Mark Herring Statement On Taking The Majority Of Votes On Election Day

From the Mark Herring for AG campaign, which now looks it may have been successful after all! As of this moment (6:17 am Wednesday), the State Board of Elections website shows Mark Herring with 1,098,418 votes (49.91%) to Mark Obenshain's 1,097,877 (48.88%). Also, there three precincts outstanding - 2 in Mecklenburg County, which Obenshain won 60%-40%; and 1 in Rockingham county, which Obenshain won 75%-25%. So...Obenshain could pick up 100-150 votes, but he trails by 541 votes, making it a tough roe to how for Obenshain. Mark Herring released the following statement regarding his lead in the race for Attorney General:"Election Day is over and I am honored to have a majority of Virginians cast their ballots for me for Attorney General. Just before 2 a.m., we took a several hundred vote lead to become the next Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. "I am grateful to have earned the support of so many Virginans all across the Commonwealth and look forward to continuing to work on their behalf." UPDATE: Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report tweets: "By my math, Obenshain is likely to net another 700-800 votes from the three outstanding precincts. Herring's current 'true' lead: 358 votes." Thus, he adds: "So, I expect Herring (D) to be 300-500 votes short pre-provisionals. But who knows how many counting errors/uncounted absentees there are."

lowkell :: Mark Herring Statement On Taking The Majority Of Votes On Election Day

UPDATE 9:15 am: Bad news. According to Dave Wasserman again, "AP now says Obenshain (R) up by 53 votes after McGaheysville reports 676 votes Obenshain (R), 245 Herring (D)." Also, "Obenshain (R) can expect to gain another 200 in Buchanan Co., ~200 in Mecklenburg & ~100 in Rockbridge, for 500-600 vote lead (2/2)."UPDATE 10:03 am: Geoffrey Skelley of Larry Sabato's "Crystal Ball" tweets: "With Rockbridge precinct counted, AP has Obenshain +144. SBE has remaining PWC precinct Herring +62. So Obenshain +82. Canvass to come." UPDATE 10:17 am: This could very well come down to provisional ballots. In 2008, there were 4,575 of those case in Virginia. Not sure how many this year, but assuming Obenshain's up just 82 votes (or a couple hundred for that matter), there should be way more than enough provisional ballots to determine this race. Democrats need to fight for every single provisional ballot, make sure people aren't disenfranchised, that they have proper ID, etc. Republicans will almost certainly fight for the opposite. This is going to be a battle royale. UPDATE 10:20 am: Attorney and Virginia DNC member Frank Leone tweets "1st count - canvass/provisionals today, prov ID Friday, then certify, then recount." UPDATE 3:53 pm: Not good - Dave Wasserman tweets, "A source close to Fairfax Co. elections office says all absentees there have been tallied. Only ~500 provisionals, will be processed Fri."

Virginia Election Results 2013: Live Blog

It's 7 pm, and polls are now closed in Virginia. In this live blog of the election returns, I'll primarily be checking the State Board of Elections website (assuming it doesn't crash, as it so often does on election nights in Virginia), VPAP and the Fairfax County Board of Elections site. Feel free to use the comments section of this post to report what you're hearing. Later tonight, I hope to head over to the Democratic victory party, where hopefully we'll have a lot to celebrate!P.S. I'm at the Sheraton in Tysons Corner, where the Democratic "Victory Party" is being held. We'll see if I have a chance to actually celebrate a bit, or if the races aren't called for hours... UPDATE 6:28 am: With 2555/2558 precincts counted, it's Terry McAuliffe 1,064,016 (47.75%)-Ken Cuccinelli 1,008,596 (45.27%). That's a 2.5 percentage point victory, which is several points under what the polling average indicated heading into election day. What happened? Also, Ralph Northam won by 11 points (55%-44%),which is solid but below what many of us thought the victory margin would be. Sure, "a win's a win" and all that, but the margins at the TOP of the ballot adversely affected a bunch of races for House of Delegates. Ugh. UPDATE 11:54 pm: Mark Obenshain now leads Mark Herring by just over 7,000 votes (0.35%), with 7 precincts remaining to be counted.  Sounds like we're talking about a recount here. Stay tuned. On the House of Delegates front, there's really not a lot of good news for Democrats, with several close races apparently being eked out by Republicans (e.g., Bob Marshall over Atif Qarni, David Yancey over Robert Farniholt, David Ramadan apparently edging out John Bell, Tom Rust over Jennifer Boysko by the skin of his teeth, Barbara Comstock barely beating Kathleen Murphy, Tag Greason edging out Elizabeth Miller, Scott Lingamfelter squeaking by Jeremy McPike, and "Sideshow Bob" Marshall beating Atif Qarni by just 3 points. It leaves me wondering what would have happened to all these candidates if Terry McAuliffe had beaten Ken Cuccinelli by the margin all the polls were saying he'd win by - 6 points, 7 points, something like that. My guess is that a bunch of these Dems would have won. Sigh... UPDATE 9:35 pm: Terry McAuliffe has FINALLY taken the lead over Ken Cuccinelli, 46.71%-46.31% (7,520 votes) with 2311/2541 precincts counted. Mark Herring is within 38,000 votes of Mark Obenshain (51%-49%). We're sooooo close to a sweep I can practically taste it. So close, but yet so far? We'll see soon enough. UPDATE 9:30 pm: Of all networks, freakin' FOX just called it for Terry McAuliffe! LOL. In the actual numbers, McAuliffe's behind by 400 votes, but there are a lot more votes outstanding in Fairfax, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Prince William. Congratulations to our next Governor, Terry McAuliffe! :)

