Winners

Too conservative has his winners of 2005 up.  I agree with it, great list.

Don't forget to vote in the Jennie Golden-Dianne Fulk showdown.  Polls close at midnight.

Comments

[Virginia Centrist]

Too Conservative had Tom Davis as a winner and Connaughton as best Republican of 2005....

I laughed my ass off when I saw that.

First of all, Tom Davis is 10 times as liberal than Connaughton. So if Vincy Boy thinks that Davis can win statewide in a Republican primary, then his parents need to have him tested for that ganja that the fairfax high school kids are smoking.

Second of all, Connaughton is not the best Republican of 2005. Granted, I actually like the guy's politics...but he lost by 20% in a primary where he had massive activist support. He operated under the idiotic assumption that turning out NOVA voters would win the Republican primary...

That's like if George W. Bush spend 90% of his time campaigning in Hawaii and Connecticut.

Tom Davis should switch to the Democratic party if he wants to win a VA election. Otherwise, he should stop sending his minions out to promote his liberal agenda. It's getting tiresome. Ok, ok, we know you like abortion Tom. We get it.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Leslie, Tom and I were clearly the winners of the year. All good calls by Too Conservative.

[ZB]

Not that I speak on behalf of the Democratic Party, but I am fairly confident that the Democratic Party would not nominate Tom Davis for anything. Despite his occasional sign of moderation, his biggest loyalty is to the GOP leadership in the House (never seems to buck them on an important vote) and to his political future (never seems to hold off on backing a Republican candidate he thinks will help him, no matter how extreme).

But to call him a winner is interesting... in 2003, his machine got crushed. In 2004, he couldn't turn out his district for Bush and won by not that much against a nice man who ran virtually no campaign. In 2005, he barely saved Albo and saw every other contested Republican in Fairfax lose. He backed Kilgore, who lost (and lost Davis's district). Plus, he hired Ed Schrock to a Congressional job after it became apparent that Schrock was part of the Duke Cunningham/David Drier/Matt Foley anti-gay with a lot of explaining to do caucus.

If that's a winner, I hope he continues to "win" for many years to come. He may just "win" his way to being an ex-Congressman in 2007.

[Not Jack Herrity]

I'll ignore the miscellaneous rantings of ZB, who seems to live in the same parallel universe that Ben occasionally inhabits. I honestly don't know where ZB comes up with this stuff.

The comments I want to focus on are Virginia Centrist's. I agree that Connaughton has to be a big loser this year. I like the guy - I supported him. I think he has a bright future. But this was decidedly not his year.

Where I disagree with VC is on Connaughton's Northern Virginia strategy, which he wrongly calls "idiotic." First, he ignores the fact that Connaughton really had a dual focus - his base in NoVa and conservatives in Hampton Roads. This is not so idiotic, especially when you consider that virtually no recent Virginia Governor has won an election without at least a strong showing in NoVa and Hampton Roads. Focusing turnout in key urban areas, which happen to be your base, is not such a bad idea. Especially when your opponent has a lock on the rest of the state.

The lesson Connaughton's loss will teach the Davis machine is that they need to get outside the confines of NoVa and into the Valley, SW, and Richmond, if they want to win a statewide race.

NJH

[ZB]

My rantings have been called many things before, but I'm flattered that you find them to be "miscellaneous." :)

[GOPHokie]

Chairman Sean could probably have helped himself more by campaigning on more than "vote for me b/c I'll help Kilgore carry NOVA".

[Virginia Centrist]

I was just joshing about Davis running as a Dem.

[tooconservative]

Connaughton is more conservative than Bolling..
..so is Tom Davis..

Thats all I have to say.

[ZB]

TC,

I am no fan of Bolling (a man I consider to be ethically questionable and far too extreme for my tastes) but I'm curious as to what ways he's more liberal than Connaughton?

[tooconservative]

ZB-

Without getting the far-far-far right started again on this issue...

Bolling was more squishy on taxes, and he is not as pro-life as Sean

Sean Connaughton is basically a right wing extrmist..you know that person that posts as rtwngextrmst...thats probably Sean.

[ZB]

TC,

Isn't Sean relatively moderate on gay rights (not saying he's Jim Dillard, but the Log Cabin Republicans love him)?

How was Bolling less pro-life?

Appreciate the insight.