Brian Moran's big brother, Rep. Jim Moran, has been relatively quiet in this campaign, focusing mainly on
writing large checks to Brian. But now, with just 13 hours until polls open,
he's speaking out. First, he all but concedes the election.
With some last-minute polls suggesting that Brian Moran might be neck-and-neck or even lagging behind Terry McAuliffe and Creigh Deeds on Moran's home turf in Northern Virginia, his big brother, Rep. Jim Moran, acknowledged being "concerned."
"Of course, I am," Jim Moran said while leaving a Fairfax County forum with local officals and other members of the Virginia congressional delegation on housing.
[...]
"But the Post endorsement has made a difference, and of course Terry has the resources to make an impressive final push. That's why we're very much concerned," Jim Moran said.
But that's not the part I find interesting, given that everyone knows Brian's not going to win tomorrow. Instead, this is what interested me (and the reporter, Fred Kunkle, as well):
...I got to tell you there is a whole lot that some advisors wanted Brian to use, and Brian just wouldn't do it because he is really strongly opposed to being negative. He's just not that kind of a guy. Unfortunately some of the truly negative stuff is more likely to come out in the general election now, where we would have been better off if it had come out in the primary, and then we would have been in a better position in the general -- speaking as a Democrat."
Slip of the tongue, Congressman? Moran said he thinks his brother will pull it out, but he expects the battle between whoever wins tomorrow and GOP candidate Robert McDonnell will be even tougher.
"I think we're going to see a relatively negative campaign," Jim Moran said. And then he was off to a rally for his brother.
I find this fascinating on many levels. First, the concept that Brian Moran is "really strongly opposed to being negative" is utterly laughable, given how nasty his campaign was from Day #1 against Creigh and then later against Terry (and supporters of both Creigh and Terry) as well. Second, they had
really nasty stuff against Creigh and/or Terry and didn't use it? And now Democrats are all going to be worse off against Bob McDonnell
because the Moran campaign was so restrained? Hahahahahaha. So, by this reasoning, Democratic primaries should be as negative as possible, dumping out every possible thing you've dredged up about the other candidates so that they're fully
destroyed vetted to face the Republican in the general. Finally, who are these "advisors" who wanted to go gonzo on McAuliffe and Deeds, stopped only because their candidate was so "strongly opposed to being negative?" Now that the Moran campaign blame game has begun, perhaps those advisors will step forward and tell their side of the story?
