Republicans worried about Cuccinelli’s prospects

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Republicans worried about Cuccinelli’s prospects
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/republicans-worried-about-cuccinellis-prospects/2013/09/13/d1021bd6-1c8e-11e3-82ef-a059e54c49d0_story.html

By Ben Pershing, Published: September 13

National and state Republicans are increasingly nervous about Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II’s campaign for Virginia governor, which they said is lagging behind Democrat Terry McAuliffe because of internal mistakes as well as forces beyond Cuccinelli’s control.

With seven weeks to Election Day, Cuccinelli is trailing in public polls and in fundraising. Republicans are scrambling to improve a field operation that underperformed in 2012. And while McAuliffe has faced scrutiny for his business dealings, the legal cloud surrounding Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and a probe of how the attorney general’s office has handled a gas royalties case have cast a spotlight on Cuccinelli’s own ethics that neither party expected.
....

“My sense long ago was that the Cuccinelli campaign was going to make this about [McAuliffe] being not from here, and ethically challenged,” {a Northern Virginia Republican} official said. “Well, you can kiss ‘ethically challenged’ goodbye.”
....

The state inspector general is investigating whether an assistant in Cuccinelli’s office gave improper legal help to energy companies battling with Southwest Virginia landowners over gas royalties.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. May Cuccinelli continue to flounder!

[Heather MC]

2. Democrats should remain worried. he could still win if

there is low voter turn out

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

3. We MUST

defeat the Cooch! This member of the American Brown Shirt Taliban must go down on election day!

[elleng]

4. Good, and they SHOULD be worried.

[Cha]

5. Here's to even more exposure of the dangers of cuccinelli over the next

7 weeks!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Why Ken Cuccinelli is losing the Virginia governor's race

Why Ken Cuccinelli is losing the Virginia governor's race
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/ken-cuccinelli-virginia-governors-mcauliffe-96834.html

By JAMES HOHMANN | 9/16/13 5:00 AM EDT Updated: 9/16/13 1:38 PM 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.

[JPZenger]

7. Maybe they shouldn't have forced through reactionary candidates, without a primary

I think it was a real mistake for the Va. Repubs to force through a set of reactionary candidates without allowing an open primary by the voters. Typically, after a primary, a party comes together, because they all feel they had a fair chance at the election.

However, when you force candidates into place with only political insiders making the decisions, the other wings of the party are likely to remain pissed off that they were excluded.