Why in Virginia, Federal is a 4-Letter Word

Yesterday, Democrats across the Commonwealth herded to churches, elementary schools, and all manner of polling places to choose the rest of Terry McAuliffe's ticket. 

Ralph Northam's hard swing to the left paid off, he should probably send a thank you card to E.W. Jackson for a very nice push near the finish line. Jackson's questioning of Chopra's knowledge of the now-infamous Federal PRISM program was an important step to defeating the former Federal Chief Technology Officer. Jackson's recent ad slammed Chopra for his ties to the Obama administration and the proverbial scandal fountain that has erupted at the White House in recent weeks.

Jackson may have uncovered a key advantage here, knocking Chopra based on his Washington past. Virginia voters showed a bias (the correct one, I would argue). They are suspicious of ties to big greasy Washington politics. They're worried about the tactics that those federal ties bring into the election. Of course, knowing that, their choice for a gubernatorial candidate now makes zero sense.

Instead, Dems turned to a pair of state senators. Northam's no fed, but he did have to swing pretty far to the left to convince some skeptical money-trees on the left (see: Planned Parenthood and the Washington Post) that he will be a photo-negative of the conservative GOP ticket this year.

Mark Herring edged out prosecutor Justin Fairfax, even in his home county (insert pun here) for the AG nod as well. Herring, a Loudoun native, was not expected to carry Fairfax County, which was by and away the largest voting force in this election, covering almost fifteen percent of the total votes in the race. But he took it by a pretty comfortable 1,564 votes.

Yesterday showcased a bit of the sweat that Dems are putting on the Lieutenant Governor's office in this election particularly. Northam presiding over the split senate could be the last ray of sunshine to Dems fed up with the solidly red House and the prospect of Ken Cuccinelli behind the desk of the Governor.

But the real mystery of the Democratic primary...where were they? Turn-out at primaries is generally low thanks to an apathetic populace, but state-wide less than 140,000 votes were cast in the Attorney General contest. That's roughly two and a half percent of Virginia's registered voters. The LG race only came in a few thousand higher.

Where are the blue tides that Obama rode to victory last year? Have their dreams of hope and change abated? Are they inclined to reasonable thought now that they know their fearless leader listens to their conversations too? Are the Dems fed up with their choices? Either way, an apathetic and divided Democratic party can only mean good things for Cuccinelli, Jackson, and Obenshain in the fall.

VA GOP Caucus

vagopcaucus.blogspot.com

Woodward Calls Out Obama on Hyper-Partisanism

Photo Credit to The Daily Beast

Over the weekend, Washington Examiner writer Conn Carroll wrote an insightful synopsis of author Bob Woodward's new book, "The Price of Politics". In it, Carroll notes Woodward's feelings on Obama's miserable mishandling of the presidency and the damning consequences of Obama's hyper-partisanism.

In the book, the President himself is quoted as shooting down a bi-partisan Republican stimulus plan early in his term with the words "I can go it alone, I have the polls". His own chief-of-staff, Rahm Emanuel, has spoken on the fact that Obama's final stimulus plan had zero contribution from House Republicans, "We have the votes. (expletive) them." 

It is a well-known fact that this President has mishandled the problems that America faces. It is a well-known fact that Obama does not have a bi-partisan bone in his body. But for a President to not only mishandle a situation, but to metaphorically spit in the face of a concerned Republican Party that is willing and able to help...

It just isn't something you do.

Obama has derisively described House Majority Leader John Boehner as a "cigarette-smoking, country-clubbing Republican who makes deals." Deals are a part of legislating effectively and compromise is important to America's democracy. Boehner has tried to make many deals in his years in Congress. But appeals to reason in the White House often fall on deaf ears.

We have a President who cannot handle the job himself; who refuses to compromise for the good of his nation; and who slaps bi-partisanism off of the table. The facts are as plain as day. America can only hope for a change.