The ballot was dotted with solid, smart, qualified people who were beaten with 60 or 70 percent of the vote against them. Their ideas rejected soundly.
The theme: "No!"
It is the word for the Republican Party and the word Virginians felt they needed to shout at this juncture. No new ideas! No limits on pollution! No regulations on misbehaving businesses! No taxes! No state programs (unless them benefit me and only me)! No laws limiting personal bazookas in bars and schools! No laws restricting where cigarettes are smoked!
It's the rule of the day and the law of this part of our land now. We have elected a governor who will return us to the principals of Jim Gilmore with a little religious intensity thrown in for good measure (Women, to the kitchen!).
Looks like a dark cloud to me. I'm afraid I overestimated our people. I was wrong and, I suspect, we got what we deserve.
Now, now. The only thing you were really wrong about was the Morgan Griffith race. As despicable as he his, he is a lock.
ReplyDeleteLook, this was about the end of Mark Warner's coattails, nothing more. The core Republican idiots are energized and the Dems are not. Worn out. Tired. Broke.
It's good we got this out of the way this year, so that next year and the year after, the Dems will be back. Look for some Moran fire coming from Alexandria.
No biggie. We get to watch and shake our heads at the antics of the right wing wackos again - but then again, that's what Virginia is. Always has been, and looks like it always will. A Dominion of Memories, to borrow the name of a fantastic book about the backward looking Commonwealth.
Kurt: Ah, yes, the voice of Reason. One of our homies said the other day, "This is a good election for the Republicans to win because the problems they've caused are not easily solved and they won't even try. The state's budget is in shambles because they cut it and won't do anything to meet the obligations. My guess is people will get fed up pretty quickly, especially when they look at their kids' college tuition or the cuts in local schools."
ReplyDeleteDidn't you see the turnout from Liberty U? They're even wanting their own precinct.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, where were the young enthusiasts, African Americans and Hispanics of 2008? I can't get a blink from the youth on health care issues.