Deeds points finger at Washington

Politico ^ | 10/6/09 | JONATHAN MARTIN

[kingattax]

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds said in an interview that he was lagging in the polls entering the final weeks of the campaign in part because of voter concerns over his national party’s agenda.

“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.”

As one of two off-year governor’s races — the other is New Jersey — that are being closely watched for signals about the 2010 midterm election landscape, the factors behind Deeds’s struggles to date are being studied closely in both parties.

If the ambitious agenda being pushed by President Barack Obama is what’s dragging down the Deeds campaign — rather than the candidate’s own deficiencies, as some top Democrats believe — then the Virginia race could be a troubling harbinger for the national party.

In Virginia, this year’s contest will test how deeply a new politics has taken root in the Old Dominion. Democrats have won the governor’s race in this traditionally conservative-tilting state twice in a row, and Obama last year became the first Democrat in 44 years to carry the commonwealth in a presidential election.

[Rembrandt]

Coattails! Liberals are going to be sprinting to get away from The Messiah and his disastrous ideas. If any Dim is smart, they’ll ask the Hamster to go campaign for their Republican opponent.

[gthog61]

In other words, the libs in Washington are making it hard for him to lie about his intentions, like libs usually do to get elected.

[hemogoblin]

GREAT POST! I actually think this is pretty huge - is he turning on his party?

[no dems]

Deeds points finger at Washington.

Which one; the middle finger?

[tanknetter]

GREAT POST! I actually think this is pretty huge - is he turning on his party?

This is the kind of waxing-philosophical thing a candidate starts saying when his top campaign advisers come to him and say that the numbers are hopeless and there's no way to make up the difference before election day.

So yes, he's turning on his party. Expect his party to do the same thing right back to him. Kaine may have to resign as DNC Chair if he loses, and there's going to be a LOT of finger-pointing going on. Not the least of which will be driven by memories of how VA (and NJ) going GOP in 1993 were harbingers for the GOP resurgence in 1994.

[elizabethgrace]

Will Deeds still want Obama and Biden to come to VA to campaign for him? I’m guessing “yes.”

[CharlesWayneCT]

Deeds can blame Washington for his problem.

But when asked, he has yet to mention a single thing his party is doing in Washington that he disagrees with.

He won’t give his position on cap-and-trade, or on the health care reform bill.

Of course, he won’t give his position on fixing transportation either, except that he will raise taxes.

[jmaroneps37]

The dnc SAYS it will give him another million dollars BUT when he is still down big a week from now they will say “Nah!” and send it I95 to Corzine who will use it to win. Sorry gang but the schmucks in New Jersey are incapable of voting for a Republican and I STILL say if the gay American comes back and runs for anything he'd win in a walk the voters in New Jersey are THAT dumb.

[HokieMom]

http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/ for Governor

http://www.billbolling.com/ for Lieutenant Governor

http://www.cuccinelli.com/ for Attorney General