What Cuccinelli should’ve done was closely study Bob McDonnell’s campaign tactics and strategies from 2009. McD visited every single area of the state and was meticulous about interacting with as many people as possible. He reached out to hispanics with a “growing the economy benefits us all” message, rather than trying to clumsily address immigration. In each area, to each sector of Virginia’s diverse population, McDonnell stayed on message with a calm discipline rarely seen. As a result, voters could identify with him as a guy who looked at the big picture with a Reaganesque approach that had broad appeal.
Cuccinelli, though a highly effective attorney general who would’ve been a fine governor, didn’t seem to ever be able to establish that connection on the level of success seen by McDonnell four years ago. In the future, any Republican running for statewide office in Virginia should closely review the McDonnell “game film” and emulate if not the man his winning strategies.
Though I’m highly pissed at the stay-at-homes and the SarvisBots, who otherwise could’ve swung this election, Cuccinelli could and should have helped himself by employing a far more effective and comprehensive campaign approach.
The close election last night shows the infrastructural elements such as demographics are not insurmountable after all in Virginia. But the GOP candidate needs to hone his or her message to adjust to it. Cuccinelli failed in that regard.
McDonnell had endorsed Bolling as the nominee for Governor. McDonnell had his scandal that tainted him and the GOP. McDonnell worked with the Dems to get a huge tax bill passed to fund transportation angering many Reps. McDonnell was tainted goods and he really had to distance himself from Cuccinelli rather than campaigning for him.
The close election last night shows the infrastructural elements such as demographics are not insurmountable after all in Virginia. But the GOP candidate needs to hone his or her message to adjust to it. Cuccinelli failed in that regard.
Dream on. Obama won the state twice. We have two Dem senators. In 2000 Kaine actually received more votes than Obama--over 2 million. The Dems have a decided advantage in any statewide election and that advantage is growing as the demographics change. Many of the GOP delegates in the 2013 races in NoVa eked out victories by hundreds of votes. There will eventually be a time when the Dems will dominate the region in Delgates, not just the Senate.
The message is not the problem as much as the numbers of Dems grow. The GOP could adopt the Tom Davis view and become more moderate and like the Dems, but even that will not be enough to win.