Absolute nonsense.

terry mcauliffe as va gov is a freakin' joke... he is a loser and i would drop any and all respect for mark warner in a hot minute if he ever endorsed terry and you wont find a bigger mark warner supporter than me.

Whatever else you want to say about Terry McAuliffe, "loser" isn't a word that springs to my mind at all.  What are you referring to, specifically?

Of course, the internal politics behind the scenes are WAY above my pay grade.

There's no doubt this would give cachet to McAuliffe's candidacy (IF true), but I don't think it would be game, set, match, at all. Plenty of Virginia Democrats (including this one) would still be quite skeptical of McAuliffe's candidacy -- and endorsements very rarely win primary races (although they don't hurt).

Terry will get to make his case starting on November 5, but I'd rank him third on my list at this point.  

I know and like Creigh Deeds.  Is McAuliffe the next Harris Miller?  Chosen by the powers-that-be but definitively sub-par.

   I will stick to my support for Creigh.  I know nothing of McAuliffe, and will certainly not be swayed just because a few big name dems like him.

Creigh is our agent of change.

Why would Warner and Kaine even consider this.  It makes no sense.

n/t

by "John":

...While I love Brian and I think Creigh is a good man and a solid Democrat, the simple face is that Terry McAuliffe could bring tons of $$ and a big media spotlight to the Virginia Democratic party. I'm not sure that we should nominate him over Brian or Creigh, but there certainly are good reasons to look his way.

If I had to vote right now in the primary, I'd vote for Brian. I've known him the longest - and while the Boston accent won't play down south - his values are solid, he's a good speaker, and he's done a lot for the party. Creigh is an awfully-good person, but I have my doubts that he's a good enough communicator to get our message out in the tough off-year election. McAuliffe is an exciting persona and would bring some real attention to the race, but he may have trouble with a historical lack of involvement in Virginia issues. (Though he has lived in the state for a long time and is NOT a carpetbagger).

I guess it's plausible given McAuliffe's time as the DNC chair, which overlapped with Warner's governorship.  And if Warner makes the move, Kaine might follow.

It would definitely give McAuliffe some credibility.  But man talk about burning bridges within the state party.

I could see Warner and Kaine hosting a fundraiser or two for McAuliffe along with Deeds and Moran -- as Warner did for both Miller and Webb during the 2006 Senate primary.  It's hard to see them though taking sides in a state primary.

But I guess I just don't understand his case when it comes to being governor.

I understand why his fundraising ability lets him pass the laugh test when it comes to throwing his hat in the ring, and why it earns him a listen, but I am genuinely lost when it comes to understanding why anyone should vote for him.

That said, he may yet make that case -- who knows?

BUT WHY DOES HE WANT TO BE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA?

It makes absolutely ZERO sense to me. Given his stature in national politics, and his presence in the national party, I only see him wanting a stepping stone to the Presidency.  That's what it looks like to me, but it may not be that at all.  I won't ever even look Terry's way until he can make a genuine and compelling case on why he really believes this is his natural next best-step, AND why only he is uniquely situated to be Governor.  Frankly, money is not a valid reason for me.

Until then, I am waiting to decide between Brian, a local favorite who I really like and who is smack-dab 100% right on Virginia issues, even if I think he emphasizes the wrong ones sometimes, and Creigh Deeds, who by all accounts is just one heck of a great person, a great legislator, and very down-to-earth guy, even if I don't see eye-to-eye as much with him on issues--especially GLBT and other social issues (need to hear more affirming positions from him).

Terry, with all due respect as many friends from McLean where he lives vouch for him intensely, just doesn't strike me as even interesting in our state issues.  It just hasn't been his scene.

My advice: hear him out, along with Brian and Creigh, then make your choice based on a) who has the best vision for Virginia; and b) who has the best chance of beating "Taliban Bob" in November 2009.  

I am not inclined to support him for "stuff".  If he defines what "stuff" is, then OK, but ONLY when I hear a GENUINE and convincing reason for why he's suddenly so interested in running for state office in a state where he has largely been persona in absentia despite living here for 20 years.

It just doesn't seem concordant to me.  I am not saying I am not willing to listen.  But I am saying that he has to deliver something pretty extraordinary and compelling for me to pay him any attention as a voter because the other two are already quite compelling, and RELEVANT.

have to articulate very clearly why he's running and what he'd like to accomplish in order to be a serious candidate.  

Because THE ONLY argument I've heard from anyone thus far regarding why Terry might run is....MONEY.  OMG, he'll flood the state with Democratic money!

Sorry, that ain't gonna fly with this voter....I know, he's not even announced yet, if he does announce.  But he does face some hurdles right off the bat that neither Moran or Deeds face.