Virginia GOP Splitting Apart?

By: Lowell
Published On: 6/14/2007 7:52:27 AM

According to Tim Craig in today's Washington Post, the Republican Party of Virginia could be in danger of splitting apart between "moderates" and the extreme right wing:

Virginia Republicans said yesterday that the defeat of two moderate GOP state senators by conservatives could further divide the two wings of the party, which could affect the direction of state government.

[...]

...the election results hold what could be troubling signs for the party as it heads into the fall general election campaign and the 2008 presidential contest: Virginia Republicans appear to be in a funk.

I particularly love this part of the article:
"In a small turnout election, these voters can make a difference. But in a general election, they may get swallowed up," said retiring Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax).

Williams lost to Tricia B. Stall, who has signed a petition expressing support for "ending government involvement in education."

Even though Stall will be running in a reliably Republican district, party leaders fear that she is so conservative it could be nearly impossible for them to keep a Democratic candidate from picking up the seat. Top Republican senators plan to meet with Stall in a few days.

In other words, the extreme right wing, in managing to defeat two "moderate GOP state senators," may just have thrown the Senate to the Democrats.  Of course, we're going to have to work our butts off to accomplish that, but Democratic prospects today are looking brighter than they have in a long time. 

For Virginians in November, the question will be whether to lurch far, FAR to the right with the Republicans - and remember that a vote for ANY Republican, even supposed "moderates" like Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, is a vote for extreme right-wing control of the State Senate.  That would mean focus on divisive "wedge issues" like restricting a woman's right to choose, battles over homosexuality and sex in general, complete lack of progress on finding a sustainable/long-term source for funding transportation, etc.  In sharp contrast, a vote for Democrats is a vote for moderation, and a continuation of Mark Warner's concept of moving "Forward Together."  That doesn't seems like a very hard choice.

Comments



Good Message To Get Out (norman swingvoter - 6/14/2007 11:55:40 AM)
That last paragraph is a good message to get out. This sounds like my district in 2005.  The republicans ran Brad Marrs, so out there that even The Richmond Times Dispatch would not endorse him.  The Independent, Katherine Waddell, squeaked by him with 44 more votes.


68th this time around (J.Scott - 6/14/2007 12:25:09 PM)
Norman, I think its a good bet that the RTD will endorse Manoli Loupassi (R) against Katherine Waddell this time around. Hopefully thsi race will be given the attention it deserves in the blogosphere moving forward


Good Point (norman swingvoter - 6/14/2007 4:56:52 PM)
To be honest, I would say the odds favor him winning at this point.  He was popular on the Richmond city council and carried Richmond by something like 8 to 1 in the primary. At this point I would label him a moderate republican but haven't heard his views on the hot-button issues.  The main problem to me is that he is running as a republican and this country and state are in too much trouble to elect more of them.


Irony alert (novamiddleman - 6/15/2007 7:48:44 AM)
This is an issue with both parties just look at this blog the last week :-p


Agree with the novamiddleman. (Leonitis - 6/15/2007 9:30:51 AM)
I actually agree. 

Both parties suffer from floating too far to their extremes.  It is pronounced when you look in affluent areas like Fairfax.

Independents suffer when they run for office from having no home to lay their heads.  They have no party to back them. They are truly alone.

And although most voters identify themselves as Independent voters, I believe most people believe folks who run as Independents are total crazies unless they see a darned good reason for the Independent status of a candidate.  Like a person who is prohibited from running in a partisan context because of his or her job. 

There are many northerners mixed in our area.  Northerners tend to be urban folks who are more liberal than southerners.  That means we have relative newcomer Democrats and Republicans who see eye to eye on a lot of social issues but who are separated on the philosophic aspects of what government is, and is not, supposed to do for or to us. 

From what I see locally in Fairfax, the Republican party risks sliding farther right than the average voter.  I think that's already happened.  The Democrat party risks sliding into a very corrupt Machine that alienates the average voter.  One look at the Boss and we can see that has happened. 

Many of us are left standing in the middle, throwing up our hands saying: "Damn it, both parties are really quite nuts here!"