So the latest poll in Virginia has George Allen in a tie with Democratic contender James Webb. I'd like to offer a theory about why Allen has melted down so severely as a result of the "macaca" remark. Voters in Virginia have presumably seen the footage over and over again on local television. What it shows is not so much Allen making a slur as it shows a more powerful man going after a less powerful kid. It's one thing for a politician to attack a rival politician. It's quite another for an elected official to throw a hostile barb at one of his constituents, even if that constituent is working for a rival candidate. The two men are not equal - one's the Senator with the microphone, the other is just a kid with a video camera following him around. People don't like it when politicians or celebrities or just about anyone with power acts high-handedly. It seems abusive. And that, more than anything else, explains why the bloom is off the Allen rose and the challenge posed to Allen over the next few months to revise what might be an indelible impression. It doesn't help him, his chances or the Republican goal of maintaining control of the Senate that his rival, Jim Webb, is a brilliant, savvy and very interesting guy.While we may not agree with his downplaying of the incident, the bully in this description isn't flattering either.
And, of course, more and more people are seeing what we see in Webb. George Allen's support on the right-wing blogosphere continues to deteriorate - surely symbolizing his eroding support from his base back home.