A Few Points for George Allen to Consider

By: Lowell
Published On: 11/8/2006 4:17:04 PM

As George Allen busies himself with trying to obstruct the will of the people of Virginia, there are a few things he might want to keep in mind.

1) The votes have been counted.  Jim Webb has won. Jim Webb is now Senator-elect Jim Webb.  George Allen is now former Junior Senator and future Ambassador to Luxembourg (or wherever) George Allen.

2) Virginia has a history of handling close elections with efficiency and accuracy.  George Allen should not throw that process into chaos, a la Florida 2000.

3) Jim Webb is leading by more than 7,000 votes.  George Allen needs to understand that the votes simply aren't there for him. (Note: the media has called Montana for Jon Tester over Conrad Burns, with Tester holding a mere 2,000-vote lead; far less than Jim Webb's 7,000 vote lead here in Virginia!)

4) George Allen and his team know that they've lost the election fair and square.  They also know that their only prayer is to throw the entire process into chaos, and to try to manipulate
votes after the fact.

5) George Allen has a long history of service to the Commonwealth. He should not jeopardize either his legacy or his future ambassadorship to Luxembourg (or wherever).

6) If George Allen wants any sort of political future, he should not drag the state into a costly legal battle.  He should not jeopardize whatever goodwill - if any - he still has with Virginia voters.  Allen's buddy John Thune,-¡ for example, lost a Senate race but came back to win.

8) Other examples George Allen might want to pay attention to include John Ashcroft and Jim Sasser, both of whom lost Senate seats but ended up being appointed to Administration positions because they left office with dignity.

9) The people of Virginia have spoken.  It's time for George Allen to step aside and honor their wishes.

Comments



Does he know? (Arturo - 11/8/2006 4:20:20 PM)
Does Sen. Allen know where Luxembourg is?


I think it's somewhere near Tunisia (Lowell - 11/8/2006 4:28:45 PM)
Ha. :)


Ambassodor to Chad (loboforestal - 11/8/2006 4:28:36 PM)
He can see it's still hanging.


Markos says... (Lowell - 11/8/2006 4:34:11 PM)
Courtesy of Daily Kos...that evil liberaliberaliberal blog where Jim Webb raised so much money.  Heh.

Rumors are flying fast and furious in DC that Allen may quit the race and give up on a recount challenge. And Allen's advisor Ed Gillespie, at a press conference, refused to say there would be a recount, instead pinning their hopes on the final canvas of votes.

The guy must be devastated. He didn't want to be a Senator. He was building a ground operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. He was telling Iowans that he was bored of being a Senator and wished he was born in Iowa instead.

He thought he was going to be president.

And suddenly, he loses a race for a seat that he didn't want in the first place? And it's not as if winning a long-shot recount would help him with his now-dead presidential ambitions. So the rumors may have some truth.



Ambassador to the island of Macaca.. (lgb30856 - 11/8/2006 4:39:09 PM)
in French Tunisia. where he will be in charge of cleaning out monkey cages.
poor susan


Amen Bro.... (bladerunner - 11/8/2006 4:45:09 PM)
Thanks Lowell, all great points. Especially the one about throwing the process into chaos. History has shown that he will do that.


Why not (libra - 11/8/2006 4:47:33 PM)
an ambassador to Southern California? At least he ought to be able to find that on a map... :)


allen- a career politician- his position (Arlington Tom - 11/8/2006 4:49:19 PM)
  Mr Allen is a career politician, and losing a 'safe' republican senate seat effectively ends his career. While he might get a second chance, until he next wins BIG, he is damaged goods both nationally and here at home. What's more he is a bit of a laughing stock among the elites at the moment so the next chance at bat is going to be a bit down the road.

  Here is a man who changed his ethnicity, accent, US identity ( West Coast to Confederate Cowboy)  and even his world outlook (Regeanesque to Bushesque)  all to take advantage of political opportunities. And now it's over. This is going to take a few days to settle in.  The republican leader will get to him and remind him about what happend to Saurbray (sp?) in Maryland when she wouldn't give it up.

Best all,



Great points! (Kathy Gerber - 11/8/2006 5:20:18 PM)
And if Allen is paying attention at all, it's more than clear that the entire nation is not in the mood for obstructionist shenanigans.

Senator Webb has work to do.



I haven't heard anyone mention the idea of Allen taking John Warner's seat. (thegools - 11/8/2006 6:25:47 PM)
He is certainly one of the more promenant Virginia Politicians with a great deal of free time on his hands, and who is now looking for work.


Maybe Warner's seat, but think others have their eye on it (Arlington Tom - 11/8/2006 6:43:26 PM)
In the end, Allen lost what was supposed to be a safe seat to what turned out to be a well qualified Reagan democrat but who no one would not call a super campaigner. Yet Allen lost. My guess is that Republicans "shoot the sick": Allen is done for a while and his next chance is going to be smaller risk job than US Senator. And finally, if he couldn't beat Webb, he will never beat Mark Warner.

And finally, I think several republicans would like that senate seat andy they don't have Allen's baggage or confederate cowboy thing that just doesn't play well in NoVa.



Bite your nuts :) (libra - 11/8/2006 9:37:43 PM)
You got your tenses wrong, buddy... Allen might have been a prominent VA politician once (upon the time); he's a roadkill now, as far as Repubs are concerned. If he's out of work, he can apply for unemployment benefits, same as everyone else in VA. Or he can move back to SoCA. Or, for that matter, to Iowa; didn't he say he liked it there?

And, if John Warner does retire, we already have a shoo-in replacement: *Mark* Warner.

Go suck a lemon. And count your blessings -- "Here Comes the Sun" to ripen and sweeten it (my Beatles recording of the song has been getting a big workout today )