Not Larry Sabato

Democrats Have Lost Messaging War in Richmond

One of the most frustrating things about watching Richmond right now is the inability of the Democratic Caucus to provide a real progressive vision for the state that they can take to voters.

Just listen to the floor speeches from Democrats, or in committee hearings.  They are talking (or grovelling) to the GOP majorities, trying to make arguments that they will hear instead of talking to the public.

I've heard Democrats talk about how certain bills are a "tax increase" or "wasteful spending" or other GOP talking points that undercut what should be the Democratic message of being willing to spend to protect the social safety net.

One galling example was Alfonso Lopez's first floor speech.  Alfonso represents what might be the most liberal district in Virginia in South Arlington.  Speaking against the GOP voter fraud bill (and I mean that as creating voter fraud by intentionally disenfranchising people, not preventing it as they claim)- Alfonso gets sidetracked calling this an "unfunded mandate" to localities.

The problem with this type of attack is every election law (all of which are set at the state) are mandates to local electoral boards.  Progressive priorities like mandating ballots in multiple languages or poll workers in certain precincts who can speak other languages in that area are "unfunded mandates".  THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.  Unfunded mandates are not the point! 

Republicans are creating a law that suppresses the RIGHT to vote- that is the point and as soon as Democrats get off track from pointing that out, they undermine the big issues at stake.

Stop talking like Republicans, stop grovelling to them and start talking to the public. Maybe then we won't have 32 of 100 members in the House of Delegates after the next election.

Another Short Period of Total GOP Control?

Virginia Republicans are having a tough week.

The GOP majorities in the legislature are based around suburban districts in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.  One of the reasons Republicans have been so successful in these elections is how irrelevant Democrats have been in those areas to addressing voters concerns.  Meanwhile, voters stopped believing that the social issues that they agree with Democrats on are under the threat that Democratic candidates have claimed.  With bills such as mandatory ultrasounds before abortion moving through the legislature, voters are suddenly starting to wake up and realize that these Republicans are not about the "jobs, jobs, jobs" they claimed. 

Check out Janet Howell's Facebook page for the kind of reaction her amendment to require rectal exams for men is generating and you can watch live as people start to realize what is actually happening right now in Virginia.

Meanwhile, former GOP Commonwealth's Attorney candidate Matt Geary committed suicide this weekend, after a campaign where GOP leaders like Bob McDonnell, Ken Cuccinelli, Bill Bolling and Eric Cantor all pulled support from his campaign for having had an affair.  Seriously.  Republicans have members of Congress with hooker-diaper fetishes, and they are going to publicly humiliate and destroy someone for having an old-fashioned affair?  Is this really a major political party and not an arm of the taliban?

Of course now GOP bloggers can't even wait until the body is cold to defend their leaders.  That's what the Virginia GOP is now- controlled by hacks who will try to destroy anyone who disagrees with them or steps out of line.  Of course Bearing Drift probably doesn't even understand the irony of attacking Lowell Feld and Blue Virginia on it's page in the same disgusting, vicious manner that they attacked Geary a couple months ago.

The good news is the public is paying attention, and this period of total GOP control in Virginia has an experation date for November 5th, 2013.  Hopefully ten years from now when this group tries to come back into power again the voters won't forget what a bunch of freaks they are... 

McDonnell Defends RomneyCare

I'm loving the logic pretzels that Republicans are having to put themselves into by nominating Mitt Romney.