“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
― Maya Angelou
Throughout Virginia’s gubernatorial race, Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, has cast Cuccinelli as a tea party extremist, incapable of forging the centrist consensus necessary to manage the commonwealth. The portrait has stuck, according to recent polls; McAuliffe appears to be ahead in the race — and Cuccinelli’s conservatism is a leading reason.
For years, he articulated that conservatism in the Cuccinelli Compass, honing a combative political persona and providing opponents with material that has now driven up his negative poll ratings and lifted McAuliffe. At the same time, Cuccinelli has accused Democrats of turning him into a caricature, seeking to scare off voters by distorting and lying about his record as a state senator and Virginia’s attorney general.
The Cuccinelli Compass is where Cuccinelli presented himself as an unbridled firebrand, venting about the “left-leaning media,” “gun-grabbing liberals” and “liberals wigging out” over, say, his proposal to allow employers to fire workers for speaking inadequate English.
“We are a beachhead of conservatism in mushy, moderate Fairfax County,” he announced in 2005. At another point, he described himself in the newsletter as a “2nd Amendment supporting Christian Right-to-Life home school dad.”
Here was a forum where he could give his conservative followers what they wanted — opposition to the Affordable Care Act, gun control, abortion, taxes, immigration reform and big government, sometimes delivered in the biting, sarcastic voice of an anti-establishment agitator.
His targets included Hillary Rodham Clinton (a.k.a. “Scary-Liberal Lady”) and, when he was alive, Ted Kennedy (“past his prime/over the hill wonder-liberal”), along with then-Gov. Mark R. Warner, whose spending initiatives prompted Cuccinelli to refer to him as “Governor Warbucks.”
“Glad to get out of Richmond with no taxes having been increased, no constitutional rights having been restricted, and no pro-abortion legislation having been enacted,” he wrote at the end of the 2005 legislative session.
I suppose his tone and tenor is fine if that’s who Ken Cuccinelli really is. However, if you want to be elected to govern an entire state, you don’t want to be seen as a flame thrower. Lots of folks just aren’t going to vote for you if you seem to be an extremist.
Del. Robert H. Brink (D-Arlington) said he was struck by the Compass’s tone, which he described as “hard-edged” and “so mocking and dismissive” of fellow legislators. “My concern is that it gives you an idea of what kind of governor Cuccinelli would be,” he said. “Kind of inward-directed and no effort to be the governor of all Virginians — just to appeal to his core supporters.
Being a firebrand attracts a base for politicians. However, its hard to explain away some of the rhetoric when you want to be governor of all the Virginians. Cuccinelli has chronicled his brand of conservatism on a regular basis. All of the Cuccinelli Compass isn’t about politics. Some of the newsletters have been about the Redskins, wishing people a Happy Hanukkah and other pleasantries. It’s the trail of bread crumbs, however, that has given opponent Terry McAuliffe a great deal of ammunition. One thing I will say for Cuccinelli, he is who he says he is. Listen to Maya Angelou.
Cuccinelli is simply too extremist to be Governor of Virginia.
What in the hell were them Republican Party activists thinking when they nominated this bozo to be their candidate? He was the worst choice ever. His sole claim to fame was the whole vaginal probes thing. They should have held an open primary like the Dems did. I am sure that the post mortem will say Cuckoo wasn’t conservative enough, ha! He is gonna get his butt handed to him soon
And McAulliffe is not?
He IS a gun grabbing, cronyism liberal.
But….if that’s who the Virginians elect….well, we deserve what we get.
What is McAuliffe not?
Whose gun has he grabbed? Liberal? Probably more of a progressive. Is there something wrong with that?
He is proud of his F from the NRA. That doesn’t make him a gun grabber. You should have seen how fast I shredded some ad from them recently. I don’t want my garbage men to see that they send stuff to my house. Too embarrassing.
What does MCaulliffe have to do with the question?
Under Virginia election law, should Sarvis draw 10 percent of the vote, the libertarian party will have a spot on the ballot for upcoming elections through 2016 I think. That might be the best thing for Virginia.
I wish it would just be third party and not labeled. I haven’t been real impressed with the libertarians I have known. Many seem to lean a little too far towards anarchy.
The Cuccinelli compass talks about “gun-grabbing liberals” Thus McAuliffe.
“2nd Amendment supporting Christian Right-to-Life home school dad.”
Soooooo scary and extreme.
It sounds like name calling to me.
You know, if that’s the only unique thing about Cuccinelli I would agree, although that really isn’t the background I want for my leaders. However, what you wrote is just the tip of the iceberg.
What year was that newsletter written?
It appeared you were responding to Starry’s question “what were the republicans thinking”. I thought it was a good question. Most Republicans I know have the same question.
The race is getting tight. The polls changing daily – as they should as we near the election. E.W Jackson is forcing the democratic vote to listen to what is really going on – nationally and what MCaulliffe really is – a lying, dirty, self indulgent politician. And MCaulliffe knows, which is why he is puring milions into his TV adds – most of wich are straight out lies. If that is what you want, the libertarians may be the ones who give it to you.
Blue, keep the name calling off the blog. We get it, you don’t like McAuliffe. That’s ok. You are entitled to your opinion. You aren’t entitled to come here and do that kind of libelous name-calling. I removed your comment.
What do you want, blue? You want vaginal probes? You want vaginal this and vaginal that? If that is what you want, then Cooch is your man. He promises a vaginal probe for everyone who wants one! Most normal Virginians have more important matters to deal with