The beginnings of the Virginia gubernatorial race, 2013 edition
posted at 5:01 pm on November 25, 2012 by Erika Johnsen
The current Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has been and remains a pretty popular leader. His legacy of a decreased unemployment rate that betters the national average, repeatedly balanced budgets, and a relatively evenhanded leadership style will be a tough act to follow, but you can’t run for two consecutive gubernatorial terms in the Old Dominion — a rule of which I am exceedingly fond.
Candidates can’t officially sign up for the contest until January, but several people have already gone public with their political intentions, via WaPo a few days back:
The early fight in Virginia next year will be among Republicans, with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II headlining the showdown to be the party’s gubernatorial nominee. The matchup features an establishment candidate — Bolling — versus a tea party favorite — Cuccinelli — and illustrates the larger battle for control within the GOP. …
Republicans will not choose their candidate through an open primary but at their state convention, which is closed — creating a different dynamic for campaigning. …
On the Democratic side, McAuliffe, a former chairman of the party’s national committee, is the only potential gubernatorial candidate who has made his intentions known. But Sen. Mark R. Warner, a former governor, has been flirting with a bid to return to the Capitol, and recent polling suggests he would be a favorite to win next fall should he decide to run.
But Sen. Warner announced earlier this week that he intends to stay in the Senate and focus on his job there rather than making another gubernatorial bid, meaning that the path forward is clear for McAuliffe. McDonnell, meanwhile, has maintained for awhile now that he’ll be supporting Bolling as his successor, and the resources McDonnell has built up as head of the Republican Governors’ Association are nothing to sneeze at — especially since Virginia has no official limits on who can donate to statewide campaigns, nor on how much they can donate.
There’s been a lot of focus lately on the probable gubernatorial showdown between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker as the odd-year election story to watch, but almost one year into what will be Obama’s second term, the 2013 election of super-swingy Virginia could be a pretty telling forerunner of which way the national mood is starting to swing ahead of the 2014 midterms — certainly a plot on which to keep a weather eye.
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The harlot
Schadenfreude on May 23, 2013 at 2:44 PM
The former statement is stupid and ignorant, but technically he ain’t wrong about the latter. Of course there are far better ways to articulate the tragedy of how many black babies are aborted, but at least he’s not afraid to broach the subject.
Doughboy on May 23, 2013 at 2:45 PM
So? Planned Parenthood HAS killed more African Americans than the KKK. A black man saying so might be just the ticket to make some black voters go, “WTF?”
Curmudgeon on May 23, 2013 at 2:46 PM
Well terry, you have to get this pass bho and the epa! Somehow I don’t think your plan will get pass those slugs?
L
letget on May 23, 2013 at 2:47 PM
Harry Reid needs to demand McAuliffe and both Senators immediately release their tax returns for the last ten years, to prove they’re not getting kickbacks from Big Oil.
I say keep VA locked up until they elect Conservatives to the Senate and not elect McAuliffe.
Liam on May 23, 2013 at 2:49 PM
McAulliffe is a congenital liar, just like his mentors.
matthew8787 on May 23, 2013 at 2:49 PM
Virginia doesn’t run as a unified gubernatorial ticket though, right? It’s still possible for Cuccinelli to distance himself from Jackson if he really is that crazy. Lt. Governor matters for the state Senate, but isn’t really a huge election draw. Hopefully Jackson can go six months without offering up new stuff for the left to seize on, and Cuccinelli can ride this out, because actually losing to somebody like McAuliffe is beyond stupid.
Gingotts on May 23, 2013 at 2:50 PM
Terry Uberdouche is what he is!
22044 on May 23, 2013 at 2:51 PM
Are the people of VA that stupid to elect a Clinton bag man as their governor?
Bevan on May 23, 2013 at 2:55 PM
So in Virginia, the governor and lt. governor run as a ticket? Here in Texas, they’re on the ballot separately, so we could have the two offices occupied by people from different parties (and it’s happened before).
Ward Cleaver on May 23, 2013 at 2:56 PM
This is just another blowhard lib, just when I forgot all about him, he resurfaces. A despicable sewer rat!
rjoco1 on May 23, 2013 at 2:57 PM
Similar to how the Constitution was originally written. The man with the most electoral votes became president, the next highest holder became VP. A further check-and-balance for limited government.
Liam on May 23, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Can you spell STEAL.The dems have their marching orders in hand now.
docflash on May 23, 2013 at 3:01 PM
We shall see if the people of Virginia are that stupid.
Nope
cozmo on May 23, 2013 at 3:02 PM
No, they are separate. However, the Virginia Senate is currently tied 20-20 with the LG having the tie breaking vote.
There is a special election to fill a vacating R senator’s seat in August (my senator, as it turns out). If the D’s flip that seat, then the LG race is mostly moot, although if the D’s win, they’d have at least person well positioned for a run at gov in 2017. (The problem they have this year is that we had a Republican sweep in 2009, so they didn’t have anyone in a statewide office to run.)
I expect to see large amounts of cash from outside our senate district come flooding in this summer.
CJ on May 23, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Unfortunately Virginia is going more stupid each year, thanks to a large infux of libtards in NVA – DC metro influence.
