First, he gets pie-faced by Doug Wilder, who refused to endorse either candidate for governor which really is an implied endorsement of Bob McDonnell. I remains to be seen what kind of pull Wilder still has with black voters, since influential leaders like Henry Marsh backed Deeds from the beginning. But its certainly a sign that his campaign has been a travesty that a former Democrat governor, whatever his race is, is refusing to endorse in this race. What it speaks too is a malaise that Deeds created with Democrats. The major reason for the sliming of Bob McDonnell is to fire up his own base, who by now should already be fired up. There is a large enthusiasim gap between Republicans and Democrats right now, and if Deeds were surging Wilder would jump on board like he did with Jim Webb.
Then the Richmond Times-Dispatch editorializes that Deeds is running a fear campaign, basically saying that Deeds is trying to win in the most un-Virginia way, by attacking rather than advocating. So true.
We'd hoped that this year's campaign for governor would maintain the reasonably lofty standards Virginia has come to expect from those seeking the commonwealth's highest office. Politics is a rough business and we understand tough charges from both sides. But the 2009 election is beginning to slide into the sewers -- and Creigh Deeds' campaign is responsible for most of the slippage. The Democratic nominee appears to believe his only hope for victory lies in sliming Republican Bob McDonnell.
Informing voters about McDonnell's graduate school thesis is fair game, though the Deeds campaign's obsession with the 20-year-old document raises questions about its ability to find compelling, positive things to say about its own man. Judging by Deeds' commercials and rhetoric, one would believe Bob McDonnell has spent his entire career attempting to outlaw contraception, fleece electricity consumers, force women from the workplace, and destroy public schools.
McDonnell is clearly a social conservative. But he has built a record of pragmatic accomplishment, both in the House of Delegates and as attorney general. He has earned a reputation as being willing and able to work across the aisle to solve problems.
All politicians attempt to draw caricatures of their opponents. But Deeds is crossing the line. His overwhelmingly negative campaign leaves an especially sour taste given the lack of specifics in his own platform. We are, for instance, dumbfounded by his refusal to make a clear stand on the intersection between taxes and transportation. Apparently, his leadership on the issue would involve signing whatever the General Assembly sends his way. If it means higher taxes, well, that's apparently no problem at all. And we are worried about Deeds' reluctance to take the stage with McDonnell. A governor must be willing to face his constituents and the political opposition. Why is Creigh Deeds so afraid?
Though I guess its never a good day to be Creigh Deeds, who attacks Bob McDonnell for hating women when McDonnell's daughter served in Iraq while his own son was getting DUIs around Virginia. Deeds can't convince anyone in Northern Virginia that he knows or understands anything about the transportation crisis in the area, or that he can't find a way to say he will raise taxes while trying to deny it. He's a disgrace to this state right now, and as governor no man would be more in-over his head than Senator Eeyore.
What is interesting is that its this very tax issue that Governor Wilder is using to refuse to endorse the Hapless Mr. Deeds. Wilder took that heroic task in the early 90s not to raise taxes despite all the problems, and that helped set the stage for the recovery Republicans ushered in during the 1990s. Its not just bad that Deeds wants to raise taxes, is that he wants to raise taxes without having any idea what he's going to do. If your gonna take our money, at least have the decency to tell us what your going to do with it.
Its also interesting to note that Barack Obama personally called Wilder to endorse Deeds, so this is a bit of slap down to the president as well.
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