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The Spectacle Blog
David Paul Kuhn has an interesting interview with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) about his party’s shellacking in the midterms. Webb says his party has turned its back on Reagan Democrats like himself (Webb was secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan). And, appropos of our discussion of the Sailer Strategy, Webb tells the author of The Neglected Voter: White Men and the Democratic Dilemma that a big problem was the Democrats’ loss of white voters.
The trouble with Webb is that, with few exceptions, he didn’t seem very interested in demonstrating his independence while Virginia looked like it was trending Democratic. Now that it is swinging back in the opposite direction and he is up for reelection in 2012, Webb is reminding us of his pre-Senate conservatism with some more idiosyncratic populist flourishes. For example, Webb talks about going to the White House and discussing health reform and other topics with the president. “I told him this was going to be a disaster,” Webb says. “The president believed it was all going to work out.”
Yet occasional noises aside, Webb voted for this disaster in lockstep with the president and his party. During the 2006 campaign, there was reason to think Webb would be a more interesting figure. But like a lot of putatively conservative Democrats, he was with rare exceptions a Harry Reid clone. It will be very noteworthy if that changes over the next two years, though it may now be too little, too late.
View all comments (30) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/11/08/webb-watch
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Eric Cartman| 11.8.10 @ 1:35PM
Prediction: Webb will start siding more with GOP, then he'll become an Independent, then run as a Republican. However it goes, he'll end up a Republican in 2012.
Allan Brooks| 11.8.10 @ 3:51PM
Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca! Macaca!
Tim*| 11.8.10 @ 4:48PM
Voila ! Obama nous ne sommes plus vos macaques!
Occam's Tool| 11.8.10 @ 5:44PM
My goodness, Tim* has said something I agree with. Indeed, there are monkees in this movie, but they are named Pelosi and Reid. Fortunately, they are no longer the American people.
Occam's Tool| 11.8.10 @ 5:45PM
Sorry, Monkeys, although they are behaving more like Peter Tork.
Tim*| 11.9.10 @ 1:52AM
You're a broken watch Israel Firster NeoCon Agenda Twerp.
And even a broken watch is right twice a day.
Get Bent Twerp.
Occam's Tool| 11.15.10 @ 9:29PM
Sorry, I was thinking about you, Tim*, Mein Furher. By the way, I'm no neo-con---I like small governments. And I've been a Conservative since you were first wearing diapers (now their adult ones, I'm sure). ESAD, Tim*!
Occam's Tool| 11.15.10 @ 9:31PM
Sorry, "they're adult diapers." Tim*, something about your microcephalic purulent writings makes me lose my grammar control. Probably the smell of your pants through the screen. Am I using words too big for you, jejune one?
c. j. acworth| 11.8.10 @ 4:09PM
Webb may or may not end up as a Republican, what I wonder is if maybe it is possible that the two Maine-iac sisters will join the GOP!
Derek Leaberry| 11.8.10 @ 1:35PM
With Obama at the top of the ballot for the Webb-Allen rematch, I expect Webb will pull it out. Obama must win Virginia to be reelected(Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio will switch back to the Republicans in 2012 as might Florida) so Democratic resources will be poured into the state. With Allen and Governor McDonnell turning their backs on Virginia's Confederate past, I am not sure I care that Allen loses. Webb identifies with rural, southern Virginia whites in a way Allen nor McDonnell do not.
Tim*| 11.8.10 @ 1:38PM
Webb still hasn't gotten over Ollie North whippin' him in The Brigade Boxing Championships Welterweight Fight in '67.
The Winner ! North On Points !
Bill E Goat| 11.8.10 @ 2:59PM
... the Small Boat & Barge School ?
Tim*| 11.8.10 @ 5:58PM
On The Chesapeake !
Man The Sunfish Middies !
dc| 11.8.10 @ 2:29PM
Nothing Webb has done or might do in the future redeems him from supporting (wholly) the agenda of a violent, brooding, anti-American fascist who (if you believe Webb now) overtly mocks and despises everything Webb used to stand for. Southern VA voters weren't stupid enough to re-elect Perriello and Boucher--hopefully they won't fall for Webb's lies in 2012, either. Bottom line: he'll vote to re-elect Harry Reid as Majority Leader. Is there anything else you need to understand about this guy?
