No Red Meat from Warner (snooze)

The Nation ^ | 8/26/08 | John Deal

[personalaccts]

posted by John Nichols on 08/27/2008 @ 01:28am

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What is this? Take Action Comments (1) Subscribe Now Text SizeAAAHere is a footnote, and nothing more than that, from the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

We're finally done with all that speculation about former Virginia Governor Mark Warner becoming a national political player.

Sure, Warner drew a bad card when Democratic National Convention organizers scheduled the keynote address on the same night as Hillary Clinton's address to the convention.

But the Virginian, who this year is likely to win a Senate seat, failed to rise to the challenge.

His speech barely drew the attention of the crowd. Many delegates wandered out to get something to eat or otherwise prepare themselves for the Clinton speech.

Indeed, more seats were filled during Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer's bouncy speech, which came just before Clinton's, than Mark Warner's address.

Those who stayed in the hall heard nothing memorable.

The headline from the Washington Post review of the governor's speech summed things up pretty well: "No Red Meat from Warner Speech."

[personalaccts]

BORING!!!!! What happened to Gilmore?

[olezip]

But the Virginian, who this year is likely to win a Senate seat, failed to rise to the challenge.

Warner (D) is running against Gilmore (R) for the Senate seat. Warner is an empty suit, but he shares the same name as a well-known Senator John Warner. Gilmore supports responsible, common sense government (got rid of the car tax, supports off shore drilling, supports Alaskan oil initiatives, etc.). I would not say that Warner is "likely" to win a Senate seat. Warner is as boring as he looks.

[BelegStrongbow]

Fox put up with Warner for about five minutes, then went back to off-podium analysis, which did turn out to be far more entertaining and informative. After all, who wouldn’t want to see Hannity and Wolfson go head to head?

And Skeletor was pretty good too.

[Corin Stormhands]

Warner was bumped from his prime time spot right before Hillary presumably because he wouldn't go on the attack against John McCain. His campaign has been doing what it can to distance himself from Obama in Virginia. Other rumors are that Hillary's people pushed him from that time slot because of his refusal to play ball with her when he dropped out of the Presidential race for "family reasons."

I can't stand Jim Gilmore. But last night, Mark Warner's revisionist history of Virginia made me want to endorse Gilmore.

[ottbmare]

Warner believes that the Democrat candidate will lose in 2008, that McCain will win, and that the Republicans will be soundly defeated in 2012 because no Republican (or anyone less than Jesus Christ) could solve the economic and political problems we’re going to be facing in the next four years. He wants to be in position to run for the presidency in 2012, and he is already collecting some advisers.

[TNCMAXQ]

Did I read correctly that Obama has stopped running TV ads in VA? Sounds hard to believe. Thought I read it on another conservative blog. With polls showing a very tight race I thought he had a shot in that state. Maybe his insiders are telling him something different. If McCain does not have to worry about losing those 13 EV’s it would be a huge break.

Just maybe if Obama falls it would make the Senate race more competitive too but Warner is still way ahead. Pretty sad. Never know though. Look at Chuck Hagel’s (barf) come from way behind victory over then Gov. Nelson in that 1996 Senate race.

[Corin Stormhands]

Obama has pulled his advertising in key battleground states, Virginia among them. They campaign said it was just a change in strategy. But I’m not so sure. Warner was moved out of prime time. Kaine continues to be an embarassment. I think it signals that Obama knows he’s got problems in Virginia and that some of the “sure bet” Democrat states may not be so sure after all.

Mark Warner is vulnerable if Gilmore could get any traction. And/or if the skeletons would come out of Warner’s closet. But as I understand it, the only ones with documentation of those skeletons are Hillary’s people. And he’s no longer a threat to her ~this year~.