Jeannemarie: Virginia's Sarah Palin

By: Dr. Tim
Published On: 11/8/2008 12:57:55 AM

Most of us Northern VA were glad to see Jeannemarie Devolites Davis go. Her too-palpable ignorance was an embarrassment to the region, and Chap Petersen has been a welcome relief. But, like a bad penny, she keeps turning up. I had the bad luck to hear her on the Kojo Nnamdi (real name Rex Paul) Politics Hour today. Her ignorance and vapidity were no surprise, but Kojo's refusal to challenge her on any of her egregious errors of fact WAS a surprise.

In speculating on the 2009 Virginia governor's race, Davis made several assertions that are gross errors of fact: First, she said the Republicans "already have their nominee" for 2009, referring to Virginia Attorney General Bob McConnell. Actually, McConnell has yet to even make a formal declaration, to say nothing of a primary process that hasn't happened yet. And that's to say nothing about the possible machinations of the Dems, who have the power to completely muck up the Republican process. If, for example, Webb gets appointed to a cabinet position, Kaine gets to pick a replacement. He could choose from among the current pool of talent for the governor's race, defusing much of the anticipated primary battle. (And just for the record, I don't care WHERE Terry Mcauliffe lives, he shouldn't be allowed to run for Town Dog Catcher, much less governor, now that he's proven how petty and incompetent he is.)  Kaine himself could then get a cabinet post, which would make Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (widely considered to be a weak candidate for 2009) interim governor, making McConnell's bid much more difficult.

THEN Davis thew all credibility out the window when she declared that Republicans would have a distinct advantage over Democrats because the Dems are facing a divisive primary. Um, hello, earth to Jeannemarie, us Northern Virginians realize you don't pay much attention to the world around you, but maybe you heard that there was an election recently for the United States presidency? And I'm sure you weren't watching any of the primary season, but maybe you could do a google search and learn about it, and you'll find that the guy who slogged through a  long, bitter, divisive primary season is currently the president-elect, while the guy who fell into the role with no real opposition after the first month is currently back in the desert crying into his $520 Ferragamo loafers. Because, you see, there's something to be said for campaigning for every last vote, sharpening your message, developing firm rebuttals to every possible attack, and staying in the public eye for a very long time.

Finally, she fell back on the old saw about Virginia always (since 1976) electing a governor from the party opposite the one in the white house. While these superstitions make nice bedtime stories for children, they don't carry much weight in the real world. And if you're not sure about that, just ask the Boston Red Sox (2004 & 2007 World Champions) about the Curse of the Babe, or George HW Bush about how sitting vice presidents can't get elected, or even John McCain, about how he feels about winning Missouri, which of course always votes for the winner in the presidential race.

And Kojo didn't challenge her on any of it! Seriously, for all of our recent success, if left-leaning radio hosts won't even challenge Republican nonsense, we are very much in danger of losing Virginia in 2009, even though the Virginia electorate is now firmly blue.
 

Comments



Jeannemarie ain't no Palin as Janet Howell would tell you in two seconds (martin lomasney - 11/8/2008 1:32:58 AM)
She's also not the far right wingnut that the Wasilla hillbilly is. Ask Toddy Puller.

The R's have worked out their succession plan. Normally a primary fight hurts the winner in the general by depleting funds and leaving bruised intraparty feelings. Just look at the R's record in general elections after their multiple primary fights in Va.

The pattern of Va electing Governors of the opposite party from the recently elected President was explained by Mrs. Devolites as a reaction to unpopular actions of the President during their first year in office.  But you had stopped listening.

Besides Jeannemarie is far better looking than Sarah Barrauda.

Underestimate Jeannemarie at our party's peril.



Gross Error? (suzden - 11/8/2008 10:44:22 AM)
In fact, Jeannemarie is right to say that McDonnell is the republican nominee for governor.  Their call for state wide candidates closed on November 5th and McDonnell is the only candidate for that position.  There is no primary for them - just the convention to be held next spring.

So you see, there will be no primary - and it only makes sense that the (possible) three candidates seeking the nomination for governor could spend months slamming each other to win their primary - and spending their money while McDonnell starts his statewide campaign.

And as for the "old saw" about the Virginia governor from a different party than the president,that is in fact truth.  Whether it remains the case in 2009 is anyone' guess.

Seems to me you need to get your facts straight.  And don't sell her short - she is a bright woman.



JMDD: No underestimation (Dr. Tim - 11/9/2008 12:08:58 AM)
RE: Underestimating JMDD, I don't underestimate any Republican, or to put it more accurately, I never underestimate the ability of Dems to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The point I was trying to make was that we should own 2009, and the post-presidential election party swap thing simply doesn't apply under today's climate, nor does the "bruising primary," as BHO has taught us.  We can certainly lose in 2009, but only if we lose focus and forget that Virginia is now a blue state, and NOVA now more than cancels out the more conservative areas of the state. And to speak to the multi-candidate race being bad for a party, in my view that was true when all your fundraising was done from a few big money donors, who would max out their donations early, that primaries are decided by a few hard-core insiders, and most people won't be paying attention until a week before the election, if then.

I think the current way to raise money as a Dem and win is to make liberal use of the internet (bloggers help) and get lots of small donations. Since few of these people max out, you can keep coming back as necessary. Under that scenario, a long primary helps get your message out and helps break the media barrier and gets people paying attention, plus gives you the ability to keep raising money throughout the primary and leaves you well set up after the primary is settled.

Also, I don't see that there's going to be a lot of pushback on Obama. Things are so bad right now that unless Obama invades Canada, ANYTHING he does will be an improvement, and Virginians are likely to still have a favorable view of Dems next year.

I see the race on our side as being between Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran. Mcauliffe, in my opinion, with all due respect, should be taken out and shot.

As for my opinion of JMDD, I don't underestimate her, it's foolish to underestimate anyone. (See, for example, Ann Richards's debates with W, how badly she underestimated him, much to her and all of all our long-lasting regret.) But I don't share either of the opinions that she's got much at all going on in terms of intelligence or political savviness.  This is a woman after all who won exactly one term in the state senate after a campaign that was financed and run almost entirely by her husband.

Just my opinion.  



There will be plenty of pushback on the innumerable failures of the McKaine Administration (martin lomasney - 11/9/2008 12:51:45 PM)
The cover-up of the multiple failures that lead to the VTech massacre.

The obsequious caviling to whatever Dominion Power wants in Wise, Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.

The failure to get anything done on the transportation crisis in NoVa and Hampton Roads.

The failure to underground the Dulles Rail line through Tysosns.

Deeds and Moran have done nothing to distance themselves from McKaine's multiple failure.

Put it another way: what, if anything, has McKaine accomplished in 3+ years for either of these guys to run on.

McAuliffe, who makes me sick, can run against McKaine's failures and will have a fundraising capacity that will leave the other two in the dust. More than enough for a vibrant ground game in a primary.

Which R's are we going to pick off in the House?  Other than Rust, the low hanging fruit was harvested in'07.  So how do D's get to a majority in the House?  

I'm very pessimistic about D's chances in '09.

I'd have to check but I think JMDD won her Senate seat before her marriage. And she's smarter and has more political savvy than you.