And please spare me the bullshit about how he served Reagan, was a good Navy guy, etc. All of that is nice, in the past, and utterly irrelevant (much like John McCain's past). He is what he IS, not what he WAS. The former dishonors the latter. Anyone (Allen used to be this type) who can state such facts plainly will whip this Maobama-loving puke by 10 points in 2012.
JmsA| 11.8.10 @ 2:32PM
Hear! Hear! This Webb character is the biggest phony of them all.
Eric Cartman| 11.8.10 @ 3:07PM
Agree with both posts. Webb will start leaning Republican to save his butt, tho. Just a prediction.
Maureen| 11.8.10 @ 8:04PM
Agree with all of the above. I hope Virginians give the untrustworthy flipflopper the boot. He's just another donk.
Anommynous| 11.8.10 @ 4:18PM
Jim Webb is a REAL TOUGH GUY DEMOCRAT who stated that he wanted to punch President George W. Bush.
Alberto| 11.8.10 @ 4:25PM
Who from Virginia dethrones Webb in 2012. That is the question. George Allen's time has come and gone.
serfer62| 11.8.10 @ 5:28PM
So far The Tea Party people seem to have good memories. Wheres the Hiku Webb when you need it?
Don| 11.8.10 @ 5:35PM
I don't know if Webb does or does not connect with certain parts of Virginia, but his knows his constituent services are dreadful. Virginia screwed up the distribution of absentee ballots to service men and women in 2008 (my son was in Iraq at the time and got his three days before the election and unfortunately no FedEx service out near the Syrian border). Webb's office couldn't be less helpful (thanks, Mr. Former Marine). They could run a llama against him and I'd vote for the beast of burden first.
Spicy Joker| 11.8.10 @ 5:48PM
Jim Webb is a Mary Landrieu-Blanche Lincoln-Ben Nelson type of DemocRAT: he talks one way back home and another way in Washington. As 2012 nears, he'll start talking more about NASCAR, Vietnam, the Scots-Irish, etc., etc., but he'll still be a DemocRAT.
Kenny| 11.8.10 @ 6:44PM
Webb is is turncoat and a two-bit punk.
Defeating him will be one of the highlights of 2012. I can't wait.
Wayne Peterson| 11.8.10 @ 6:57PM
How many times did he vote with Reid? That is all that matters.
Tom| 11.8.10 @ 7:01PM
Living in Virginia, I can't wait to vote against this cheap, double-tongued, oppurtunistic hack in 2012.
But for the wider picture, I think that the really situation in the Senate will NOT be Harry Reid versus the enlarged Republican minority. It will be how Harry Reid deals with the dozen or so very vulnerable Democrats that are up for re-election in 2012.
Webbel Wifout a Cause| 11.8.10 @ 11:15PM
Kenny, hear! Hear!
Webb is de waitest (und worst) in a wong wine of barf bag senators from Wirginia: Paul Drible, Upchuck Wobb, John Warner, etc.
Sandy| 11.9.10 @ 7:31AM
Webb has no chance in 2012. Obama being on the ticket also will be an additional liability for him. He can say whatever he wants between now and the election, but, his votes, in lockstep with the Democrats will be his downfall. There are many more names of possible contenders than just Allen.
Richard Baker| 11.9.10 @ 9:13AM
As a Virginian, I never understood Webb throwing in his lot with a bunch who decry the military, hate Reagan, and despise the United States as a country. Is Webb a political chameleon? Of course, and I hope the Old Dominion remembers this at his re-election.
maxsnafu| 11.9.10 @ 12:20PM
Webb's convictions are an inch deep. He's a textbook opportunist. Were he to become a Republican he should be shunned.
Bob Miller| 11.9.10 @ 1:57PM
At least Evan Bayh, who had tried to play a similar same game (Hoosier at home, mostly obedient Democrat in DC) saw what he needed to do.