Here's my "winners" and "losers" list for the 2009 Virginia general election. Three points: 1) the list's far from comprehensive; 2) just because someone/something is a "winner" doesn't necessarily mean I like them, approve of them, or say anything else positive about them; and 3) just because someone/something is a "loser" doesn't mean I dislike them, disapprove of them, or say anything else negative about them. Also, I guess I'd add that I didn't particularly enjoy doing this one, compared to past years when it was usually about how Democrats won and Republicans lost. Anyway, on to the list...Winners
1. Bob McDonnell, who ran a brilliant - albeit fundamentally dishonest - campaign, convincing Virginians that he wasn't the same guy who wrote that thesis and focusing monomaniacally on "bread and butter" issues to defeat Creigh Deeds by a landslide. As much as I hate to say this, and as much as I never thought I'd say these words: "congratulations Governor-elect McDonnell."
2. Bill Bolling, who holds on despite doing absolutely nothing the past four years.
3. Ken Cuccinelli, who didn't really back off any of his far-right-wing extremist views, but won anyway. Amazing.
4. Energized Republican voters, including the "Tea Party" folks
5. Pat Robertson, whose protege and political soulmate becomes governor of Virginia.
6. The RNC, which will celebrate this win and attribute far broader significance to it than it probably deserves.
7. Ed Gillespie, who was general chairman of Bob McDonnell's campaign.
8. Pat Mullins, who wins his first big election as chair of the Republican Party of Virginia.
9. Democrats who supported Terry McAuliffe or Brian Moran in the primary.
10. Terry McAuliffe, who did everything he was asked to do by the Deeds campaign - fundraisers, letters, etc. - and proved that he was a committed, loyal Virginia Democrat. [UPDATE: Chris Cillizza agrees, writing "McAuliffe ran on the jobs message in the primary and warned Democrats that if they didn't focus on jobs they would lose in the fall. They didn't and they did. McAuliffe is already rumored to be considering a return run in 2013 and might be the best candidate Democrats have after watching their statewide candidates all come up way short on Tuesday night."
Neither
1. Barack Obama, who the last Washington Post poll of this election indicates was a complete non-factor in people's voting decisions. Also, from everything I've seen, Obama remains relatively popular in Virginia and will almost certainly win the state again in 2012 when turnout is more like 75% instead of 45% or whatever.
2. Virginia Republican bloggers, who got their victories - so they may have been doing something right - but really didn't drive the media narrative as far as I can tell.
Losers
1. The Commonwealth of Virginia, big time - transportation, education, environment, gay rights all will suffer under this far-right-wing government.
2. Creigh Deeds, whose career in Virginia statewide politics ends after two losses to Bob McDonnell in four years.
3. The Democratic Party of Virginia, which is now essentially rudderless and in disarray following a complete debacle. Who will step up to replace Dickie Cranwell? Terry McAuliffe? Donald McEachin? Chap Petersen? Brian Moran? (no thanks) Susan Swecker (nooooooo!!!!) Other?
4. Tim Kaine, whose governorship was stymied by hard-right Republicans - and his own mistakes, of which there were many - and who is now forced to hand over the governor's mansion to Pat Robertson's Manchurian Candidate (and the AG's office to a right-wing radical). [UPDATE: Chris Cillizza agrees, writing that "for the sitting governor of Virginia AND the chairman of the Democratic National Committee to lose his home state by 18 points -- the largest margin for a gubernatorial candidate in the Commonwealth since 1961(!) -- is an embarrassment." Yeah. Ouch.
5. Democratic primary voters who selected Deeds on the theory that, even though he was by far the most conservative, "Blue Dog" Democrat of the three candidates, he was supposedly "most electable" against Bob McDonnell. So much for that theory.
6. Democratic primary voters who believed that any of the three candidates for governor would be able to raise plenty of money. So much for that theory as well.
7. Democratic primary voters who believed that you need a "fighter not a fundraiser," or whatever other nonsense was being spewed out. The fact is, we always need fighters and fundraisers. We also need good candidates and well-run campaigns, period.
8. Sarah Palin, who was persona non grata for Bob McDonnell this election cycle.
9. The Washington Post, which endorsed Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, Steve Shannon, and many other Democrats. Most lost. The Post also endorsed several Republicans - Eric Brescia, Danny Smith, Aaron Ringel - who lost as well. Everyone who thought the Post endorsement was sooooo powerful? Think again. (you might also want to recall that the Post endorsed Harris Miller over Jim Webb in 2006)
10. Creigh Deeds campaign manager Joe Abbey, who did a good job in the primary of keeping Creigh out of the way while Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe destroyed each other. In the general election, however, Joe was marginalized - an attempted "coup" against him failed, but he basically became a figurehead by most accounts. Still, he kept the title so he's got to take his share of the blame.
11. Close Deeds' friend and advisor Susan Swecker, who I've been told "tends to surround her self with people who dont threaten her" and "is totally reliant on dc consultants and just trusts them without question." Well, that worked out real well now, eh?
12. Pretty much everyone else on the Deeds campaign - Monica and David Dixon, David Petts, Susan Swecker (see above), Kevin Mack and Levar Stoney in particular from what I've heard. The phrases "incredibly arrogant," "lack of communication," and "completely ignored people" were common ones I heard about these folks from contributors to the "after action review."
13. My friend Mo Elleithee, who went 1 and 3 this year (Jody Wagner - won primary; Terry McAuliffe - lost primary; Creigh Deeds - lost general; Jody Wagner - lost general). Let me just be clear, I'm not at all saying the losses were his fault, because I think Mo does excellent work and is a brilliant, talented, hard-working guy. Also, I've heard from multiple sources that Mo "righted the ship" at Deeds HQ when he got there for a few weeks, but that his excellent advice was discounted/ignored by Deeds, Swecker, Petts, etc. Regardless, no matter what Mo did, there's nothing that could have saved this campaign from itself. Still, Mo's got to be on the "loser" list for being part of three statewide campaigns this year that...well, lost! Sorry, Mo. :(
14. Speaking of friends who had a rough year, Mike Henry is a great guy - smart, focused, creative, tremendous energy, you name it - but unfortunately he managed two losing Virginia campaigns this year - Terry McAuliffe's and Steve Shannon's (not saying it's Mike's fault at all, but that's the way it worked out). Hey Mike, you want to go grab a beer and drown our sorrows? :(
15. I like Deeds press secretary Jared Leopold, think he's smart and competent, but I've got to put him in the "loser" category for standing right next to Creigh (and not jumping in to save him) in post-debate reporter "scrums" that were used in several of Bob McDonnell's attack ads/videos on Deeds (see here, here, and here.
16. Virginia Democratic bloggers, myself included, who were not able to rally the troops, stem the tide, and any other cliche you can think of, this time around. Unfortunately, after several years of awesome netroots victories, we got our butts kicked this year (including in the primary, when the vast majority of Virginia Democratic bloggers supported either Terry or Brian over Creigh, Jon Bowerbank or Mike Signer over Jody Wagner).
17. "Best Managed State in the Country," "AAA Bond Rating," "Keep Virginia Moving Forward" and other such slogans have completely outlived their usefulness. It's time for the Democratic Party of Virginia to stop reciting these tired old cliches and figure out what we stand for as a party. Like, maybe some actual ideas instead of mindless sloganeering?
18. Brian Moran, who pretty much disappeared this entire election cycle, only to surface a few days before the election with a leaked rumor that he was interested in being DPVA chair. Stay classy, Brian!
19. The Democratic Governor's Association (DGA), which de facto endorsed Terry McAuliffe in the primary last spring and lost, then went 0-2 in governor's races yesterday. Fail.
