This problem is endemic among the Country Club Republicans and there's probably no fixing it. They want to be liked in their social circles and invited to the fashionable parties, so that means rolling over to the Dems on every issue where they're challenged because as we all know, the Dems just unleash hate, threats, and smears at anybody that disagrees with them.

These people have to realize it's not 1955 anymore. It's not the end of the world if some two-bit rag of a newspaper (NY Times, etc) publishes a negative editorial about you, and we're long past the time where both side have a good chuckle about the politics of the day over tea and crumpets. The liberals are eagerly dragging this country into facsism and ruin, and it's no longer ok for Republicans to go along to get along.

Grow a pair and stand up for this country. I have more respect for anybody at a Tea Party rally than I do for these Beltway pretenders that call themselves "Republicans".

Wait wait, I thought the Republican party didn't need conservatives. The attitude has always been "What are you going to do, vote Democrat?". To be honest I feel if that is what it takes, yes.

Luckily for me my congress critters are O.K. One is spot on, one is tolerable, the other is insane and needs to go.

Hey, if that "moderate" approach worked for President McCain, it'll work for.. oh, wait a second.

…how are they getting that message from McDonnell's campaign. McDonnel hasn't distanced himself from conservatism. About the only defensiveness he's face was over the grad school paper which to which the response was "look at my daughters, my legislative record, and my actions over my career."

Whats more interesting is that Deeds has been running a campaign not about fiscal policy, transportation (a huge issue in the state, especially in the liberal Northern Virginia), or other important issues, but that McDonnell wrote a paper decades ago. While you can certainly say McDonnell is winning because of running an issue oriented campaign (indeed, the radio and TV ads only talk about Deeds' stance on old grad school papers), I think the other lesson you can walk away with is that Deeds is losing by focusing on liberal social issues/running the planned parenthood campaign.

But McDonnell's core promise of not raising taxes seems pretty conservative to me vs the Post endorsing Deeds for wanting to raise taxes. (although being the Post, Deeds could walk onto the stage, drop his pants, and relieve himself into the audience and still get their endorsement since he's got a (D) next to his name)

How about this lesson: don't be a Democrat and you can win in Virginia?

How about this lesson: don't be a Democrat and you can win in Virginia?

Posted by Christopher_Taylor

2009-10-26 16:00:35

Except thats not true CT, both Obama and Webb are examples as are the many Dems that have lead the state namely the last Governor, Tim Kaine.

Posted by a_feral_duck

2009-10-26 15:38:08

The author is simply trying to hijack McDonnell as a "moderate" because he's having success without bashing Obama or running a campaign heavy on social conservatism. It's highly suspect.

Deeds is a nobody, so why risk having the famously vindictive and thin-skinned Obama getting involved in the race by attacking him? Also, it's a governor's race, not for national office. Also, Congress is a much easier target than Obama and less polarizing to voters.

The article takes a smart, targeted campaign and tries to use it to proclaim the death of conservative principles. It's a poor bait-and-switch and the author comes off looking kind of desperate in pushing moderation over conservatism.

Spot on.

"Hey, if that "moderate" approach worked for President McCain, it'll work for.. oh, wait a second. "

Posted by CavalierX

Very interesting discussion.

http://www.craigspr.org

I find it hilarious that people voting for the Republican over the Democrat is in this twit's mind proof that people should be more like Democrats… whatever momentum that party had in the state over 2006-2008 seems to have died.

Yup, I get this brilliant strategy. The public is marching on Washington, holding rallies, and confronting politicians over the issue you have claimed for at least a generation. The public consistently polls on your side of health care, bailouts, cap-and-trade, etc. The public trusts you more than the other party on virtually every issue. It's patently obvious that the winning strategy is to follow your opponent's lead. I would have never thought of that. But I'm not as brilliant as the political class in charge of the Republican Party and National Review.

Whoa… how can anybody who follows McDonnell argue he's not running a conservative campaign?

The reason he's stealing Democrat votes is because he talks policy instead of slinging around personal attacks. Only the internet mooks really groove on attacking opponents. Regular folks who vote Democrat because that's what they usually do get tired of ad after ad after ad with no more substance than "my opponent is a mean person". Just like we do.

I've reached the point where I change the radio station when I hear any of a number of political ads, because that's all they have. Deeds has finally sunk bottom, reaching for the cowbell.

also, I don't know what article on the NR that the original poster was reading, but in The Corner, a couple of folks were praising McDonnell for using his conservative principles to create solutions for current problems instead of fighting wars from the 90s. They didn't accuse (or praise) him for abandoning conservative principles – quite the opposite.

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