lowkell :: Virginia Election Results 2013: Live Blog

UPDATE 9:26 pm: In the HoD races, watch the Boysko-Rust race; that one looks like a possible pickup in the making. Also, John Bell is VERY close to knocking off the horrendous David Ramadan, and Monty Mason is leading Mike Watson. Finally, Rob Farinholt could beat David Yancey...very close! Oh, and Michael Futrell could very well knock off Mark Dudenhefer, and Mary Daniel could very well beat Tea Partier Dave LaRock. UPDATE 9:23 pm: I'm livid with my blog hosting company right now, but let's put that aside for the moment. Cuccinelli's leading by about 9,000 votes with 85% counted, but with more than enough outstanding "blue" area votes for Terry to pull it out. The problem is the House of Delegates and Attorney General's race. We'll see, but I'm not pleased right now. UPDATE 9:06 pm: ‏@MysteryPollster tweets: "Our count model for VA now estimates McAuliffe +1.3%, may slightly understate his % (see prev tweets)" UPDATE 9:02 pm: With 80% of the precincts in, it's now Cuccinelli 47%-McAuliffe 46%. Wow. UPDATE 8:56 pm: OK, so that was fun - Soapblox crashed BOTH Blue Virginia AND Blue Jersey in the middle of an election. Great, huh? Anyway, with 1883/2541 (74%) of precincts reporting, it's now Cuccinelli 718,015 (47.35%)-McAuliffe 688,743 (45.42%)- Sarvis 105,187 (6.9%). Still a LOT of precincts outstanding in some blue areas like Fairfax County, Norfolk City, Newport News, Charlottesville and Roanoke City. UPDATE 8:23 pm: With 1411/2541 (55% of precincts) reporting, it's Cuccinelli 524,486 (49.1%)-McAuliffe 467,157 (43.7%)-Sarvis 74,486 (7.0%). UPDATE 8:16 pm: With 1155/2541 reporting, it's Cuccinelli 424,830 (50.2%)-McAuliffe 361,776 (42.7%)-Sarvis 59,877 (7.1%). UPDATE 8:14 pm: ‏@chucktodd tweets, "New NBC News VA GOV projection: now "too close to call"; no longer saying McAuliffe is 'leading.'" Hmmmm...not sure what that's all about exactly. UPDATE 8:12 pm: @chucktodd tweets, "NBC News officially projects Northam in the VA LG race." Congratulations to Virginia's next Lt. Governor Ralph Northam!!! UPDATE 8:03 pm: With 920/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 50.8%-McAuliffe 41.9%-Sarvis 7.0%. Cuccinelli only at 49.6% in "red" Chesterfield, which is not good news for him. Also, it looks to me like when Fairfax comes in, that ALONE should put Terry into the lead. That's not even counting deep blue areas like Richmond City, Newport News, Norfolk, Arlington, Charlottesville, Roanoke, etc. UPDATE 7:58 pm: With 802/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 51.2%-McAuliffe 41.7%-Sarvis 7.1%. As usual in Virginia, it takes seemingly forever for the "blue" areas to really start pouring in, so stay patient. Also, in the LG race, it's Jackson 50.4%-Northam 49.4%. In the AG race, it's Obenshain 56.6%-Herring 43.3%. UPDATE 7:52 pm: With 507/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 52.5%-McAuliffe 40.1%-Sarvis 7.4%. Only 13/239 precincts reporting from Fairfax County, only 4/66 precincts reporting from Richmond City, etc. So again, these results don't mean much. UPDATE 7:42 pm: For what it's worth, with 366/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 54.65%-McAuliffe 37.17%-Sarvis 7.88%. These early returns are basically meaningless, as they include little or nothing from places like Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington, Richmond City, etc. UPDATE 7:34 pm: @PeterHambyCNN tweets: "VA GOP Chairman Pat Mullins unloading Democrats for  'nastiest' campaign, relying on outside money and abortion politics." In other words, somebody call the waaaaambulance for poor Pat Mullins! LOL UPDATE 7:31 pm: @KentonNgo tweets: "One precinct telling a story: Hanover County, Pebble Creek. Cuccinelli running 11 points behind McDonnell 09." Also, @scontorno tweets: "#Vagov exit polls from @nytimes puts Cuccinelli and McAuliffe even with men but McAuliffe +26 among even. Just an astounding gap." UPDATE 7:20 pm:  ‏@chucktodd tweets: "3rd wave exit poll data coming in for VA, no big changes though Obama job rating now at 48 instead of 46. Translation: More Dem late voters" Also, NBC says that "Virginia looks more like 2012 than 2009." UPDATE 7:08 pm: CNN's exit poll has Cuccinelli winning white voters 53%-38%, McAuliffe winning African Americans 92%-7%. Overall, CNN's exit poll has it McAuliffe 50%, Cuccinelli 43%, Sarvis 7%.  Also, apparently women broke for McAuliffe over Cuccinelli 53%-39%. McAuliffe wins moderates 57%-31%. UPDATE 7:01 pm: Chuck Todd just said that Terry McAuliffe is leading in exit polls, but it's still too early to call the race. NBC News also reports that it's McAuliffe's anti-Cuccinelli message which resonated.

Virginia Election Results 2013: Live Blog

It's 7 pm, and polls are now closed in Virginia. In this live blog of the election returns, I'll primarily be checking the State Board of Elections website (assuming it doesn't crash, as it so often does on election nights in Virginia), VPAP and the Fairfax County Board of Elections site. Feel free to use the comments section of this post to report what you're hearing. Later tonight, I hope to head over to the Democratic victory party, where hopefully we'll have a lot to celebrate!P.S. I'm at the Sheraton in Tysons Corner, where the Democratic "Victory Party" is being held. We'll see if I have a chance to actually celebrate a bit, or if the races aren't called for hours... UPDATE 6:28 am: With 2555/2558 precincts counted, it's Terry McAuliffe 1,064,016 (47.75%)-Ken Cuccinelli 1,008,596 (45.27%). That's a 2.5 percentage point victory, which is several points under what the polling average indicated heading into election day. What happened? Also, Ralph Northam won by 11 points (55%-44%),which is solid but below what many of us thought the victory margin would be. Sure, "a win's a win" and all that, but the margins at the TOP of the ballot adversely affected a bunch of races for House of Delegates. Ugh. UPDATE 11:54 pm: Mark Obenshain now leads Mark Herring by just over 7,000 votes (0.35%), with 7 precincts remaining to be counted.  Sounds like we're talking about a recount here. Stay tuned. On the House of Delegates front, there's really not a lot of good news for Democrats, with several close races apparently being eked out by Republicans (e.g., Bob Marshall over Atif Qarni, David Yancey over Robert Farniholt, David Ramadan apparently edging out John Bell, Tom Rust over Jennifer Boysko by the skin of his teeth, Barbara Comstock barely beating Kathleen Murphy, Tag Greason edging out Elizabeth Miller, Scott Lingamfelter squeaking by Jeremy McPike, and "Sideshow Bob" Marshall beating Atif Qarni by just 3 points. It leaves me wondering what would have happened to all these candidates if Terry McAuliffe had beaten Ken Cuccinelli by the margin all the polls were saying he'd win by - 6 points, 7 points, something like that. My guess is that a bunch of these Dems would have won. Sigh... UPDATE 9:35 pm: Terry McAuliffe has FINALLY taken the lead over Ken Cuccinelli, 46.71%-46.31% (7,520 votes) with 2311/2541 precincts counted. Mark Herring is within 38,000 votes of Mark Obenshain (51%-49%). We're sooooo close to a sweep I can practically taste it. So close, but yet so far? We'll see soon enough. UPDATE 9:30 pm: Of all networks, freakin' FOX just called it for Terry McAuliffe! LOL. In the actual numbers, McAuliffe's behind by 400 votes, but there are a lot more votes outstanding in Fairfax, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Prince William. Congratulations to our next Governor, Terry McAuliffe! :)

