Posted on 05/05/2013 9:21:30 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
It's still early yet, but at the last count, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe were basically neck-and-neck in 2013's only competitive gubernatorial contest, with a lot of Virginians still pretty much unfamiliar with/uninterested in the race so far. In the latest Washington Post poll, however, things might be starting to shift ever so slightly, and in Cuccinelli’s direction:
Six months before Election Day, Cuccinelli (R) has a slender 46 to 41 percent edge over McAuliffe (D) among all Virginia voters and a significant 51 to 41 percent lead among those who say they’re certain to cast ballots in November. But those numbers may change before then: The poll found that barely 10 percent say they are following the campaign “very closely” and that nearly half of the electorate says they’re either undecided or could change their minds. …
Having never held office, McAuliffe is the lesser-known quantity in this year’s contest, giving both sides the opportunity to try to define him in coming months. Fully 70 percent of Virginia voters say they know “just a little” or “nothing at all” about him or his qualifications to be governor. Even 65 percent of Democrats know little about the party’s nominee.
There is also broad uncertainty about Cuccinelli — 52 percent of voters say they know little about his qualifications — but the public continues to give a more positive than negative assessment of his work as attorney general. About 54 percent of voters say that he has “high personal moral and ethical standards,” about triple the number saying that he does not.
The biggest takeaway is probably that most Virginians still have yet to start paying much attention, but Cuccinelli already has very staunch support from the GOP base while McAuliffe is still more of an unknown and is currently underperforming with the Democratic constituencies that helped President Obama take the commonwealth in 2008 and 2012.
There’s still plenty of purplish public opinion for the taking, and both campaigns are all set to get things going in earnest; each camp got their first television ads rolling this past week, and McAuliffe started his campaign-trailing today, kicking things off in Norfolk:
Democrat Terry McAuliffe officially starts his campaign this week with a series of public events in which he will discuss a variety of policy issues. The businessman will talk about transportation Sunday at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk.
Then on Monday, McAuliffe will join U.S. Senator Tim Kaine at an event in Richmond, where the two will discuss community colleges. He’ll also appear at events in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.
Cuccinelli is popular. His opponent is a dirtbag.
Bishop E.W. Jackson is running for Lt Governor. It’d be nice to see him as the nominee.
We need Cuccinelli as governor here in VA. McAwful would be an unmitigated disaster.
Mark Warner is one of the Sainted Ones in the Senate, i.e., damned near unbeatable. Virginia voters (not this one) just think he’s awesome...... for what, is beyond me.
E.W. Jackson is my choice for Lt Gov.
Northern Virginia, which has become a suburb of the corrupt, French court Democrat capitol sucking the life out of the country like the capitol in Hunger Games. Plus a vast encouraged influx of illegals being enticed by government bennies so good that illegals move into Fairfax County to get away from Prince William County's efforts to cleanse itself of illegals.
Then you will be even more shocked when the next poll story shows a 5% lead, the one a few weeks before the election shows them even and the one the day before shows the D candidate pulling ahead.
Warner voted for Manchin gun registration, but unlike Kaine he voted against Feinstein and some other gun grabbing. He will campaign as a moderate. We need to duct tape him to Obama.
That opposition to the Feinstein amendment was a rarity for Warner. He’s otherwise in lockstep with Obama.. and I agree we need to duct tape him as tightly as possible to the POSOTUS.
And compounding the problem with that area is not only illegals from Mexico, but a mass influx of immigrants from other countries as well. Parts of Falls Church look like a third-world country.
Cuccinelli has been working hard to lose it. From yesterday’s Richmond times Dispatch:
A Richmond judge Thursday let Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office withdraw as prosecutor against former Executive Mansion chef Todd Schneider, but deferred a decision on whether to dismiss felony embezzlement charges against him until a new prosecutor can review the case...Further, Benjamin said other conflicts — including Cuccinelli’s belatedly disclosed stock holding in the dietary supplement maker Star Scientific and gifts received from its CEO, Jonnie Williams Sr. — effectively denied Schneider due process in the right to an “impartial prosecutorial process.”
Both Cuccinelli and McDonald are so mixed up with this Star Scientific it’s unbelievable. A company that’s under investigation by SEC and FBI.
And the Obamedia propagandists will couch it all with this narrative: "Moderate voters who now dominate Virginia's electoral landscape are finding themselves at opposition with the hard-right views of their state's attorney general and are warming to the relatively moderate stances of Terry McAuliffe."
Only a few years ago, that would've been laughable... but not so much anymore. Same ol'... same ol'..
...Which is exactly why the "media" will be hammering the false charge about unreported gifts over the years.
I like your tagline.
It should be in Al Sharpton’s Tombstone :)
“Then on Monday, McAuliffe will join U.S. Senator Tim Kaine at an event in Richmond, where the two will discuss community colleges. He’ll also appear at events in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.”
All reliably leftist, Charlottesville being the worst.
The only way for Cuccinelli to lose will be massive voter fraud, which is not out of the question.
I hope he wins, but I have no confidence in VA voters as a whole.
The Texans once thought the same of Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. They called him “Lord Benson”.
Well, to paraphrase the late Roman Hruska, NE’s outspoken conservative senator, “dirtbags” need representation too!
Bob McDonnell will never get another vote from this house. He ran on no tax increases, and gave Virginia the largest tax increase in our history. And he's pushing the internet sales tax.
If it wouldn't damage Cuccinelli by association, I'd be very happy to see this donor/chef scandal, which is being investigated by the FBI, blow up right in his face.
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