Terry Mac Makes A Couple Gaffes

One of my favorite things about Terry McAuliffe running for Governor is it will make the race a lot more fun and interesting because he will push the other candidates to do things they might not otherwise do in a safer campaign.

But it will also be fun and interesting because the extra attention will mean every gaffe will be brought to us to examine.

Today it's Terry's turn for a couple of gaffe's.

In Prince William as Terry opened his listening tour, he talked about the research institutes and universities we have here in Florida...

Oops!  Say it 100 times Terry.  Virginia, not Florida.  Virginia, not Florida.  Virginia, not Florida.

Meanwhile a blogger on the west coast who can't stand Terry sent me this link from his website.   On his privacy policy, Terry says      "To comply with federal election law, however, our contributor records will be continuously maintained in a separate secure database".  As great as being Governor of Virginia is (even after the reputation hit it has taken under Tim Kaine) I don't think it qualifies as a federal office!

This will be a fun campaign.

Comments

[not pete snyder]

Florida? seriously?

3 years is enough time to get over not running for Florida Gov. and start paying attention to where he is now. This isn't very good for dispelling those worries that he's looking like a carpetbagger...

[Danny]

Wow. This is nuts. We knew he was looking to run for Gov down in the sunshine state. But this is a big mistake on his part. Virginians aren't going to like this.

[Loudoun Insider]

What an idiot!

[Aimee]

woooo! Scary Terry!!!!

Terry McCarpetbagger- he sounds like the ideal NOVA candidate!

[John]

I am really curious to see how Terry's campaign plays out. Half of me thinks that the CW will play out and he will struggle to gain traction with the Democratic establishment. The other half of me thinks his name recognition and fundraising prowess will overwhelm the primary process and he will be a force to be reckoned with.

I was trying to think of a historical parallel to Terry's campaign. Hillary's Senate run in NY in 2000 doesn't really work because she cultivated that race for a long time and didn't face strong primary opposition. Alan Keyes' race against Obama in Illinois also doesn't work b/c he was handed the GOP nomination after Ryan dropped out.

Can anyone think of a good example of a prominent political name running unexpectedly in a statewide race where they faced significant primary opposition? A quasi-parallel would be Obama's run for the White House. He didn't really signal a candidacy until December 2006 - and by then it was well known that Hillary, Edwards, and others were going to throw their hat in the ring. Obama, of course, was able to overcome the doubters and win both the nomination and the general.

Can anyone think of a situation like Terry's on a statewide level - either here in VA or elsewhere?

Ben = <3s Terry. Nice pick Ben.

[Fisch Fry]

Maybe Terry's just thinking about this as a launching pad for federal office...hence the focus on federal requirements...

[rich in FL]

what exactly are his qualifications to hold statewide elected office?

i only know him as a clinton fundraiser.

Hey, first we have Connecticut Mark Warner, then Minnesota Tim Kaine, and now Florida Terry (or wherever the heck he comes from).

"...a couple of gaffe's."

Joe's Garage called. They want the misplaced apostrophe from their "do not stand on the seat's" sign back.

8:42? Minnesota's Tim Kaine? I think he is from Kansas originally. But Tim had been here for about 20 years (?), and very ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. Mark Warner had been here for about 20 years (?) and ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, chaired the DPVA and started the VA Healthcare Foundation.

[wb]

"he sounds like the ideal NOVA candidate"

Actually, I'd say that Mark Warner is the ultimate NoVA candidate. A white-collar professional with a high-tech business background who ran on a platform of competency and pragmatic solutions to real problems.

As for carpetbagging, well. Jim Gilmore was born right here in Richmond, and just look how it helped him.

[red]

The key to being a good governor is that you have to win the general election first. 2009 is going to be very tough for a Dem to hold onto the Gov's mansion since VA almost always votes for the opposing party to the president. However, the formula for the Dems is simple: rack up big margins in NOVA and minimize losses in Shenandoah/SW. I just don't see McAuliffe doing either right now. He is a national partisan poster child. I hope the Dems get a candidate who can truly compete statewide: both NOVA & ROVA.

[John]

Ben, reading your twitter updates, I must say I'm shocked that Creigh hasn't reached out to you for support. That seems to be a fairly obvious step for any statewide Dem candidate.

In the end, I hope you will support Brian. Terry does have many noble qualities - more than most people are giving him credit for on this and other blogs - and I admire his desire to run a strong coordinated campaign, but Brian would make the best Governor of the three candidates. He knows the state's issues like the back of his hand and is prepared to step in and promote a progressive agenda. I just hope we can give him a Democratic (or at least closer) House of Delegates. The GOP majority there is just intractable.

[Tom Paine]

Having Ben's support is like dating the "black widow": You never know if she is going to love you or kill you.

Deeds doesn't have a chance anyways. He finished behind Terry and Brian in the Post poll before Terry even announced.

Not a good showing among Virginia Democrats for the one candidate to have ran previously statewide and lose to McDonnell.

[Anon 842]

1140:

Kaine was born in Minnesota but grew up in Kansas City, Missouri (not Kansas). At least that's what was in the Wikipedia entry. Terry McAuliffe grew up in Syracuse, New York.

[kew]

This is way late, but to set the record straight. Tim Kaine grew up in Overland Park, Kan., a suburb of K.C., Mo. He graduated from Rockhurst High School, a private Catholic school in Kansas City. He was born in Minnesota but his family moved to Overland Park when he was two.

[replica jewelry]

Thanks for your share,thanks a lot.Good luck!

[cheap jewelry]

Thanks for your share,thanks a lot.Good luck!