The 9 point lead in the gubernatorial race held by Candidate McDonnell has vaporized. Now the 2 stand neck and neck with McDonnell (R) holding a slight lead of 48% and Deeds (D) who is attracting 46% ofthe vote. Rasmussen Reports describes the race as a toss up now after McDonnell loses his strong lead held in August.
McDonnell’s college thesis from an evangelical university continues to haunt him as he reminded voters of his 3 working daughters and strong wife. Deeds reminded voters of McDonnell’s voting record on social issues such as abortion, marriage definition, and access to contraception that he defined in his thesis submitted while attending Pat Robertson’s Regent University.
McDonnell and Deeds hammered away at each other during the debate yesterday. The debate was described as combative from the very start. Both gubernatorial hopefuls were on the offensive for the hour long debate. McDonnell appeared crisp and concise. Deeds was his more relaxed, country boy self who often reflexed on his humble beginnings and modest rural Virginia roots.
Deed’s appeal to down state folks can be seen in his closing statement in yesterday’s debate.
Tying legisilative resume to current times was excellent. I had not ideal he was responsible for writing Megans law and promoting real land conservation!
Glad he brought these accomplishments out also! Deeds really has a strong legislative background with many accomplishments that are very mainstream.
His folksiness hasn’t caught on with many Northern Virginians who are waaaaayyy too cool and sophisticated for this country boy, it seems. That’s too bad. He seems like the salt of the earth to me. Of course his district reaches all the way over to Charlottesville so I can relate.
Deeds seems to have a great deal of respect for working women too, especially when he told the Fredericksburg reporter, “I think I’ve made myself clear, young lady.” So respectful and polite 😉
We always knew it was going to narrow toward the end. It always does. Virginians typically elect for Governor a man who is of the opposite party of that of the President. The thesis does not reflect all that well on Mr. McDonnell, but there are many other factors.
Frankly, I was for McDonnell until his Thesis and record on women’s issues came out. When I took a closer look at Deeds, I like what I saw (and sent him a check).
McDonnell is looking a bit “too slick” for my Northern Virginia tastes… willing to say whatever it takes to get in office. Perhaps if he appeared with a hair out of place at least once…
I had never thought about the John Edwards hair until this very minute.
Food, I am curious why you feel that is disrespectful? I nhave looked at all his word. Nothing ressonates as disrespect with me. Since when is young lady or young woman disrespectful? Sounds like convenience to me.
But let me guess, he wasn’t your candidate of choice anyway?
No, he’s not my candidate of choice…I was just being a wiseass. His comment to the “young lady” came across to me as not someone who is disrespectful to women; rather, someone who is rattled and too much of a chicken to admit that his transportation plan is to raise taxes. I don’t want to see taxes go up, but there is a good argument that can be made that we need tax increases to fund transportation. Deed’s double-talk on this is insulting to my intelligence. Just say you think we need a tax increase dedicated to transportation and take that message out to the voters. Instead, we get this BS dancing around the subject…
I’ve heard Deeds speak once a couple of weeks ago. While I liked what he had to say, I must say that he needs to consult a speech therapist. His voice does not project and he somehow came over as being hesitant about what he was saying. I sincerely hope that he’ll take a few speech lessons. Today in NOVA one must be quick and, sorry to say, loud in order to be listened to.
I realize that people have to stop and think, but this was a speech, not an A&Q session.
I tried to find the young lady speech yesterday but couldn’t.
I don’t see how the transportation issue can even start to be fixed without raising some tax of some sort. I think it will be a matter of who and what rather than if, Food, so I guess I see your point on that.
Punchak, that is southern talk, girl friend! I find it charming…well…sorta.
MH
I find it charming too, but somehow I don’t believe that “charming” is going to do the trick. 🙂 (remember Fritz Holling?)
Actually “Hollings”.
MH-
If you want to see the “young lady” speech, you can see it here at Virginia Virtucon:
http://virginiavirtucon.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/creigh-deeds-loses-his-cool-turns-into-patronizing-sexist/
What about all of the money Deeds has accepted ($200K so far) from SEIU and ACORN? This should be of a concern to the intellectually honest voter.
I cannot believe we might elect a grown man who says “f***” out loud and then swears he didn’t say it. If he can’t be trusted at the most basic level of manhood he’s certainly unfit for office. Deeds or his proxies should run some TV ads about that if you ask me.
One poll does not an election make. Daily Kos polled 600 LV to Rasmussen’s 500 LV, and McDonnel still leads by 5. The realclearpolitics.com site has McDonnel ahead by 6.5% when averaging the most recent polls.
