Washingtonpost.com:
Ken Cuccinelli II’s campaign likes to portray Terry McAuliffe as a Syracuse native whose outsize political ambition drove him to eye gubernatorial races in Florida and New York before he decided to run in Virginia.
“Unlike McAuliffe,” the Republican’s spokeswoman said at one point, “Cuccinelli is a product of Virginia.” Cuccinelli has hammered the same theme, saying his Democratic opponent “ didn’t show any interest in Virginia until he wanted to run for governor.”
In a contentious campaign five months before the election, Republicans are questioning McAuliffe’s connection to the state even as seismic demographic shifts have made defining an authentic Virginian a near-herculean task.
If the transient bureaucrat has replaced the tobacco farmer as the face of the commonwealth, the state’s gubernatorial race has become a test of whether Republicans can effectively cast McAuliffe as “an undocumented Virginian,” as state political analyst Robert Holsworth puts it.
Over the past century, the percentage of native-born residents has dropped at a faster pace in Virginia than anywhere else in the country. Today, a little less than half of Virginian’s population was born in the Old Dominion.
“A case could be made that an authentic Virginian these days is someone born outside of Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Different parts of the state would have different ideas about what is authentic.”
From where I am sitting, I think both of them are carpet-baggers. I can trace my Virginia ancesters back, by family name even, to the late 1600’s. I can go back 7 or 8 generations in Albemarle County alone. So can thousands of other Virginians. Those old ancestors also would say I had turned Yankee, I am sure, for spending my life in Northern Virginia. It’s all relative. Then I have the other side of the family that no one knows much about. (whispered voice: they ARE Yankees) My father was a Jersey boy who came to UVA back in the 30’s and worked his way through the University playing 3 sports per year. (sort of like Cuccinelli came from NJ)
My husband is a Yankee who was born in Massachusetts and raised in Maryland. He came to Virginia as a young adult. No one is prouder of his Virginia ‘heritage’ than he is. He probably wouldn’t like it that I just called him a Yankee. Many years ago I gave him a set of cocktail napkins that said the following:
To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one’s Mother’s side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above.”—Anonymous
Back to our governor wanna-bes–Cuccinelli was born in New Jersey. I fail to see how he is a product of Virginia. McAuliffe was born in New York. Cuccinelli graduated from high school in Washington, D.C. McAuliffe graduated in NY. Both have lived in the state of Virginia over 20 years. The question now becomes, who cares. Both have legal residency.
The question should be, which candidate best represents the majority of Virginians. The answer has yet to be determined. Both need to stick to telling us what they will do for Virginia. I have seen what Cuccinelli would do for Virginia and I did not like it. I still don’t like it. McAuliffe has to be a better choice.
The legitimate point that Cuccinelli’s campaign can make is that their guy has a lot of experience in Richmond with the machinery of the State government. It’s a unique structure and one that doesn’t permit a new Governor a lot of time to master. He’s got four years and then he’s gone. So the issue isn’t so much where people were born, the issue is how well do you know your way around the state government. Can you accomplish anything? Particularly if you are a Democrat with a Republican (in the Virginia sense – which makes it even more difficult) legislature.
If the Cuccinelli crew were making that point, then that would be legitimate. Then you could decide if you liked the way he has run things within his power to run them.
I don’t think birthplace matters. I don’t think being a ‘real Virginian’ matters.
I’m going to stick with ideas and goals. I think The Cooch has been horrible for the state.
After seeing what experience does, give me inexperience.
There is also a strong argument for having a politician with some business experience, at least that’s what Romney was selling. I always thought that was one of his pluses. (That and his ex status as a moderate Republican in MA.)
Remember tobacco chewing Cali boy Allen?
To paint McAuliffe as an outsider is about the lamest thing Cuccinelli – also an outsider – could do. It reeks of desperation. It also has the potential to alienate – what else is new in modern Republican campaigns – a large portion of the state’s population that was born outside of Virginia. I’m a native New Yorker but have lived in Virginia longer than Ken Cuccinelli has been on this earth.