lowkell :: Virginia Election Results 2013: Live Blog

UPDATE 9:26 pm: In the HoD races, watch the Boysko-Rust race; that one looks like a possible pickup in the making. Also, John Bell is VERY close to knocking off the horrendous David Ramadan, and Monty Mason is leading Mike Watson. Finally, Rob Farinholt could beat David Yancey...very close! Oh, and Michael Futrell could very well knock off Mark Dudenhefer, and Mary Daniel could very well beat Tea Partier Dave LaRock. UPDATE 9:23 pm: I'm livid with my blog hosting company right now, but let's put that aside for the moment. Cuccinelli's leading by about 9,000 votes with 85% counted, but with more than enough outstanding "blue" area votes for Terry to pull it out. The problem is the House of Delegates and Attorney General's race. We'll see, but I'm not pleased right now. UPDATE 9:06 pm: ‏@MysteryPollster tweets: "Our count model for VA now estimates McAuliffe +1.3%, may slightly understate his % (see prev tweets)" UPDATE 9:02 pm: With 80% of the precincts in, it's now Cuccinelli 47%-McAuliffe 46%. Wow. UPDATE 8:56 pm: OK, so that was fun - Soapblox crashed BOTH Blue Virginia AND Blue Jersey in the middle of an election. Great, huh? Anyway, with 1883/2541 (74%) of precincts reporting, it's now Cuccinelli 718,015 (47.35%)-McAuliffe 688,743 (45.42%)- Sarvis 105,187 (6.9%). Still a LOT of precincts outstanding in some blue areas like Fairfax County, Norfolk City, Newport News, Charlottesville and Roanoke City. UPDATE 8:23 pm: With 1411/2541 (55% of precincts) reporting, it's Cuccinelli 524,486 (49.1%)-McAuliffe 467,157 (43.7%)-Sarvis 74,486 (7.0%). UPDATE 8:16 pm: With 1155/2541 reporting, it's Cuccinelli 424,830 (50.2%)-McAuliffe 361,776 (42.7%)-Sarvis 59,877 (7.1%). UPDATE 8:14 pm: ‏@chucktodd tweets, "New NBC News VA GOV projection: now "too close to call"; no longer saying McAuliffe is 'leading.'" Hmmmm...not sure what that's all about exactly. UPDATE 8:12 pm: @chucktodd tweets, "NBC News officially projects Northam in the VA LG race." Congratulations to Virginia's next Lt. Governor Ralph Northam!!! UPDATE 8:03 pm: With 920/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 50.8%-McAuliffe 41.9%-Sarvis 7.0%. Cuccinelli only at 49.6% in "red" Chesterfield, which is not good news for him. Also, it looks to me like when Fairfax comes in, that ALONE should put Terry into the lead. That's not even counting deep blue areas like Richmond City, Newport News, Norfolk, Arlington, Charlottesville, Roanoke, etc. UPDATE 7:58 pm: With 802/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 51.2%-McAuliffe 41.7%-Sarvis 7.1%. As usual in Virginia, it takes seemingly forever for the "blue" areas to really start pouring in, so stay patient. Also, in the LG race, it's Jackson 50.4%-Northam 49.4%. In the AG race, it's Obenshain 56.6%-Herring 43.3%. UPDATE 7:52 pm: With 507/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 52.5%-McAuliffe 40.1%-Sarvis 7.4%. Only 13/239 precincts reporting from Fairfax County, only 4/66 precincts reporting from Richmond City, etc. So again, these results don't mean much. UPDATE 7:42 pm: For what it's worth, with 366/2541 precincts reporting, it's Cuccinelli 54.65%-McAuliffe 37.17%-Sarvis 7.88%. These early returns are basically meaningless, as they include little or nothing from places like Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington, Richmond City, etc. UPDATE 7:34 pm: @PeterHambyCNN tweets: "VA GOP Chairman Pat Mullins unloading Democrats for  'nastiest' campaign, relying on outside money and abortion politics." In other words, somebody call the waaaaambulance for poor Pat Mullins! LOL UPDATE 7:31 pm: @KentonNgo tweets: "One precinct telling a story: Hanover County, Pebble Creek. Cuccinelli running 11 points behind McDonnell 09." Also, @scontorno tweets: "#Vagov exit polls from @nytimes puts Cuccinelli and McAuliffe even with men but McAuliffe +26 among even. Just an astounding gap." UPDATE 7:20 pm:  ‏@chucktodd tweets: "3rd wave exit poll data coming in for VA, no big changes though Obama job rating now at 48 instead of 46. Translation: More Dem late voters" Also, NBC says that "Virginia looks more like 2012 than 2009." UPDATE 7:08 pm: CNN's exit poll has Cuccinelli winning white voters 53%-38%, McAuliffe winning African Americans 92%-7%. Overall, CNN's exit poll has it McAuliffe 50%, Cuccinelli 43%, Sarvis 7%.  Also, apparently women broke for McAuliffe over Cuccinelli 53%-39%. McAuliffe wins moderates 57%-31%. UPDATE 7:01 pm: Chuck Todd just said that Terry McAuliffe is leading in exit polls, but it's still too early to call the race. NBC News also reports that it's McAuliffe's anti-Cuccinelli message which resonated.