Moon-
Here’s the longer version of the Deeds “young lady” exchange that puts it into context. He’s being pressed on taxes and is really all over the place. This is the evasiveness I’m talking about that is bothersome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE6d36a2gso
I thought he answered. Again and again. Taxes would not be raised in the general fund. Yes, money had to be generated for transportation. He would be open to suggestion.
Not his finest hour, no one handles billion dollar deficits well, but not his worst either. It is pretty difficult to answer questions like that without making campaign promises you cannot keep.
I don’t think calling someone young lady is insulting. Had she been needling me, I would have considered bitch slapping her though. That’s probably why I never ran for office though. He shouldn’t have talked to the press and let those vultures surround him like that. He should have had several layers podium between him and them.
Thanks for the link though. I looked yesterday and it wasn’t up. Then I promptly forgot about it. My guess it, that situation isn’t going to change anyone’s vote.
I refuse to vote for Deeds due to the fact out-of-state labor unions are pushing so much cash his way: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/16/AR2009091602986.html
“Labor unions are pouring money into the Virginia governor’s race in hopes of thwarting Republican efforts to retake the top job in a state that union leaders view as increasingly important to their national political fortunes.”
The last thing we need is yet another tool for big labor representing ‘us’. Tell it Straight was spot on, with the corrupts SEIU money, $200,000!?! With their leader being Radke, co-founder of ACORN, you just know that they are going to be pulling the strings.
“The donations include $250,000 from the Mid-Atlantic Laborers union, $500,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and $200,000 from the Service Employees International Union.”
A vote for Deeds is a vote for big labor, plain and simple… we have enough of those in Washington already. It’s funny how the left rails against ‘special interest’ groups, what do you think these labor unions are?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a prediction… the closer it gets to the election the more and more union members your going to see at every event (talk about astroturf…).
I do not see where Creigh Deeds accepted money from ACORN. I see nothing wrong with accepting money from labor unions. Most democratic candidates do. Virginia is a right to work state. That will not change.
How about all the tobacco money McDonnell has accepted? He also has gone to town with the carbon based energy companies, financial institutions, and the pork industry.
I don’t think it really matters. Virginia will remain a right to work state that makes a lot of hams, regardless of who wins the governor’s race.
I doubt that Creigh Deeds was seriously counting on your vote anyway, Hello.
That election is light years away right now. I don’t think either side ought to get too full of themselves. It obviously can go either way. And at the end of the day, we will all survive, regardless of who wins.
touche Moon… touche. But a vote for Deeds is a vote for big (out-of-state) labor unions. The leader of the SEIU co-founded ACORN is they are on in the same.
@hello
>>>I had never thought about the John Edwards hair until this very minute.
A little Friday silliness regarding same…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kCAFkfFLQQ
Rasmussen is a respectable polling organization. I like the “average of polls”, too, from RealClearPolitics:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2009/governor/va/virginia_governor_mcdonnell_vs_deeds-1055.html
Includes Rasmussen, and the pretty picture is especially helpful for knuckleheads like me!
That was for Moon, actually.
This took me by surprise.
I didn’t think the thesis of the supposed “f-bomb” would have made any difference in the preferences of that many would be voters.
You know, when I think about Mcdonnell’s slick persona (perticularly the hair), I think of the many slick (particularly the hair) “family values” politicians who turned out to be… well… not so much. Think about it. They always have lovely families, strong conservative values, great hair, and look… “marvelous”.
I’m just wondering… but you heard it suggested here first.
Opinion, are you hinting at …nah…sorry. I misunderstood.;)
Thanks Slow. That is a neat site…remind me from time to time about it.
I would never hold the f-bomb against McDonnell. I have a problem with his world view. However, if I were voting for someone with a world view like his, I would probably chose him, if that makes any sense.
For the record, I am speaking for myself only. Anti does not endorse candidates as a rule. Remember that the blog is owned by a Republican.
Ring, you have outdone yourself with that one. John sure has lost most of his supporters. Did he ever admit that the kid was his? That story sort of dissipated. Maybe out of respect for Mrs. Edwards.
Go Deeds! Love the revelation that McDonnell’s thesis indicated “people wouldn’t be ready for his style of government, the trick is to get elected and then impose their will on the people”
GO DEEEDS!!!!!
As for the union influence…BOOGA! BOOGA! Considering unions keep shrinking each year and fewer and fewer are existing…the “Union Threat” is virtually nonexistent.
