Do I have this right?  Murphy viewed the incumbent as insufficiently conservative, so he backed a wingnut who won the primary.  Now, because the insufficiently conservative interests who had backed the incumbent are trying to keep the seat in the GOP column by backing the wingnut, Murphy ditches the GOP altogether to work for the Dem nominee, who may be the most conservative Dem for all I know, but can't possibly outwingnut the GOP nominee.

I didn't know any details and I'm too unfamiliar with Virginia Beach politics so I never reported it.  But I heard a rumor earlier that some Republicans would publicly not support Trish Stall because she was too extreme and Miller was moderate enough for them to feel comfortable.

from reading further on this and other blogs.  I knew some Republicans were thinking of not supporting Stall.  But Patrick Murhpy really was a surprise and probably his jumping ship from Stall was less ideological and more self-serving.

This Murphy sounds like a piece of work.  If Miller wins and starts voting with the Dem leadership like a good freshman, I would expect Murphy to flip yet again.  Maybe Miller's bringing Murphy on board is a case of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.

Just a small correction ;) Actually, since the 1st covers more than Newport News, I'd say the 1st is on the Peninsula. (VB is in Southside Hampton Roads.)

When it comes to geography, I'm sort of an idiot.

How conservative will Miller be?  And will he buck Democratic leadership?

But Stall is so extreme that he may still be far better to have there. 

If Miller wins and doesn't switch parties or choose to caucus with the GOP, it's still one step closer to a Dem majority in the VA Senate.  Assuming the Dems do take the Senate, but the GOP retains the House of Delegates, do you know to what extent it limits the Dems' power when it comes to redistricting?

is if the Democrats didn't take the Senate, or House of Delegates, and a Republican won the governor's mansion in 2009. then we'd be screwed for another decade -- and you could kiss the 11th district goodbye.

which is why I hope David Miller wins the 1st. aside from the fact that Pat Stall is a nutjob.

as in John Miller, not David ;) (And I can't recall anyone ever referring to Stall as Pat. She goes by Tricia.)

I don't know, she just looks like a Pat to me.

and I must've been thinking of that guy who was running for Clerk of the Circuit Court in Fairfax. it is a pretty generic name...

John Miller is a good Democrat. It is nonsense to even suggest he would switch parties.

All this talk of conservative versus moderate versus liberal is just spin by and for the GOP. John is a commonsense pragmatic man who wants to go to Richmond to help the Commonwealth by solving problems. If he fixes the transportation bill by doing away with the regional authority, is that conservative? If a small gas tax is imposed to do away with the abuser fees, is that liberal?
Bringing teacher salaries up to or in excess of the national average, what political ideology is that?

John Miler is about good governance, period. What we now know for sure, that in both DC and Richmond, today's GOP are incapable of good governance. They are only good at complete incompetence!

Pragmatic solutions and commonsense governance is why we support John and that is why John will win.

and that pix of tricia is when she went against diamondstein.
so unless u want my pix up, take it down.