Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Painting Virginia Red   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

McDonnell Glen Bolger on how it was done:

First and foremost, when we did define Deeds, it was on issue-based contrast. Voters generally do not think issue differences – especially on the key issues of jobs, spending and taxes – are negative. Instead they see those contrasts as legitimate areas for battling in a campaign.

Secondly, and just as importantly, Deeds never defined himself. On paper, Deeds was our toughest opponent of the three Democrats running in the primary. He had a great personal story to tell, and he was the more natural heir to Tim Kaine/Mark Warner than either wildman Terry McAuliffe or liberal Brian Moran.

However, rather than tell his story, Deeds followed the direction of his patron, the Washington Post, and jumped all ad nauseum on the thesis that Bob McDonnell wrote 20 years ago. It was an intellectually lazy way to run a campaign. Rather than first define Deeds, they just decided to hit Bob as a right-wing woman hater with ties to Pat Robertson. It turned out to be the equivalent of illegal immigration in 2006 for Republican candidates. Yea – the thesis may have polled as a concern to voters, but it was well-overshadowed by jobs, spending, and taxes – just as illegal immigration was a concern to voters, but not comparable to Iraq and the economy in 2006.

11/04 02:13 PMShare