Oh yeah Bubba, take a look at who is meeting every day with our president.
http://www.1199seiu.org/members/occupations/rn/rn_white_house_meet.cfm
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-sternjun28,0,5918169.story
Now you tell me, Why is the SEIU meeting daily with our president on healthcare? One of the supposedly MOST important topics of the day. Then ask yourself what will Deeds do with all that SEIU money?
Bubba, I honestly can make this crap up… just take a look at all of the SEIU douche bags in DC:
http://www.seiu.org/2008/11/former-seiu-political-leader-appointed-as-obamas-political-director.php
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124243785248026055.html
If you want me to go on I can…
“GO DEEEDS!!!!!” – yeah Bub, go out-of-state special interest! Go corrupt union cash! Go represent us, I mean union, interest for DC. What a tool…
Hello, you might want to look at the list of contributors on the McDonnell list. There are many donors from out of state. There are big bucks from the tobacco industry and also from health care and from the carbon based fuel industry.
I am trying to figure out why you are sounding the alarm on SEIU all the time. I am not a union person for the most part. Yet I don’t have the frothing hate that you do.
Oh why were the nurses at the White House? Maybe they were there to discuss health care. I just don’t feel like calling out the cavalry over this union or any other.
Great question Moon about SEIU… Their current Chief Organizer and founder is Wade Rathke (headquarters is an abandoned funeral home in NO which just happens to be the headquarters of ACORN as well…), a simple review of his resume on WIKIPEDIA (don’t want to get put in moderation again) will show the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wade_Rathke
Brother of Dale Rathke, ACORNS founder. Wade was kicked out of ACORN for embezzling $1,000,000.00, but somehow never got charged. Hmmm… Both ACORN and the SEIU have been working hand-in-hand ever since.
What a beautiful story of brothers working together to start an organization to ‘help the poor’, then one steals a million and is never charged and starts the SEIU local 100. Then they live happily ever after on tax dollars for ever after.
This is the stereotypical ‘plantation syndrome’. Couple of white dudes make off with millions and throw the ‘little people’ under the bus (those fired for voter fraud and now the most recent scandals).
Let me know what you think Moon… have any questions ShellyB, Ill be glad to answer them.
Another example you Bub (and Moon), SEIU president Andy Stern leaving the White House 2 hours after President had press conference… from the Huffingtonpost no less: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/24/seius-president-spotted-l_n_178736.html
Sup, cat got your tongue or are you working on another thread after watching MSDNC?
What is msdnc? Actually I was watching Medium and Numb3rs.
I am not a big union fan, nor do I go ballistic over them. Various unions are in bed with all sorts of people. Unions have their good points and union have their bad points.
It just isn’t something that rattles me. As long as Virginia remains a right to work state, I won’t get rattled.
All that is political is in bed with someone else. I don’t care if Obama talks to union presidents.
If SEIU has done something wrong, don’t we have an FBI? Justice Dept?
“It just isn’t something that rattles me. As long as Virginia remains a right to work state, I won’t get rattled.” – won’t happen with Deeds and SEIU money.
“If SEIU has done something wrong, don’t we have an FBI? Justice Dept?” – sure, sure we do Moon. That’s why it took two kids with a $1,300 budget to finally get someone to take a look at ACORN.
Walk with me back in time, all of the way back to May of this year… http://spectator.org/archives/2009/05/21/barney-frank-lies-about-acorn
People like Barney Frank are going to block any type of investigation into ACORN, SEIU or any of it’s many tentacles until some 20 and 25 year old journalist break the story!
Please, remove the spectacles of which you see politics thru (myself included). Lets take an honest look at these entities for what they honestly are. Do you dispute any of my previous posts? If not, then lets take a true bipartisan look at them… if so, lets have an honest debate about it. Please, take a step back, and lets take a look at it.
Sorry, MSDNC is MSNBC… you know, the ‘news’ organization that owes this administration over $150 BILLION!
Again, lets take a step back and look at this from another angle… Lets say that Blackwater owned Fox News. I’ve looked, the largest (and please feel free to correct me) dollar amount I can find that Blackwater has made since the Iraq invasion is about $300 MILLION.
GE, owner of MSNBC, has gotten over $150 BILLION from this administration. So, you tell me, Blackwater… in the hundreds of millions or GE (owner of MSNBC), in the hundreds of BILLIONS… which would you trust more?
So to put it in perspective… Blackwater = evil, Halliburton = evil.