Final PPP Poll: McAuliffe Up by 7; Northam by 13; Herring by 2

The final PPP poll for Virginia this cycle went up last night. Here are the highlights.*For Governor, Terry McAuliffe leads 50%-43% over Ken Cuccinelli, with Robert Sarvis fading (as most third-party candidates do in the end) to just 4%. *For Lt. Governor, Ralph Northam is beating EW Jackson by 13 points (52%-39%). I find it disturbing that there are 39% of Virginia likely voters who would be willing to vote for this extremist huckster. Should be more like 3.9%. *In the AG's race, Mark Herring's up over Cuccinelli clone Mark Obenshain, but not by much, at 47%-45%. The problem here, in my view, is that a lot of voters STILL don't realize how extreme Obenshain is, in large part because Obenshain's run a campaign that has obfuscated his views/votes (e.g., supporting a bill that would have made miscarriage a crime reportable to the police within 24 hours; supporting "personhood" legislation that would outlaw abortion and many forms of contraception; being anti-environment and  anti-background-checks; etc.) and even outright lied about them. All voters need to do to confirm these facts is about 15 minutes of using Google. But will they? If they do, then Obenshain should by all rights lose tomorrow by as large a margin as E.W. Jackson. *Neither Cuccinelli nor McAuliffe are popular, to put it mildly, with both seriously "underwater" in their favorability ratings. But, as PPP explains: "among voters who dislike both candidates- and they account for 15% of the electorate- McAuliffe leads Cuccinelli 61/16. Those voters who don't like either major party standard bearer are responsible for McAuliffe's entire lead in this poll." *If Bill Bolling had run as an independent, it actually would have cut into Terry's margin, with the final results being McAuliffe 34%-Cuccinelli 32%-Bolling 22%. Of course, if Bolling had actually run a campaign, voters would have found out that he's just as conservative in most ways as Cuccinelli, so that probably would have changed. *I'd say this sample is a bit too Democratic leaning (50% say they voted for Obama last year; 45% for Romney), but I guess we'll find out tomorrow. It's also probably a bit too female-leaning, with a 56%-44% female/male breakout in the electorate. I'd say it will be closer to 52% female, but again we'll see. *There's a "gender gap" in this poll, but not as large as in a number of others, with women favoring McAuliffe by 11 points (51%-40%) and men supporting him by 1 point (47%-46%). In the Washington Post poll, Cuccinelli trailed by 24 points (!) among women, while leading by 1 points among men. P.S. I don't take Zogby seriously, and certainly not when it's paired with the crazy "Newsmax," but just for completeness purposes, they've got Terry up 12 points and "Headed for Big Win" tomorrow. Question: which "poll" is more ridiculous - Zogby, Roanoke College, or Emerson College?

Photos, Video: 1,600 Rally with President Obama for VA Democratic Ticket in Arlington

I just got back a little while ago from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, where around 1,600 enthusiastic/pumped-up people rallied for the Virginia Democratic ticket (Terry McAuliffe, Ralph Northam, Mark Herring) with President Barack Obama; Senator Mark Warner; Congressmen Jim Moran, Gerry Connolly and Bobby Scott; DPVA Chair Charniele Herring; actress Kerry Washington; and several others. President Obama was greeted like a rock star, of course, but in general I was pleased to see enthusiasm for all the speakers - and candidates - today. It bodes well for Tuesday, but of course we have to finish it off. I'm volunteering at the polls on Tuesday, and encourage everyone to put in at least one more volunteer shift before Election Day is over. The state you save may very well be your own. :)P.S. More photos - and video, as it uploads to YouTube - on the "flip," and also in the comments section. P.P.S. I urge everyone to compare and contrast the mainstream, sane, constructive leaders speaking in THIS rally with the extreme, loony-tunes, destructive demagogues and bigots (e.g., Mark Levin, Ron Paul) appearing at Cuccinelli's rallies in the closing days of this campaign. It's truly instructive.

lowkell :: Photos, Video: 1,600 Rally with President Obama for VA Democratic Ticket in Arlington

A loooong line of people wait to go through security for the rally this afternoon in Arlington with President Obama and the Virginia Democratic ticket. Here they are INSIDE the school.

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Video: Charniele Herring speaks at rally (11/3/13) (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 15:53:07 PM EST

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Photo: Virginia's Next AG Mark Herring Speaks at Rally w/President Obama (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:13:38 PM EST

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Photo by Catherine S. Read of Sen. Mark Warner (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:14:51 PM EST

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Photo of actress Kerry Washington (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

by Catherine S. Read.

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:15:23 PM EST

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Let's get Kerry to move to the 10th and run for congress ! (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]
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by: totallynext @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:42:23 PM EST

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Photo of Rep. Gerry Connolly (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

by Catherine S. Read.

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:16:03 PM EST

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Photo of President Obama (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

by Catherine S. Read.

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:16:46 PM EST

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Photo of Terry McAuliffe (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

by Catherine S. Read.


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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:17:21 PM EST

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Video: Finale of President Obama's speech (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:29:43 PM EST

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Video: Ken Cuccinelli supporters stage freak show prior to rally for Dems (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

A few "favorite" signs: "Women for Cuccinelli" (seriously?!?); "Bengazi" (spelled wrong); something about "Socialism" (of course; and of course the guy in the Tea Partier costume (or whatever it's supposed to be) ranting about impeaching Obama for...well, pretty much anything and everything (at least this guy spelled "Benghazi" correctly). Totally bonkers...and totally Cuccinelli's "base!"

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:36:22 PM EST

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Video: Actress Kerry Washington speaks at rally in Arlington for Terry McAuliffe (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:38:14 PM EST

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Video: Virginia's next AG Mark Herring cheered at conclusion of his speech (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:39:43 PM EST

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Video: Sen. Mark Herring Speaks to Rally of 1,600 in Arlington, Virginia (11/3/13) (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 18:11:42 PM EST

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Video: President Obama, Terry McAuliffe Work Rope Line at End of Rally (11/3/13) (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 16:58:34 PM EST