The real insanity would be if McAuliffe won. Without a strong ticket that may be possible.
The duo Ds (Warner/Kaine) in the senate are only doing it for election time. Most notably they have been in lock step with Obama and democrats on almost all issues.
Outside of Cuccinelli there is not a lot of depth in the conservative/republican side in Virginia. Hasn’t been for awhile.
TerryW on May 23, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Planned Parenthood has killed more blacks than the KKK. And check the statistics on pedophilia among homosexuals vs. heterosexuals and then get back to me on that statement.
Shump on May 23, 2013 at 3:12 PM
Stupidity deserves punishment — harsh, frequent, and repeat-as-required.
If liberals had the sense of a dog, such wouldn’t be necessary and the country wouldn’t be the mess it is.
Liam on May 23, 2013 at 3:13 PM
Related, male-on-male sexual assaults (not harassment but actual assault) in the military have increased dramatically since gays were allowed to serve openly.
Liam on May 23, 2013 at 3:14 PM
He’s a Democrat. He’s lying. But then if his lips are moving that’s redundant.
Oldnuke on May 23, 2013 at 3:16 PM
How are our ruling elite supposed to get their gosnell fabric lamps and shoes as well as the bone pens if you close down planned parenthood?
acyl72 on May 23, 2013 at 3:16 PM
They don’t run as a ticket here, though. When Tim Kaine won the governor’s mansion in ’05, the GOP won both the Lt governor and Attorney General races. You could easily have the same thing happen here, where Jackson loses but the other two win.
I do wonder what those convention-goers were thinking, though, in going for Jackson. Maybe it was his speech, I don’t know, but fiery red meat rhetoric doesn’t always mean the person serving it up is the best candidate. I shudder at the though of having Terry McAuliffe win, in part because Sean Trende turns out to be right and Jackson drags Cuccinelli down with him.
changer1701 on May 23, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Real voter suppression in 2012
Schadenfreude on May 23, 2013 at 3:29 PM
If elected, I’m sure he’ll re-evolve back to the default left position of no jobs no wars and no way we want oil.
If VA is stupid enough to elect this worthless clown, the devolution will take about 10 minutes.
NoDonkey on May 23, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Apparently his speech was influential, and also there were very few left in attendance by the time they finally got the hell around to some votes.
Also, Pete Snyder, his biggest threat toward the end had some missteps about leaking endorsements that weren’t to be. Cuccinelli and the AG nominee stayed out. Corey Stewart – who was a massive troll to everybody throughout the entire race – was erroneously reported to be endorsing Snyder, which apparently got him pissy enough to walk out hand in hand with Jackson.
Gingotts on May 23, 2013 at 3:37 PM
Good. Let’s see what happens when the world’s greasiest slime ball goes after a charismatic black preacher. Jackson is going to help Cuccinelli, not hurt. Also, Trende has his head so far up the establishments a** he can’t see straight. Cuccinelli and Jackson both win in a walk.
AmeriCuda on May 23, 2013 at 3:45 PM
He’d sell his mother if it got him what he wanted.
The GOP here sure has a screwed up roster. Cuch has a ton of baggage, but so does Terry.
A couple of previous posters nailed it. The Old Dominion is now hostage to those nitwits up in NoVa. A candidate just cant carry the military vote and the southern/western Va vote anymore and the NoVa and UVA/Charlottesville vote is sizeable.
Honestly, we could lose this one.
BacaDog on May 23, 2013 at 3:52 PM
So truth is now “controversial”?
ButterflyDragon on May 23, 2013 at 4:03 PM
This is possibly the absolute best example of a lie forwarded by a candidate to get elected. It is utterly transparent, and yet it is the fattest, wriggliest bait worm a low-info clownfish voter might ever see. Once in office, McAwful can simply shift blame for non-fulfillment to DC … and look like a martyr to boot.
M240H on May 23, 2013 at 4:14 PM
As soon as Jackson was nominated the dems went on the attack about gay rights. This election will turn on the gay issues. Get used to it. Anyone remember Todd Akin? We are losing because of social issues. I could care less about who you go to bed with.
alanstern on May 23, 2013 at 4:19 PM
If you don’t want to listen to liars, turn them off! The MSM supports these liars so turn off the MSM too. God willing they to will drift off to obscurity.
savage24 on May 23, 2013 at 4:23 PM
ToddPA on May 23, 2013 at 5:05 PM
These people are shameless. They might as well just be honest and say, “What to I have to say today to win?” “Who do I have to bum-nuzzle today?” “Are we at war with Eurasia or EastAsia?”
When pinned down, pull a Holder and just keep saying “I don’t know.”
tpitman on May 23, 2013 at 5:41 PM
This is indeed a grave concern. How can politicians even hope to be elected if they start saying things that are actually true….
There Goes the Neighborhood on May 23, 2013 at 6:26 PM
There’s nothing inherently stupid or ignorant about “comparing gays to pedophiles.” It depends entirely on what exactly the comparison is. If I had to guess, it was probably in the context of same-sex marriage. I’ve seen any number of people accuse someone of “comparing gays to pedophiles” because they argued that the age of consent could be labeled just as arbitrary as not allowing men to marry men.
There Goes the Neighborhood on May 23, 2013 at 6:37 PM