Everyone has an explanation for the Virginia GOP losses on
Tuesday. From the vantage point of Fairfax County I would urge the
GOP to get a better script. In some ways it was a replay of 2005
when Jerry Kilgore made the death penalty a central issue. Yes,
illegal immigration on a national level packs a punch but frankly
the Democrats just did a better job on transportation, schools and
other bread and butter issues that motivate most suburban voters in
local and state elections. (And those excessive driving penalty
fines to finance roads which the GOP legislature voted for didn't
help either.) Two other points:1) Demographics are a killer. There
just are a whole lot of government employees and more liberal
professional types moving into Northern Virginia. These are not
traditional GOP voters. 2) I am never squeamish about a good, hard
political fight over issues but some of these races
descended into nasty, pointless mud slinging. In the fiercely
contested Jeannemarie Devolites Davis-Chap Petersen state senate
race in my district the never ending stream of petty accusations
and faux scandals (portrayed in TV ads and voluminous direct mail)
ranged from comic to appalling. About half way through I suspect a
lot of folks just tuned it all out. In the end I think it left
voters thinking worse of both of them( who frankly weren't
ideologically much different). I do think Republicans do better
sticking to issues. To win tough races Republicans should give
voters the sense it's about them and not the politicians' contrived
squabbles.
topics:
Transportation, Immigration