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Transcript: President Obama's speech in Arlington, Virginia (11/3/13) (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT RALLY FOR TERRY McAULIFFE FOR GOVERNORWashington-Lee High School
Arlington, Virginia
**Please see below for a correction, marked with asterisks.
2:28 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Washington-Lee!  (Applause.)  Hello, Virginia!  (Applause.)  How are you doing?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Are you ready to vote on Tuesday?  (Applause.)
Well, it is good to be back in Virginia -- (applause) -- with the next governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe.  (Applause.)
Now, let me just say before I start saying nice things about Terry -- (laughter) -- that, like me, he married up.  (Laughter.) Those of you who have had a chance to meet Dorothy know that Terry clearly was very persistent, but whatever he did, it worked.  And as a consequence, they've got unbelievable children who are doing outstanding things on their own and are also on the campaign trail.  So please give it up for the family because they make some big sacrifices.  (Applause.)  And Dorothy is going to be a great first lady of the commonwealth.  (Applause.)
I want to thank Terry for the introduction.  Over the last few weeks, a lot of people have been coming out and campaigning for Terry and I was tired of having other people have all the fun -- (laughter) -- Bill Clinton and Kerry Washington and all these folks.  (Applause.)  And I thought, I want to get in on the action.  And so did Joe Biden, who I understand is going to be out here tomorrow doing some campaigning.  (Applause.)
But we've also got some folks here who are doing outstanding work in their own right and I want to acknowledge them.  They're fighting every single day for you.  First of all, your wonderful Senator and former governor, Mark Warner.  (Applause.)  Three outstanding members of Congress who are fighting for you every single day -- Gerry Connolly, Jim Moran, Bobby Scott.  (Applause.)  Your next lieutenant governor, Ralph Northam.  (Applause.)  And your next attorney general, Mark Herring in the house.  (Applause.)
So you've got an all-star team here.  There are no weak links.  Everybody is ready to work on behalf of Virginia.  But obviously at the top of the ticket is this man.  (Applause.)  And so let me just say a few things about Terry.
First of all, I think it's clear that he's not shy.  (Laughter.)  This is a man who knows how to work and he knows how to push through obstacles, and he cares deeply about the opportunities that this country has given him, and he wants to make sure that those opportunities are there for everybody -- not just for a few.  He knows what it's like to work hard and struggle to get ahead.
**You may know that Terry started his own business when he was 14.  He started 42 all together [He's been in business 42 years all together], but the first one was when he was 14, paving driveways to help pay for college. And he's brought that same grit and that same determination to everything he's done, from public service to business, to being a husband and a father to the extraordinary children of the McAuliffe family.
So he knows what it's like to work hard.  And when it comes to creating good jobs, when it comes to investing in education, when it comes to giving more Virginians the opportunities that they deserve, Terry understands what folks are going through.  He knows how to get things done.  And that's why I hope you guys are fired up on Tuesday, because we cannot have people stay at home when so much is at stake.  (Applause.)  I hope you're ready to fight for Terry, because he's ready to fight for you for the next four years.  (Applause.)
And this election is going to say a lot about Virginia's future and about the country's future.  It's only been a few years since we went through a punishing recession.  Jobs were lost.  Too many people lost their homes, their security, their savings, including a lot of folks here in Virginia.  Now, thanks to some tough decisions that we made, we're in a much different place.  Over the past three and a half years, we've created more than 7.5 million new jobs.  (Applause.)  Our deficits have been cut by more than half since I came into office.  (Applause.)  Health care costs are slowing.  The housing market is rebounding. The American auto industry is back on the move.  (Applause.)
So we've made progress, but what Terry understands, what everybody on this ticket understands, is that there's still too many folks out there who are hurting, too many families who are struggling, too many people who are in the middle class that  worry that maybe the life chances of their children won't be as good as theirs, and too many folks not yet in the middle class who no matter how hard they work don't feel like those ladders of opportunity are still there for them.
And that's what this election is about.  That's what the great political contest in this country is all about.  Are we going to put in place policies that make sure that anybody in this country, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter who you love, that people can make it if they try here in the United States of America -- and are we going to give each other the support that people need to succeed?  (Applause.)  That's what's at stake.
So that's been my priority as President -- to grow the economy, to create good jobs, to have broad-based prosperity.  Because America has always succeeded when everybody succeeds.  That's good for folks at the top and good for folks at the bottom.  When everybody has the opportunity to get a good job if they're willing to work hard, that's good for businesses because now they've got more customers.  Everybody does well when our growth is from the middle out and from the bottom up, not just from the top down.  (Applause.)
And Terry understands that.  That's what I focus on every day.  That's what Terry will focus on when he's governor.  (Applause.)
Now, as has been pointed out, unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the focus of too many folks on the other side of the aisle.  You know, no party has a monopoly on wisdom.  And I'm a Democrat and I'm proud to be a Democrat -- (applause) -- but, historically, in our two-party system, there's always been the capacity for folks on both sides of the aisle to work and find compromise on issues like the environment, or issues like building roads, and educating our workforce, and funding basic research.  There's been a broad consensus that these are things that are important for America to do.
But lately, instead of rolling up their sleeves and working on the things that we can agree on together, you've seen an extreme faction of the Republican Party that has shown again and again and again that they're willing to highjack the entire party -- and the country and the economy -- and grind progress to an absolute halt if they don't get 100 percent of what they want.
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
THE PRESIDENT:  Now, this isn't just speculation.  We just saw it last month.  Here in Virginia, you felt the pain of the first government shutdown in 17 years.  And there aren't a lot of states that felt more of the pain than folks right here in Virginia.  Paychecks were delayed.  Families were forced to go without the services that they depended on.  Business owners took it on the chin when customers cut back on their own spending.
And, as Terry mentioned, his opponent says he's perfectly happy with it.  Now he says it's in the rearview mirror.  Well, it can't be in the rearview mirror if this is your operative theory of politics.  If you embrace the very politics that led to this shutdown, then I guarantee it's not in the rearview mirror of voters in Virginia.  They remember.  They understand that that is not how you govern and that is not how you move America forward. (Applause.)
This isn't a game.  And there are very real consequences when you operate ideologically, the way some of these folks do.  There are practical consequences when you operate this way.  And Terry understands that.  During the shutdown, he called on Speaker Boehner to stand up to the tea party, reopen the government so Virginians could go back to work.  He stood up for you.  Instead of joining him, Terry's opponent sided with the people who would rather hurt folks to make a point.  Rather than back down, Terry's opponent doubled down.
Well, Virginia, look, I know sometimes folks in Congress can get away with acting irresponsibly; acting like compromise is a bad word.  Maybe it's good for their political prospects; maybe it's good for their political district.  But you cannot afford to have a governor who's thinking the same way.  (Applause.)  The governor is -- that's a practical job.  That's about making sure schools are funded.  That's about making sure that roads are built.  That's about making sure that research is funded, that universities are operating at full capacity.  That's what a governor does.  (Applause.)  They can't afford to be ideologues. They've got to be able to work with everybody and compromise and get the job done.  And that's who Terry McAuliffe is, and that's why you've got to vote for him on Tuesday.  (Applause.)
When hardworking families come looking for some support, when communities come looking for a way to create new jobs in their area, when folks are looking for some job training that can actually get them into that new industry that is growing here in Virginia, they're looking to the governor.  And the governor can't be waving around a whole bunch of theories that have nothing to do with people's ordinary lives.  It's got to be somebody who is there and understands them, is willing to work for them.
That's what Mark Warner did.  (Applause.)  That's what Tim Kaine did.  (Applause.)  And that's what Terry McAuliffe will do. He is part of that legacy.  (Applause.)
And, by the way, that's why you've got so many Republican businessmen and women, Republican mayors and state legislators, many of whom never supported a Democrat before, who are stepping up in this race and saying, Terry McAuliffe is the right man for the job.  (Applause.)  They understand that the job of governor is not tearing stuff down; it is building folks up, building communities up, moving forward, bringing people together.  And they know that Terry can do that.  (Applause.)
So this is all about moving forward.  It's not about going backwards.  It's about building, not destroying.  And, Virginia, I'm asking you to choose progress.  Because the truth is what's holding us back right now is not a lack of good ideas.  I've got to tell you, I spend a lot of time on policy and I'm in a lot of meetings, and there are some very tough problems that the world faces and that the country faces, but so much of what needs to be done for us to make progress is right there.  Everybody knows what it is.  Everybody understands what we need.
For example, here in Virginia, if we invest in our roads and our bridges, if all across the country we invest in our ports and our infrastructure, we can put more people back to work right now.  We can strengthen our economy in the long term.  That is not a Republican or a Democratic idea; that's just common sense. (Applause.)  We've done it in the past and we can do it again.  And Terry has got a plan to make it happen right here in Virginia.  (Applause.)
We know -- the research has been done -- if we invest in early childhood education, and every young person, when they go to school, they are already ready to learn and they're getting the support that they need, that you see drastic improvement and that those young people become productive citizens.  We know that.  (Applause.)  Terry understands it.  That's not Democrat or Republican -- that's common sense.  Let's make those investments. (Applause.)
We know that if we make sure that college is affordable for young people, most states that educate their workforce, they're going to attract more companies, more businesses.  We know that. It's not a Democratic or Republican idea -- that's common sense. Terry understands that.
We know that there's no contradiction between a smart energy policy that makes sure that we're not only investing in energy sources of the past, but also energy sources of the future; that we're caring for our environment and we're thinking about what kind of legacy we're leaving to our children, and we can still grow and be at the cutting edge of those changes here in Virginia and all across the country.  Terry understands that.  (Applause.)
We know that investing in basic research -- science -- makes sense for America.  It always has.  And, Virginia, part of the reason why Virginia has grown so much during your lifetimes is because this has been a centerpiece of research and development, particularly up here in Northern Virginia.  We've seen it.
So that makes our economy work better and makes our businesses thrive, and allows them to compete all across the world.  It makes our military outstanding.  That innovative drive -- that's part of what makes America special.
Now, Terry's opponent, I guess he's got other ideas in mind. But I can tell you, we will not create jobs when you focus on things like attacking Social Security.  That doesn't create jobs. It doesn't create jobs when you go after scientists, and you try to offer your own alternative theories of how things work -- (laughter) -- and engage in litigation around stuff that isn't political.  It has to do with what's true.  It has to do with facts.  You don't argue with facts.  (Applause.)
You don't create jobs and help the people of Virginia by trying to restrict the health care choices that women make.  (Applause.)  Women are capable of making those choices by themselves.  That's not going to create jobs.  (Applause.)  Trying to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood -- that's not something that will grow our economy.  That's not going to help middle-class families get ahead.  It doesn't even help -- it sure doesn't help making sure that our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons.  (Applause.)
So, look, here's the bottom line.  You deserve a governor who wants to move this commonwealth forward, not backwards.  A governor who believes that we're better than the kind of ideological politics that we see all too often.  Somebody who understands that even if we don't agree on everything there's no reason we can't make progress on the issues that we do agree on  -- and, by the way, that we can disagree without being disagreeable.
Now, Terry McAuliffe will be that governor.  And you know that.  Otherwise you wouldn't be at this rally.  Right?  (Applause.)  You know that Terry is the right man for the job.  That's why you've devoted so much time and energy and effort to get him elected -- (applause) -- because you want somebody in the statehouse who is going to be waking up every single day thinking about you.
But here's the thing -- you've got to finish the job.  You are just a few hours away from when the polls open here in the commonwealth.  And -- I know Terry feels this -- nothing makes me more nervous than when my supporters start feeling too confident, so I want to put the fear of God in all of you.  (Laughter.)  All right?  Virginia, historically, has always been a swing state.  And this race will be close, because past races in Virginia have always been close.  And the question is going to be whether or not you are willing to out-work the other side.
In these closing hours, are you willing to knock on some more doors?
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
THE PRESIDENT:  Are you willing to make some more phone calls?
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
THE PRESIDENT:  Are you willing to talk to your friends and your neighbors and your coworkers?
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
THE PRESIDENT:  Are you willing to make sure that those family members who don't always vote during off-year elections are getting to the polls.  (Applause.)  Are you willing to make your case every single hour, every single minute, every single second?  Are you going to be willing to out-work and out-hustle the other folks?  Because I guarantee you Terry McAuliffe is going to be out-working and out-hustling the other guy over the next few hours.  (Applause.)
You can bring this home.  You can make this happen.  But you've got to make sure that everybody goes out on Tuesday and chooses a better future for Virginia, and chooses a better future for America, and chooses Terry McAuliffe to be the next governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia!  (Applause.)
Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.) God bless America.  (Applause.)
                 END                 2:50 P.M. EST

