Why Ken Cuccinelli is losing the Virginia governor's race

[Cryptoad]

By JAMES HOHMANN | 9/16/13 5:00 AM EDT Updated: 9/16/13 9:43 AM EDT

Republicans can’t believe this is happening: Democrat Terry McAuliffe — whose controversial business dealings and past life as a party moneyman make him a walking negative ad — has taken command of the Virginia governor’s race.

More than a dozen interviews last week with longtime Republican insiders around the Commonwealth yielded near-unanimous consensus that their candidate, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, lost significant ground over the summer and would lose if the election were held today.

The only real point of disagreement is how wide a margin it would be.

“It’s going to be a bath,” one prominent state Republican who wants Cuccinelli to win went so far as to say. Like several others, the person sought anonymity to speak candidly about the state of the race.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/ken-cuccinelli-virginia-governors-mcauliffe-96834.html#ixzz2f4Fi7xfA

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[hlthe2b]

2. I don't like McAuliffe--but the question for me is how it could EVER have been competitive...

Even given the rural, poorly educated (late) Falwell-supporting drones, broad support for "Mr. OUTLAW- ALL- SEX" , Cuccinelli? Really?

[onehandle]

3. My wife is from Virginia.

Half my in-laws are highly educated, sharp as a tack, Liberals.

Half... are not, but get to the polls come Hell or high water.

It's a purple state, rigged somewhat to lean red at the present.

McAuliffe is lucky, for the previous Governor's crimes, and 'the Cooch's' nuttiness.

[marions ghost]

28. Sounds like my family in VA exactly

Virginia --"rigged to lean red at present"-- absolutely.

Give McAuliffe a crack at it. He certainly won't be taking anything for granted and may actually do a decent job.

[Divernan]

11. Virginia voters will be holding their noses, whomever they vote for.

I have zero respect for McAuliffe, but looks like he will win and he will be welcomed with open arms by the 3rd way gang.

[2banon]

12. +1

[NCcoast]

19. That's what I was thinking

I watched Maddow's report on this the other night and saw that McAuliffe had a narrow lead and thought to myself, 'how could it be that close?'. How big a goober is McAuliffe if he's not beating The Cooch like a drum? Yosemite Sam could win this race.

[Oilwellian]

4. I've been polled quite a bit over this race

I tell all of them I despise McAuliffe but detest Cuccinelli more. He's just scares the hell out of Virginia women...even my Republican women acquaintances. I'm so sick of this Third Way, lesser evil candidate. This will be the last time I vote for one. And I swear to God, like in the 2012 reelection of Obama, I will vote with a blue clothespin on my nose.

[Dawson Leery]

5. Theocrat Kookenelli has a 20 point deficit with women voters.

That alone makes his path to victory near impossible. The most conservative poll has the Kook down by 5% 7 weeks out.
Remember, Virginia elects a governor of the opposite party in the White House.

[hatrack]

6. Because he's a steaming pantload of religiously insane Fail?

That would be my guess . . . .

[Mr.Bill]

7. But wait, there's more!

Vote for the Kooch, and we'll throw in criminal at no extra charge! That's two deplorable personality traits for the low, low cost of one.

Additional shipping and handling fees apply.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Yes. Here's the criminal accepting gifts and not reporting them:

But the candidate couldn’t easily distance himself from the scandal because he, too, accepted some $18,000 worth of gifts from Williams — and failed to disclose a chunk of them, as required by law.

What’s more, Cuccinelli refused to repay the gifts until last week, when he cut a check for $18,000 to charity.

(from the article)

[Berlum]

8. Voters are fed up with Republican FAIL, negativity, spin & deceit

and so the Repubbies are reaping the FAIL they have so diligently sowed.

Maybe KooKooInelli should talk more about Behghazi

[nyquil_man]

9. He's a weak candidate.

Even when he was a state senator, his numbers were far from landslide territory. He was swept into the AG's office on McDonnell's coattails.

I would caution that McAuliffe's numbers aren't impressive, either. He's averaging in the mid 40s. But there's a good five-point cushion there and Cuccinelli would have to gain a lot of ground pretty quickly.

[TlalocW]

10. Is the 800 pound gorilla in the room

Cuccinelli's wanting to ruin sex for everyone? I know it was mentioned several times earlier this year, but I don't see it mentioned in the press much anymore.

TlalocW

[Buns_of_Fire]

13. Sleazebag-R or Sleazebag-D, that is the question.

Add in a dose of E.W. Jackson (Lieutenant Sleazebag-R), and that tips me to Sleazebag-D.

But I won't eat anything before voting, and I'll dip my fingers in bleach as soon as I get home.

[sulphurdunn]

14. This race isn't about

a crooked Dem vs a crooked Repug. This race is about a sane, crooked Dem vs an insane, crooked Repug.

[immoderate]

26. Incisive.

I was wondering how bad one would be to get beat by McAuliffe.

--imm

[underpants]

15. Better organization I am sure

Sorry folks I am sitting this one out. As much as the Cooch disgusts me I am not knocking on doors for Terri. If the Dem operation is half as good as the Va Obama operation in 08 or Kaine"s in 2012 (you are welcome) the Cooch never stood a chance.

[11 Bravo]

17. I know where you're coming from underpants, but while Terry makes me queasy ...

the thought of a Governor Cooch gives me the screaming shits and projectile vomiting. I'll take a deep breath and phone bank for McAulliffe.

[underpants]

20. Damn it 11

okay I will do SOMETHING for the campaign you guilted me into it

[Cha]

16. They can't understand why Cuccinelli is losing even though he's

been begging for it the whole time. Do we need to count the ways?

[Rozlee]

18. I always said that Democrats were experts in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

But, with Republicans getting more and more insane with their obsession over the joys of rape and the way they've made themselves a small tent party of white old men, they've been handing Democrats a lot of seats lately that should have been shoo-ins for them. And instead of trying to moderate their message and expand their appeal, they've been doubling down on their intolerance and hostility to minorities, LGBT individuals, females, education and science. The more they see the world changing around them, the more they fight back against it instead of trying to understand that they now live in the 21st century, not the period before the Civil War.

[SoapBox]

22. Why? Because even the loonies thing he's a nut!

[blkmusclmachine]

23. The really disturbing part, is that Koo-koo is as high up in the polls as he is.

[westerebus]

24. Well it's a shit sandwich for sure.

May be Terry will be called to DC to join the clown posse. I can be hopeful can't I?

[JohnnyRingo]

25. Sounds like common sense to me.

Cuchinelli won the Republican "most unlikeable little prick" contest. He seems to be spouting reasons for people not to vote for him every time he opens his mouth with his extreme Tea Party positions: "If you're gay, don't vote for me." "If you're poor and hungry, vote for the other guy." "If you're a minority, I'm not your man."

I imagine he'll quit doing that in the next couple months as the campaign goes double negative on McCauliffe.

[WCLinolVir]

27. Yea!!

Well, hard to get exited about the lesser of evils, but Douchi is awfully scary. What if Virginia voted Terry in by a large margin and we pressured him to act accordingly? We are not powerless. The problem is voter apathy and what we need in Virginia is for the majority to start flexing their muscle. This isn't about one candidate, it is about building a base. That is why I will be working for TM. I see it as a crucial time for Virginia. We need to campaign on the importance of our future base being involved in all elections.

[marions ghost]

29. That is the big picture

right way to see this.

School Gov McAuliffe, ye Virginia Libs and Dems.

[nomorenomore08]

30. I hate shit like this. Makes me glad I'm not a Virginian, though I would still vote McAuliffe

just to keep a batshit madman like Cuccinelli out of office.