What was it someone said on the EeeW Jackson thread – when you resort to labels you’ve run out of argument. It’s only May.
Scout, that is an excellent argument AGAINST electing Cuccinelli- no moderate Republican or Democrat or Independent (the majority of Virginians when taken together) WANTS him to be able to accomplish much of his agenda!
Of course, MM, you or others are welcome to give it a try, but to make that argument, one is essentially saying: “Don’t elect this guy, he knows what he’s doing.” I understand how some might be thinking that, but I don’t think it works as a campaign theme.
I’m not pushing or criticizing either candidate. I am saying that when one objectively tries to list pluses and minuses, McAuliffe has a demerit in his lack of experience with the wheels and gears of the Commonwealth’s government. Given what is now becoming a somewhat inbred tendency of Republicans in Congress to simply be a party that tries to prevent the opposing party’s executive from achieving anything, I have every reason to believe the General Assembly would be at least as obdurate if McAuliffe gets elected.
That same demerit can turn into a gold star for not opposing women’s reproductive rights, climate change, and equal rights for gays and lesbians, just to name of a few good reasons why many of us feel Cuccinelli is not the governor we want.
If he knew what he was doing, why did he advance an agenda that ended up on all the late night shows making fun of the Old Dmoninion.
Experience isn’t all its cracked up to be when people don’t use it to good purpose.
Different issues, Moon.
I thought I explained that I was not shilling for either candidate. Cuccinelli has his problems, so does McAuliffe. However, I think it is objectively reasonable to say that McAuliffe’s lack of familiarity with Virginia’s state government is a disadvantage in a one-term Governor state.
By the way, changing the subject a bit, does anyone feel that, in a somewhat perverse way, E.W. Jackson’s many outlandish pronouncements might actually enhance Cuccinelli’s electability by making him look (relatively) like the reasonable one on the ticket?
All McAuliffe has to do to counter criticisms about his lack of time actually working in the halls of state government in Richmond, is to point at Jackson. The State Republicans choose, as their number two candidate, a man who has no government experience at all. So the State conservatives must not be overly concerned about experience points after all.
I think the answer to that, BS, would be that the Lieutenant Governor in Virginia has virtually no power and no duties. What better place to sit for four years learning about how the Government works. Of course, we have the tie-breaking function in the Senate, but that is a relatively transitory condition, not one that typifies the activities of the LG. In four years, the good Bishop, when deciding to run for Governor, would be much better informed than he is now if he serves a term as LG. The same might be said of Terry McAuliffe.
Cuccinelli’s experience should be his swan song. Experience is not always positive.
I would not necessarily assume that the person (regardless of whom) with experience is the best person for the job. When one things about the deadwood and gridlock currently i goverment, o experiece looks pretty good.
McAuliffe is no stranger to government and its workings. Perhaps ot being a part of the GOBW has its advantages. I am ready to take that risk.
@Scout
Like being the richest man in the poorhouse?
@Scout
Scout–maybe it is time we had someone who is not so familiar with how to get around in Virginia politics. Having Cuccinelli for four more years in anything sort of smacks of incest.
@Scout
But remember that Jackson is just one heart beat, or lack thereof, from being governor if Cuccinelli is elected. Doesn’t that worry you?
All this talk about Yankees and carpet baggers….heh.
Where I come from…Virginians were seen as Yankees. 🙂
Of course, you haven’t asked about….oh well…it would be impolite to bring it up…..
@Moon-howler
Apparently I’m missing a joke.
@ Capt. Harris: I haven’t yet gotten to the point where I figure that not knowing what’s going on is a vote-worthy virtue. It may come to that, but I’m holding out for a while. As for the heartbeat theory, the heartbeat I’m primarily concerned with, given the offerings thus far, is my own.
No kidding. At some point, you’ve got to look out for numero uno.
Given Cookineelli’s recored of crazy behavior, the most recent being his assertion that his office was exempt from FOIA’s, only serves to demonstrate his close relationship with Richmond has not served the best interest of Virginians.