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 18:04:19 PM EST

[ Reply ]

Video: Rep. Bobby Scott Speaks at Rally in Arlington, Virginia (11/3/13) (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 18:09:09 PM EST

[ Reply ]

Video: Rep. Jim Moran Speaks at Rally in Arlington (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 20:01:10 PM EST

[ Reply ]

Video: Sen. Mark Warner starts his speech (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Sun Nov 03, 2013 at 20:17:47 PM EST

[ Reply ]

Video: Sen. Mark Warner Speaks to GOTV Rally of 1,600 in Arlington, Virginia (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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by: lowkell @ Mon Nov 04, 2013 at 06:10:22 AM EST

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Lastest PPP poll shows McAuliffe up by 7 (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]
IP Address: 69.137.149.223

Here is the link.http://www.publicpolicypolling...
The poll has a few quirks, I doubt Terry and Kook are tied among Hispanics (meaning gap may be underestimated) but I also doubt the voting pop will be 56 percent female (gap may be overestimated).  However, PPP has a pretty good track record despite being tagged as a pro-Democratic pollster.

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by: ConsDemo @ Mon Nov 04, 2013 at 05:30:09 AM EST

[ Reply |            none4: Excellent3: Good2: Marginal1: Unproductive0: Troll        ]

If signs could vote... (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]
IP Address: 69.137.149.223

The GOP would be winning by a landslide.  Driving through western PW and Loudoun counties this weekend, I only saw GOP signs.

