What the WaPo endorsement could mean

Not all that long ago, Creigh Deeds was locked in a close three-way race for the Democratic nomination, and none of the candidates could pull ahead. Then, in advance of the election, Deeds received the endorsement of The Washington Post. That allowed him to make up some serious ground in Northern Virginia, where McAuliffe and Moran had been the stronger candidates, and propelled him to victory.

On Sunday, The Washington Post came through again. They left no doubt about it either, saying that Bob McDonnell "offers something different: a blizzard of bogus, unworkable, chimerical proposals, repackaged as new ideas, that crumble on contact with reality" while it is Deeds "whose ideas hold the promise of a prosperous future."

This could be just the boost that Creigh Deeds needed. While it won't have a big effect on the state as a whole, the Post is widely read in NoVA, where any Democrat has to win by a sizable margin. The latest polls have shown that Deeds only leads McDonnell by about five points in the north, nowhere near the levels that Tim Kaine and Mark Warner got from that part of the state. But if he can use this endorsement to his advantage (see the ad below), Deeds might be able to put himself in position for a big NoVA win on November 3, and that could be enough to make a race out of this.

-Mike

And the winner of tonight's debate: Creigh Deeds

The first question of tonight's debate was given to Bob McDonnell. Asked if he preferred the recent economic policies of Republicans or Democrats, McDonnell provided an excellent example of blind partisanship and said that it was Republicans, at both the state and federal level, that had best moved the United States and Virginia forward. Really? George W. Bush (who oversaw the recent economic collapse and sat idly by as the gap between the rich and poor expanded at the expense of the middle class) over Bill Clinton (who oversaw the largest amount of peace time growth in our history)? Jim Gilmore over Mark Warner? If that is what Bob McDonnell honestly believes, then that is a debate that Creigh Deeds is willing to have.

Also, Deeds did an excellent job of raising the issue of McDonnell flip-flopping on the issue of bipartisan redistricting. McDonnell is a smooth talker and capable politician, and he clearly forms his position on this issue based on whichever office he is running for at that moment.

Lastly, Bob McDonnell used the word "taxes" in this debate more often than Rudy Giuliani talks about 9/11. He is consistently trying to scare voters into believing that Creigh Deeds will do nothing but raise their taxes. This is good politician-talk, but it does absolutely nothing to advance the conversation Virginians need to be having about issues like transportation, energy, and the economy. And his attacks are simply not true. You don't have to take my word for it, you can check out the independent FactCheck.org.

-Mike