Tuesday, August 09, 2005On Virginia Politics CurrentlyHeck, I'm the VCAP challenger gone blogging! I should have more to say! Fact of the matter is that most of what you see nowadays is idle speculation. This is why I kinda like seeing Not Larry Sabato go fishing with his/her scenarios - and the more outlandish they are the better. Will Potts be a factor? Sure. Who is he hurting more? Both parties I would take it, though if Potts were to drop out midway through the race, I have no question in my mind they (meaning Potts sympathizers) will vote for a reinvented Tim Kaine. Do the debates matter? Of course they do, but don't expect Kilgore to trip up, and don't expect Kaine to get off easy on his stewardship of Richmond. And don't expect Potts to flirt with anything more than 10% of the vote. Potts isn't even in the big tent, not even in the concession stands. He's in the parking lot scalping tickets to the real thing, and voters will treat him accordingly. Should Kilgore be concerned about social conservatives in his base. Yes -- and Bolling and McDonnell will not be enough to pull them along. Of course, any sharpening of the social conservative rhetoric will only play into Kaine's hands if we're not careful. Immigration? A dud, not to mention a slightly racist campaign issue. Unless the Governor of Virginia is going to close the borders, this is a federal issue of federal concern. States can only treat the symptoms of a cure that can only be found in Washington's immigration policy. Transportation? We all know what needs to be done... but who in Richmond has the guts to say it? Taxes? Bills in the drawer? Until we have a serious discussion about what precisely we want government to do, then expect taxes to rise; moreso under Kaine, less under Kilgore. State of RPV? Couldn't be happier to the outside world. On the inside, well... couldn't be happier... this despite the ongoing rift between moderates and conservatives. If there's one thing that unites us, it's that we aren't Democrats! State of DPVA? Dismal, defensive, and in serious need of an idea that hasn't been co-opted by moderate Republicans. Warner vs. Allen in '06? Won't happen. Warner vs. Allen '08? Won't happen. Will Senator Allen win the GOP nod? Without hesitating, name one other GOP presidential hopeful with nationwide appeal who can beat Allen right now in a drop. My point precisely. Can Warner win the Democratic nod? If the Dems are smart, they'll look at his record (or more accurately, the deplorable lack thereof) in Virginia and find greener pastures. How many seats willl the GOP pick up this year? Four. Will it be enough to prevent a tax hike in 2006? Probably not. Will the 2005 elections be the nastiest in recent memory? Not if left to Virginians, but when outsiders get involved, we'll run out of mud and start throwing stones by the end. I hope it doesn't get that way, but if you worked on the ground during the presidential election in 2004, you have that gut feeling it could. . . That's all I have for the moment. When the spirit moves me, I'll feel free to chime in, but what you have right now is something pretty static. The summer doldrums for political types, and much posturing. It'll change by September for certain, but the only question is whether the tone will change as well.
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JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?1) John Brownlee2) Ken Cuccinelli AboutShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia.ContactThe JeffersoniadArchivesMarch 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009
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2 Comments:
Immigration will be spun as racist by the Liberals, especially the MSM, but there are things we can do with a clean heart that will resound with the electorate.
In addition to asking our Congressional delegation to fix Medicaid (need to have the answer), Virginia needs to face the problem with expanded Health Savings accounts, etc.
Nice to be linked to your blog. Good job.
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