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by: ConsDemo @ Mon Nov 04, 2013 at 05:32:14 AM EST

[ Reply |            none4: Excellent3: Good2: Marginal1: Unproductive0: Troll        ]

Video: Terry McAuliffe speaks to 1,600 people in Arlington, Virginia (0.00 / 0) [delete comment]

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Audio: EW Jackson on Gays, "Being Black," and Baking Cakes

E.W. Jackson, from yesterday's Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood: Here is what I have a problem with. I think that there has been an attempt to try to equate homosexuality with being black, or being American...an American of African descent. You cannot equate the two. Because one is an immutable outward characteristic which allows discrimination upon the mere visual inspection of a person; seeing them. The other is a matter of behavior, and where behavior is involved, people have to make judgments about how they feel about that behavior......If you own a bakery, as happened out in Seattle, and you bake cakes for people, and a couple comes in and says, look we're a homosexual couple, we're getting married, we want you to bake a wedding cake for us, see that's behavior. Now,do you force that bakery...you've gotta back this cake for this gay couple, we don't care what you think? Or do you allow them the freedom to say you know, I'll bake...any other kind of cake, but my own convictions prevent me from doing what you've asked me to do? See, that's very different than a black person walking into the bakery and saying will you bake me a cake, and the person saying, no I'm not going to bake you a cake because you're black. So, by this "reasoning," what if a bakery owner belongs to a religion that "believes" black people (or Jews or Muslims or any other group of people) are bad, "unclean," whatever? Should they not have to bake a cake for them either (or serve them in their restaurant, retail establishment, hotel, etc.)? I'm simply not following E.W. Jackson's "reasoning" here, maybe someone can help me out. Also, in what way is homosexuality just some sort of "behavior," as opposed to a deeply ingrained, even "immutable," characteristic, just like being attracted to members of the opposite sex (aka, "heterosexuality") or even race (which is largely a construct, as basically NOBODY is purely of one "race" or another - except for the HUMAN race, of course - and everyone has a wide mix of genetic material from hundreds of thousands if not millions of years of ancestors)? Finally, how should personal religious beliefs mix in a society that is governed by a secular constitution, the rule of (civil) law, and NOT by religious law? On all of those areas, I  believe that E.W. Jackson is extremely (emphasis on "extreme") confused.

Graphic: Virginia Political TV Ad Spending As We Near Election Day

Great job by VPAP collecting this data and summarizing in graphics (click to "embiggen"). The bottom line is that Terry McAuliffe is utterly swamping Ken Cuccinelli on TV as election 2013 winds to its close. In the AG's race, Mark Obenshain and Mark Herring are spending about equal amounts on TV, but Herring is dominating Obenshain in spending by outside groups on his behalf. On Tuesday, we'll find out how effective all of this turned out to be. Stay tuned...

A Virginia Polling Day as Bizarre and Wacky as This Bizarre and Wacky Campaign!

This entire governor's campaign has been bizarre and wacky, and at this point just about NOTHING would surprise me. Still, a spate of polls have been released in the past couple days that are just all over the place in every way: methodology, "top-line" numbers, "internals," trend lines, quality level, you name it. Here's a quick summary.1. Washington Post poll (10/24-10/27): McAuliffe up 12 points (51%-39%) with Sarvis pulling in 8%. This poll basically has Terry running away with it. Hmmm. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of the Post, but I don't know of any particular reason to dismiss its polling either. 2. Quinnipiac poll (10/22-10/28): McAuliffe up 4 points (45%-41%), with Sarvis at 9%. Generally speaking, Q-Polls are pretty good, but this one did some funky things, like made the male-female split 50/50, which is almost certainly not going to happen. They also seriously tweaked the GOP/Dem breakdown - in the direction of the GOP - since their last poll a week ago. Not sure what to make of any of that, but it shows the race tightening a bit, and Cuccinelli's fixating on this poll and trying to make the most of his "Mitt-mentum!" LOL 3. Roanoke College "poll" (10/21-10/27): I put "poll" in quotes because this outfit has a track record of being wildly all over the place, with a strong Republican skew to boot. Yet somehow they have McAuliffe up 15 points (46%-31%), which can't possibly be true. So weird. They've got Sarvis at 9%, which at least makes sense. Remember, Roanoke College "polls" had Kaine and Obama both DOWN five points in Virginia just days before last year's election (which Kaine and Obama both won); showed a 15-point swing towards Romney and Allen in Virginia during October 2012; and was ranked by Nate Silver as the 6th worst "poll" in the entire country (out of about 90 polls), with an "average error" and pro-GOP "bias" of 8.1 points each. So keep all that in mind when considering these "poll" results, whether they show the "blue team" up or down. 4. Hampton University poll (10/26-10/27): Has McAuliffe up 6 points (42%-36%), with Sarvis at 12%. I'm really not sure what to make of Hampton U. polls, but I'm leaning strongly towards "not much." I mean, these top lines just don't make much sense - Northam up only 6 points over E.W. Jackson? No way. Also, last month's Hampton poll had Jackson UP over Northam 39%-38%. That's even LESS likely, bordering on delusional. As a political friend of mine and I were chatting about a little while ago, there are a ton of small colleges and universities out there that like doing polls, as they're fairly inexpensive and reliably get the college's/university's name in the news. As an added bonsu, the college/university can also claim the polls are educational for their students. The problem is, most of them are crap. Like this one, as far as I can tell. 5. Rasmussen Reports poll (10/28-10/29): Speaking of crap, there's always Republican hack "pollster" Rasmussen, which incredibly had McAuliffe up an implausible 17 points in its last poll. Anyway, they now have it at a 7-point lead for T-Mac (McAuliffe 43%, Cuccinelli 36%, Sarvis 12%), thus a 10-point narrowing in a week. Yeah, well, it's Republican Rasmussen Reports, so what else would we expect but weird and wacky? So where does that leave us? Well, probably the best thing is to stick with an average, like Real Clear Politics, which has McAuliffe up 9.1 points, not counting the Roanoke +15, the Hampton +6, or the Rasmussen +7. Got that? ;)  Oh, and keep in mind that Cuccinelli hasn't led in a poll since late spring/early summer, and that McAuliffe's campaign has supposedly built a superb GOTV operation. Still, the key is who shows up, so make sure you remind everyone you know to vote on Tuesday, for the entire Democratic ticket of course. :)

