Virginia Republicans Abandon All Hope
By: The Grey Havens
Published On: 9/13/2007 4:30:00 PM
After watching Republicans wage their war against American Greatness in Virginia and nationwide over the course of the last few years, it's hard to have any sympathy for their fading strangle hold on American politics. Nonetheless, This posting from RepublicanSenate.org on right-wing community blog Redstate.org is just plain sad. [emphasis mine]
Mark Warner is going to be the next Senator from Virginia. He is a few points over 50 and has about a 20 point lead against both of the Republicans likely to run. These are the numbers of safe incumbents, and he is sufficiently well known in Virginia to come close to being considered an incumbent. Virginia is trending blue and our Presidential nominee, in my view, is likely to lose the state. At the very least, he will not have coattails.
What's more, neither Jim Gilmore nor Tom Davis is worth fighting for. I doubt that those who are supporting one or the other really consider their man a political hero of any sort. Now I'm not saying that every Republican candidate has to be a political hero, but given the steep odds, can anyone really see himself in five years saying, "Thank God Tom Davis/Jim Gilmore is in the Senate"?
We have major problems nationally. The Senate we always knew was going to be a problem, but it has gotten progressively worse (no pun intended). Even Al Franken's candidacy, which seemed like a joke not long ago, is now competitive. We are now facing a steeper than expected hill to take back the House, which many of us thought would be our best chance at getting anything in '08. In fact, the Democrats could well even make gains.
We are losing our war with the Democrats - badly - and things are going to get worse before they get better. We have it tough enough without getting into fights with each other over who's going to get blown out by Mark Warner next November. Let's take the advice of Kenny Rogers. For the Virginia Senate race, it is time to fold 'em. We're drawing dead there, so let's save our chips and pick our spots.
I have no sympathy for the Bush Republicans in Virginia and across the country as the power of their bankrupt movement rapidly recedes, but neither do I take any great joy in their mounting despair. I believe that once Democrats amass enough political power to overcome conservative obstructionism, we will be able to roll back the reactionary policies of these years and all America will rejoice in our American renaissance.
Resist the schadenfreund. We'll rejoice when Democrats have America back on track, until then, we've got work to do.
Comments
One of my rule for politics is (Silence Dogood - 9/13/2007 4:41:24 PM)
"never take anything for granted, especially voters." We can and should work at least as hard for Mark Warner as we did for Jim Webb. After all, without Mark Warner we wouldn't have a party nearly as strong as we do today. We owe him our best.
That being said, reading that post made me feel all warm and fuzzy, like a mug of hot apple cider on a crisp autumn morning.
I hear you... (The Grey Havens - 9/13/2007 4:53:24 PM)
Forget street protests. If half that energy went in to direct voter contact a the precinct level, Virginia Dems would never lose another election.
This quote made me so damned happy:
We are losing our war with the Democrats - badly - and things are going to get worse before they get better.
They know it, and we know it. We just need to let the people know it.
There's a new anti-Warner site up (mkfox - 9/13/2007 6:27:38 PM)
www.dontmarkwarner.com (he raised taxes! He's pure evil! ::shudder::)
Yawn... (ericy - 9/13/2007 7:05:16 PM)
Those sites are so predictable.
I could train a parrot to be a Republican. Just get it to squawk "Tax Cut!".
Wow (Just Saying - 9/13/2007 11:45:54 PM)
It's a site being run by the NRSC, guess the GOP has decided they better try to get in the fight for VA pretty quick.
God I hope they dump money into VA (a race they will lose badly) rather than spend the money elsewhere.
I just found it in 2 seconds (Lowell - 9/13/2007 6:34:05 PM)
Click
here, which is the link Josh provided.
Thanks. I Was Trying to Find It By Going to the Site Home Page. (HisRoc - 9/13/2007 7:11:52 PM)
It is somewhat sad at first reading, but not good news for Democrats. The flat-earthers are getting smarter and not as likely to repeat the mistakes they made in the days of their "permanent majority." To periphrase the Doonesbury character Mark, "The Rupublicans are a lot smarter than you think." Instead of spending a wad of money on their stalwarts, they are talking about focusing most of their resources on the close races. If they had taken that strategy last year, Macaca Allen would still be in the Senate and Republicans would be chairing the committees.
True... (The Grey Havens - 9/13/2007 7:31:12 PM)
But this is a voice in the wilderness.
You need look no further than the ODBA and Bloggers for Sayer to see what a bunch of flat-earth reactionaries rule the Gerrymandered OLD Party.
Those 2 paragraphs of reason will likely in sea of Bush Republican madness.
So essentially (Jeremiahthemessiah - 9/13/2007 7:59:33 PM)
They are giving up this seat. At least the netroots are. Assuming this post was from some type of leader or something. If the National GOP were to drop VA-Senate from their to-do list, for the 50State Strategy to be effective, we would have to drop what big chips we have forward into other races while Mark easily just crushes this race without much if any national support. (Really, I don't think he needs any. Webb beat Allen with 4 million. It shouldn't cost anywhere near that much for Warner).
Actually, Webb raised $8 million (Lowell - 9/13/2007 8:09:14 PM)
plus about $5 million from the DSCC. That's $13 million.
Oh Okay. I never looked it up, but I've seen numbers... (Jeremiahthemessiah - 9/13/2007 10:08:02 PM)
Maybe I've been getting the wrong numbers though. Who knows. Oh well. The goal here should be that we can crush Davis with using Very little resources, and essentially, take on another seat almost cost free. That of course is only the case if the National and State GOP really feel that way.
Warner can transfer $9 million from Presidential Campaign (DanG - 9/14/2007 9:33:37 AM)
Warner will start off this campaign with more money than Webb raised throughout the whole ordeal. What does that say to the GOP?
Don't Believe This Crap For A Minute (norman swingvoter - 9/13/2007 8:53:13 PM)
I have NO sympathy for these characters. On the national level, they know as well as we do that bush is foolish, incompetent, and delusional. The republicans are so concerned with a lust for power and greed that they will do nothing to stand up for America and Our Troops. On the State level, the party is far more concerned with promoting a far-right extremist agenda than governing wisely. It's time for all these bums to be voted out of office.
P.S. Remember Allen was up by something approaching 20 points and we know what happened. By the time the right wingers and swiftboaters finish attacking Mark Warner, this will be a race.
ou still have to innoculate (pvogel - 9/13/2007 9:57:00 PM)
remember, republicans are viral particles, and they will lay low, and bide their time till they attack. They are like a pile of doggiedoo, still steaming, not quite smelling just yet.