Headlines like this are exactly why Bob McDonnell scares the bejeezus out of me:Divisive Issues No Longer McDonnell's First WordsEssentially, the man we were introduced to in 2005 as a Pat Robertson Republican, a man so right wing on social issues that he was nicknamed "Taliban Bob" by Jim Spencer of the Daily Press. Now, following the shellackings his party received in 2005 (Tim Kaine), 2006 (Jim Webb), 2007 (General Assembly), and 2008 (Barack Obama, Mark Warner, Tom Perriello, Glenn Nye), McDonnell has undergone a moderate makeover:
Va. GOP Nominee for Governor Goes Centrist
In a rousing speech kicking off his run for Virginia's highest office, Bob McDonnell told a room full of Republican supporters about his plans to jump-start the economy, lower college costs, reduce traffic and preserve the environment.
"We are going to offer bold, innovative ideas to solve problems," he told an enthusiastic crowd waving red-and-blue "McDonnell for Governor" signs at the Homestead mountain resort in December.
Despite all the campaign trail fanfare, this was anything but the typical launch of a Republican campaign for governor of Virginia. In fact, McDonnell's speech was remarkable for what went unsaid. Unlike past GOP nominees, McDonnell stayed silent on almost every bedrock conservative issue -- abortion, guns, the sanctity of marriage, school choice -- the very issues that served as the foundation for his 20-year political career.
But wait, you may be thinking, "nobody will ever believe that this extremist Pat Robertson disciple has gone moderate, right?" Think again, for two main reasons.
First, from everything I've heard from numerous other people and observed firsthand the past four years, Bob McDonnell is a highly skilled politician -- retail and otherwise. That's right; this is the kind of guy who loves working crowds, who remembers peoples' names, who asks people about their kids, etc. He's a good speaker. And he's clever. In other words, unlike Jerry "The Duck" Kilgore, Bob McDonnell is a strong politician (what a concept, huh?).
Second, Bob McDonnell is going to have the money to get his message out this summer and fall. Without a primary opponent to worry about, McDonnell is busy raising money ($2,034,801 cash on hand as of 12/31/08) and spreading his new gospel of "Moderate Bob."
Will McDonnell's strategy work? I certainly believe it's possible, depending on how things are going on the national level (the economy, Barack Obama's and Congress' approval ratings, etc.) and how effectively McDonnell gets his message out. McDonnell's strategy can be defeated, of course, but only if there's a concerted - and well funded - counterattack by Democrats to make sure Virginians realize this guy is a Pat Robertson clone, NOT a moderate. In addition, we will need a strong gubernatorial candidate of our own, one with - this almost goes with saying - huge sums of money, but also with an appealing message delivered effectively.
True, this isn't rocket science, but sometimes I feel as if we underestimate Bob McDonnell (in part because we believe people will see how extreme he is). Back in 2005, I remember the conventional wisdom being that if any Democrat would win statewide office, it would be Creigh Deeds...over Bob McDonnell. Instead, McDonnell eked out a narrow victory (323 votes), in part by outspending Deeds by almost $3 million. This is exactly why I say we need BOTH a "fighter" AND a "fundraiser" this year. If not, Bob McDonnell's friend Pat Robertson could be sporting a big-time grin on his face come the night of November 3, 2009.
