We knew it would happen.Ever since Jerry W. Kilgore quit the job Virginians elected him to do so he could get some extra cash for his gubernatorial run, we knew it would happen.
Ever since Jerry W. Kilgore hired the national GOP's number one sleezemeister, attack dog publicist Scott "Black Hands" Howell, we knew it would happen.
With every poll that showed the disappearance of Jerry W. Kilgore's 8-point lead... 6-point lead... 3-point lead, we knew it would happen.
Every time Jerry W. Kilgore would get filletted, battered, and fried in another candidate's debate, we knew it would happen.
Every time Jerry W. Kilgore would dig deep into the poll data and find a new wedge issue like immigration to play on fear and ignorance, rather than stand on strong policy, we knew it would happen.
Now, it has happened.
Tomorrow, Jerry W. Kilgore will begin running this campaign's version of the infamous "Swift Boat" ads that derailed John Kerry's presidential bid last year.
In the ad, called "Stanley". A lone elderly gentleman, holds up the picture of his son and daughter in law who were murdered, and who's killer Tim Kaine defended on death row. It's very moving, and will certainly get the forces of vengence screaming for death, blood, and for Jerry W. Kilgore to save them from the untold evils of anyone who, like Tim Kaine, would side with killers over innocent victims. Oh! the evils of death penalty opponents! Oh! how can Virginia survive?!
Powerful.
Compelling.
Utterly misleading.
In fact, Stanley is Stanley Rosenbluth, founder of death penalty advocacy group, Virginians United Against Crime. While his son, Richard, and daughter-in-law Rebecca were murdered in 1993, the ads fail to inform viewers that the two were murdered by their cocaine dealer when they apparently ran short of cash. Apparently, both of the Rosenbluths "had traces of cocaine in their body at the time of their death, a fact that is not mentioned in the television ad or more recent accounts of their muder."
South Now has this to say:
The ad is similar in style and content to that used last year by the ?Swift Boat Veterans For Truth,? with Rosenbluth speaking directly to the camera about Kaine?s position against the death penalty, which Kaine has not denied although he has said repeatedly he will uphold the laws that currently exist. Virginia executes more people each year than any state except Texas.
So after losing an 8-point lead and three debates, the candidacy of Jerry W. Kilgore enters it's last month and we get a classic "Swift Boating" of Tim Kaine on the issue of the death penalty.
We knew it would happen. Now, what will Tim Kaine do?