"The Republican Party nationally has declared this Virginia election to be a referendum on the Obama Administration. Their hope is to humiliate Democrats this year and to portray it as the American people rejecting President Obama and the Democratic Party. And then pick up a bunch of House seats in 2010 and win back the White House in 2012." -Delegate Joe Bouchard (D-Virginia Beach)
The situation in Virginia Beach is vexing, where an accomplished and highly qualified career officer of the police force, Captain John Bell, has thrown his hat in the ring for Sheriff as the Democratic candidate. Narrow victories and stunning losses in races for Northern Virginia (NOVA) local offices indicate which party has the motivated voter base and possibly better organization and funding. The rants and fighting among the gubernatorial candidates’ supporters and at times the candidates themselves have provided fodder for Bob McDonnell come the general election campaign stretch. Within the party, there are wounds that may fester after 9 June. The Republicans have brought in highly skilled and accomplished campaign organizers and are raising money at a quick pace.
Maybe because there have been so few contested races for so many years, current Democrats have not been burned by previous early endorsements. But this year they have and many have regrets. For the most part they have remained committed to their initial choices, though in many cases are unmotivated in their support or are reaching out quietly to a different candidate. Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-35th) reaching all the way down to Hampton Roads to turn his back on a Democrat is a new twist. Now, Senator Stolle is a likeable enough fellow, but take away the intangibles that matter not and John Bell is substantially more qualified and experienced for the duties of Sheriff. This is also a race that crosses many House of Delegates districts. It is pivotal. I have to wonder if anyone has mentioned any of this to Senator Saslaw after the fact.
Maybe the districts in NOVA can sustain a seat with a 24% swing in voting from the 2008 general election results, but there is not a single seat in Virginia Beach that can nor many elsewhere. And consider this: Delegate Barry Knight (R-81st) spent $150,000 to win a seat in a district where he is now unopposed. That’s $150,000 available to focus on closely contested seats adjacent to his. Delegate Purkey (R-82nd) must be smugly smiling.
So, with disinterest, low voter turnout, support for Republican candidates by Democratic officeholders, and a potentially damaging gubernatorial primary race, where is the Virginia Democratic Party leadership? Well, part of it is supporting another party’s candidate. One can only hope that behind the scenes at least one of the big three have reached out to touch the worst of the problems: disloyalty and infighting. There is no evidence that that has occurred and, if it has, it has been ineffective. And there is little evidence of any attempt (Dick Cranwell tried) to rally the voter base or raise the money necessary to combat the cash the Republicans are throwing our way. No kidding, they may actually be able to claim that they more than made up for shunning the $125 million unemployment benefit package. Will the man or woman in charge, please step forward? There’s some cat herding to be done.
Cross posted at Blue Commonwealth