According to Forbes Halliburton as of 9/18/09 has made 1.332 BILLION: http://finapps.forbes.com/finapps/jsp/finance/compinfo/CIAtAGlance.jsp?tkr=HAL
Blackwater… I can’t find. Lets just round up to a cool 1 BILLION for $hits and giggles…
That is a grand total of 2.332 BILLION. GE, who directly owns MSNBC has gotten over $150 BILLION from this administration thru very shady loopholes: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/28/AR2009062802955.html
Not to mention that GE looks to make BILLIONS more on health care reform and cap and trade…
Now you tell me, why would I call MSNBC – MSDNC? Could it be because they have a vested interest in seeing that this administration’s policy succeeds?
Please, prove me wrong, I can show you more numbers if you would like… (like how a company who needed $150 BILLION somehow got their CEO on Obama’s economic advisory board).
With regard to the concern that Mr Deeds is getting support from out of state labor unions, I understand why that poster is using the fake name, “Hello” –
Well, HELLO! Mr. Deeds is a Democrat. It would be something to be concerned about if he wasn’t standing-up for the working man.
When one examines Mr. McDonnell’s record, he most often sides with the large corporate interests, including his “Plan” where he specifically calls for slapping TOLL ROADS on existing Virginia highways. Oh, and by the way, Mr. McDonnell wants to hand those toll roads over to multinational toll road operating companies. Mr. McDonnell also wants to sell the operating rights to the Port of Virginia. Every time you turn around, the Republicans are trying to turn more public properties into sale-able assets for offshore entities – CAN YOU SAY, KICK-BACKS – Hello?
Barney Frank is one person. He isn’t ominpresent.
Do you think other Democrats haven’t had union money as donations? Go check vpap.org Take a look around. SEIU has donated to many Virginia campaigns. So what. All sorts of unions have donated to both Democratic and Republican campaigns, although I would say the lion’s share of most union donations are Dem. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Doug Wilder, Baliles, Chuck Robb, were all democrats. We still are a right to work state.
I don’t read stuff from sites like Spectator for pretty much the same reason that I walked past the Inquirer in the grocery store for years. Spectator has an ax to grind. Anything that says it is going to piss off the far left will also probably piss off moderates also.
It doesn’t matter if a union, any union, gives Deeds $200k or a million bucks. Virginia is right to work and if the person has integrity, they aren’t going to be seduced by the almighty dollar. In that respect, I think we would do well with either man running. I believe Deeds and McDonnell to both be men of integrity.
Yo, JTB.. did you even take 5 minutes to read the my comments or look at the links I provided? If so, please tell me how Deeds is NOT going to be yet another big labor TOOL in DC. You talk about ‘large corporate interest’, please make an honest argument against ‘big labor’ and Mr. Deeds… no kick-backs there, just good ole fashioned strong-armed union politics…. prove me wrong.
That is my point Moon! With Deeds VA will no longer be a ‘right to work’ state. Why do you think so much cash has flowed into the Deeds campaign from big labor?
The quote I took directly from the Washington Post says it all “Labor unions are pouring money into the Virginia governor’s race in hopes of thwarting Republican efforts to retake the top job in a state that union leaders view as increasingly important to their national political fortunes.”
Labor unions desperately want a Dem to win in VA because they are just that, desperate. Do you honestly think that Deeds won’t side with big labor if he is elected? The corrupt SEIU will, with the amount of money and soon to be support, will make sure he sides with them.
Like I said, keep an eye on the next few political events leading up to the election. You will see more and more union astroturf support for Deeds as time goes on. They have a vested interest in seeing that Deeds wins.
I have no fight with Blackwater. What do they have to do with this discussion? There are bad apples in most organizations. Those bad apples will be dealt with.
As for MSNBC, I rarely watch that station. It is far more informative, to me, to narrow it down to Fox and CNN. But I watched Medium and Numb3rs.
Hello, I think you are going to make yourself sick on all these conspiracy theories. What did you think about Halliburton during the previous administration? Were you ok with that or did you stew over that also? How about the fact that GE donated something like a million bucks to elect George Bush in the 2000 election?
Murdoch owns half the world. Not sure what his plan is or if anyone owns him. If I think like that, it isn’t productive. Who owns each station? Even if you look at it, it all blends together after a while.
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/47530.php
Hello, in your opinion, is Kaine a big labor tool and if yes, in your opinion? Do you know anything about Deeds other than the right wing junk? He is the furthest thing from a ‘labor tool’ than politician in a long time.
I have been watching Virginia elections most of my life. ‘Big Labor’ always contributes. One reason is, only Virginia and NJ have governor’s races in the odd years following a presidential election year. Why would it happen now, when it hasn’t happened before?
There have been 5 Republican governors in Virginia in the last century and the present one. How come the dreaded union state hasn’t happened during all that Democratic reign?
Your fears are built on right wing rhetoric.