Top 10 Reasons Why Virginians Shouldn't Even CONSIDER Voting for Mark Obenshain

(UPDATE: Also see Va. AG candidate Mark Obenshain is Cuccinelli's clone - the truth really hurts! - promoted by lowkell) I could probably list 100 reasons why Virginians shouldn't vote for a right-wing extremist like Mark Obenshain for ANY elective office, let alone one of the Commonwealth's most powerful positions - Attorney General. From LGBT equality to women's reproductive freedom to health care to voting rights to animal welfare to guns to energy and the environment to the economy - the list is endless - Obenshain is not just out of the Virginia mainstream, he's completely off the deep end. But don't worry, I'm not going to list 100 reasons not to vote for this Cuccinelli clone, just the top 10. Read them, spread them around, and make sure you tell everyone you know to vote for Mark Herring on November 5!  Thanks.1. He's a Cuccinelli clone: Obenshain said in 2011 that he and Ken Cuccinelli are "two peas in a pod, philosophically." Obenshain has called Cuccinelli "'a principled and effective attorney general' who has earned the admiration of friends and foes alike." He's said that Cuccinelli has "done a great job" as Attorney General, and that he (Obenshain) would "build on his work, without missing a step," if elected to the position. Shudddderrrr. 2. He's a raging homophobe: In 2010, Obenshain voted against adding sexual orientation to current anti-discrimination policies in Virginia state government hiring. In 2013, Obenshain voted against prohibiting state agencies from discriminating against job applicants or employees based on their sexual orientation. In January 2013, he walked out of the Virginia Senate chamber rather than voting on the judicial nomination of an openly gay former prosecutor. In 2004, he voted in committee (along with - guess who? - Ken Cuccinelli) against overturning Virginia's "ban on sodomy between consenting adults." We could go on all day, but you get the picture. In today's world, being a homophobe should be an automatic disqualifier, of course, for anyone seeking public office. End of story. 3. He's an anti-choice extremist when it comes to women's reproductive freedom. In 2009, he sponsored a bill to require women to report miscarriages to police within 24 hours or risk going to prison. In 2012, he voted for the infamous "transvaginal ultrasound" mandate. In 2009, 2010, and 2011, he introduced amendments to prohibit state funding for "any organization providing abortion or abortion counseling services." In 2007 and 2011, he sponsored "personhood" bills to "extend constitutionally guaranteed rights to the unborn from the moment of conception." That would effectively criminalize all abortions, as well as many forms of contraception, embryonic stem cell research, and possibly in vitro fertilization. Crazy stuff. 4. He's against open, transparent government. In 2006, he voted in committee against prohibiting "gifts from lobbyists and other persons to General Assembly members during regular legislative sessions." In 2012, he voted in committee to kill a bill to "require that the state budget be available to the public for at least 72 hours prior to a vote on it." In February 2013, he voted in committee to allow state legislators to continue to be compensated "for attending conferences for which the agenda and materials are not available to the public." And last but not least, in 2011, he voted in support of allowing Virginia's attorney general to use subpoena power "to investigate areas of academic inquiry and research." 5. He's extremely weak when it comes to child abuse. In 2011, Obenshain was one of three state legislators who voted against extending from two years to "20 years the period in which a victim of childhood sexual abuse may file a lawsuit against an abuser." Obenshain at the time called the proposed time extension unfair and "truly mind-boggling." Seriously, he did. Also, in 2004, Obenshain voted against requiring "clergy to report suspected instances of child abuse," and in 2006, he voted against adding "clergy to the list of professionals required to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect." As if all that's not bad/crazy enough, in 2008 Obenshain voted against a budget that included funding $1.5 million for Alicia's Law, which creates task forces aimed at catching online child-sex predators. My god; with a record like this, Obenshain is basically the LAST person on earth we'd want as our state's AG!6. He's weak on crime. For instance, in 2007, he voted (along with...yep, Ken Cuccinelli) in committee against making it illegal to defraud by filling out a credit card application in another person's name. In 2008, Obenshain (again with Ken Cuccinelli) voted in committee to kill legislation to increase penalties for drunk driving and vehicle-related felonies. In 2009, Obenshain (along with...yep, Ken Cuccinelli yet again) voted in committee against enhanced penalties for "recruiting another to participate in a gang" and "gang-related offenses occurring on or within 1,000 feet of school property or on a school bus." And in 2011, Obenshain voted in committee to kill Mark Herring's bill to make it a felony to use "deception, intimidation, undue influence, coercion, harassment, duress, or misrepresentation" to steal from the elderly or other vulnerable adults, with "enhanced penalties when the offender is a caregiver or a person in a position of trust." Again, this is the LAST person we'd want as our Attorney General! 7. He's a gun extremist. Obenshain said that opposition to his bill allowing guns in bars was "nonsensical." He voted for the repeal of Virginia's one-handgun-a-month law. He voted to allow guns in child day care centers. He voted against closing the gun show loophole. In this campaign, he posed proudly with NRA leader Wayne LaPierre and also with right-wing hate radio host Mark Levin, while sporting a "Guns Save Lives" sticker (see photo above). It's endless, pretty much. 8. He's against working people. In 2006, Obenshain said that advocates for "raising the minimum wage...[are] asking government to substitute its judgment for that of the marketplace." In 2007, he voted (along with Ken Cuccinelli, of course) against raising Virginia's minimum wage. In 2005, he was one of two state senators and six state legislators who voted against making it a felony to intentionally and fraudulently refuse to pay wages for work performed. In 2004, he voted against a bill to allow "parents or guardians to take up to four hours leave from their jobs each year to attend their children's school activities." In 2009, he criticized a proposal to make part-time workers eligible for unemployment benefits, calling it a "boondoggle" and "unnecessary." And in 2004, he voted against a budget that included significant funding for economic development initiatives, including funding "to market distressed areas of the state." Charming, huh? 9. He is against your right to vote. As the Washington Post pointed out, Obenshain "has been a champion of the GOP push for more restrictive voter ID laws, which would reduce access for poor and minority voters," despite "zero evidence of voters misrepresenting their identity at the Virginia polls, the ostensible justification for such laws." In 2012, Obenshain sponsored legislation to require identification to cast an official ballot. he followed that up by voting, in 2013, to eliminate "several forms of ID currently acceptable at the polls," moving Virginia "a step closer on Friday to joining the few states that require voters to present photo ID at the polls." And in 2013, he voted against amending the state constitution to automatically restore voting rights to nonviolent felons. 10. If you care about animal welfare, you should NOT vote for Mark Obenshain. In 2005, Obenshain (and Ken Cuccinelli, of course!) were two of five Senators who voted against legislation to regulate "puppy mills." In 2007, he (and Ken Cuccinelli) voted in committee against requiring veterinarians and employees at shelters to report to law enforcement "injuries to a dog when the injury is consistent with fighting of dogs." In 2007, Obenshain and Ken Cuccinelli were the ONLY two Senators to vote against increasing penalties for engaging in cockfighting. Obenshain's abysmal record on animal welfare also includes voting "against a bill to end competitive fox penning, an action so heinous that opponents call it 'barbaric.'" No wonder why the Humane Society has endorsed Mark Herring for Attorney General. OK, so those are my top 10 reasons why you shouldn't even CONSIDER voting for Mark Obenshain, although honestly you could probably dive into his record and pick out your own top 10 pretty easily. For instance, he's awful on education, with a ZERO rating from the Virginia Education Association. So add that one to the list right away, bringing us to ELEVEN reasons you should definitely not vote for Mark Obenshain. And he's terrible on energy and environmental issues, it almost goes without saying with someone who's taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from coal companies and other fossil fuel interests (e.g., the Koch brothers). Any other issues you care about? He's almost certainly awful on those too. So why don't you know about this? Probably because he keeps it quiet, and because Virginia Democrats have only just recently has had enough money to let voters know about Obenshain's record. But now you know, just in time to vote against this guy on Tuesday. Thanks.