Jeff Shapiro skewers Terry McAuliffe in today's RTD. It's not pretty:
The restless former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, an A-list talking head and friend of Bill and Hillary, McAuliffe may be a man with too much time and money on his hands.From his manse in McLean -- that duchy of sixand seven-figure-a-year come-heres fatted at the federal trough -- McAuliffe is plotting a bid for the 2009 Democratic nomination for governor.
[...]
It's bad enough that Moran and Deeds now must fret about a multimillionaire schmoozer trying to buy the nomination. They also should worry what it suggests about state Democrats; that at the worst possible occasion -- an election for governor, the main event in Virginia -- they could become synonymous with the we-centric politics of the Clintons.
[...]
McAuliffe isn't trying to earn his spurs as much as buy them. He's pledged $100,000 to help the state party pay for its new headquarters in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom. He again opened his home for a fundraiser last weekend for the neighborhood Democratic committee, an event attended by Moran. McAuliffe is traveling the state for Barack Obama.
The RTD is not our favorite paper. In fact, they can generally be counted upon to project what is politically worst for Virginia Democrats. That said however, Shapiro is not alone in tearing down Terry. Larry Sabato:
"Terry McAuliffe has two giant problems. One is he's well to the left of the Mark Warner model and, two, he has no discernible connection to Virginia government and politics," said Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "That doesn't necessarily prohibit his election, but it does make him a long shot." - Associated Press, 10/7
So the question is remains as to the viability of the McAuliffe candidacy. Capable or carpetbagger? Will he buoy down-ballot Dems with boatloads of cash, or crush their chances by making it all about Billary? Will he drain the Warner legacy or reinvigorate the Virginia Democratic left?
One thing we can be sure of, even after this incredible presidential race, Virginia politics are not even about to get boring.