is very significant. Some of my colleagues downstate were waiting for this.  This is great news!

the one about Allen.  Congratulations Jim!

3 out of 4 Lt. Governor Candidate endorsements.  And I don't think Viola Baskerville can publicly say anything, but seeing as she read Webb's letter, I can assume she likes Webb.  This should be the end of it.

but the shouting.  I'm hearing there is some great stuff coming up for Webb...seriously, Miller should pull out now, before it gets REALLY embarassing!

Sorry to rain on your parade, folks, but the fact that Viola Baskerville read Jim Webb's letter at the J-J dinner means nothing.  She was the emcee; she had to.  It would have been more impressive if someone NOT already at the microphone had read it for Webb; that would be regarded as at least somethng of an endorsement.  But not Viola's actions in this respect.

As a member of the Kaine Administration, it's very likely, even assumed, that she would NOT ENDORSE WEBB.

She won't endorse Miller either, neither will Kaine, and neither should they.

Thus, of the three who could be expected to make an endorsement all have endorsed Webb.

You can't expect members of the Kaine Administration to make endorsements.  Leslie Byrne, Chap Petersen, and Phil Puckett were the only candidates who could endorse without appearing to be speaking for Gov. Kaine.  All of those three endorsed Webb.  Don't you think that means something?

that Webb has an unusual ability to draw in people who might otherwise be in conflict with one another, and that his straightfowardness and candor bepeak an integrity that draws people who will disagree with him on some issues but know that they can trust what he says, that he won't sell out those who supported him because of what he did say.

completely with what you said. James Webb is remarkable. He will be a great senator and a tremendous national leader.

I'd assume and I think that I've heard that Kaine and his staff lean toward Miller, but does anyone have any notion of how willing he'd be to help Webb out, attend rallies, fundraisers, etc? It doesn't look like Kaine will have an enormous amount of political capital this summer, but if Kaine just lends Webb his support around Metro Richmond it'd be huge. Kaine is enormously respected among Republican Moderates around in Metro Richmond, and I honestly think they're going to decide this contest. Webb will win Nova big, Tidewater will be a tie, southside and southwest will lean towards Allen, and then that leaves Richmond. I think Allen will win by at least 5+ in Metro, but if Webb can siphon off enough votes I think he wins.
Thoughts, insights, disagreements?

I would expect strong support from just about every Democrat in this state.  Of course, our great Governor Tim Kaine will be a big part of that.

Regarding your analysis, I believe that Jim Webb will crush George Allen in NOVA, particularly once the details of Allen's despicable history, as well as his pathetic record as a US Senator, become widely known.  I am more optimistic than you are about Tidewater, and I wouldn't underestimate Webb's Scots-Irish, "Born Fighting" appeal in SWVA and southside.  Watch out George, cuz Jim, Jerding, and Mudcat are comin' to git you!  Ha.

Webb will win the Norfolk media market dukiedem. He's a Navy guy, and I bet he gets about 52% in the market. That area includes Norfolk, Va Beach Chesapeake/Suffolk, Newport News, all of the peninsula, eastern shore, middle peninsula, south of the James counties. He will cut into Allen's base in Va Beach and Chesapeake, just like Kaine did.

Granted Allen will clean up in Shenandoah, SW, the Southside areas outside of Danville/Martinsville, Chesterfield county.

The race comes down to metro Richmond as you said. Whovever wins Henrico will win.