Virginia May Spurn GOP in '08 (Independents Favor Dem for President)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Washington Post

Virginia May Spurn GOP in '08
Key Independents Favor Democrat for President

By Tim Craig and Jennifer Agiesta
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, July 7, 2007; Page A01

Virginia, usually a reliably Republican state in presidential elections, may become a key battleground in the 2008 election as broadly negative views among independents of President Bush and the war in Iraq have altered the presidential race.

Mirroring the national mood, Virginians' approval of Bush and support for U.S. policies in Iraq have eroded as the war has dragged on. Bush is the worst of the past nine presidents, say Virginia's independent voters, who helped him win in 2004 but now say they prefer that a Democrat be the next president.

The revised portrait of the Virginia political landscape emerges from a poll conducted by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University.

The poll paid particular attention to independents, about 30 percent of Virginia's adult population. Results offer fresh evidence of a trend in Virginia politics -- that independents have played a critical role in electing Democrats in two consecutive governor's races and in last year's U.S. Senate race.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/06/AR2007070601975.html

[illinoisprogressive]

1. Bush and Cheney have been very good for the democratic party. lol

[calimary]

3. Indeed! They've built what may well be a permanent political majority.

For OUR side. Not theirs.

Good going, kkkarl!

:headbang:

[DesertKart]

8. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

All the Democratic party has to do is to select a socialist candidate in the primaries and you'll quickly see any gains made lost. Very quickly.

[AlinPA]

9. Who might that be?

[DesertKart]

11. Because health care seems to be the hot topic this election, it would be any andidate that advocates

socializing health care.

Many democrats seem to be so hung up demonizing the insurance and HMO "corporate fatcats", that they don't realize that many Americans don't want the increased cost and interference that socialism brings. This biggie size order of collectivism will torpedo their chance to win over an injured Repub opponent. If we select a free market candidate in the primaries however, it will be pretty hard for any Repub candidate to win.

[melody]

13. southern philosophy is as near to Marxism as we get in this country

If the candidate sold it right, he/she would still win. That said, I'm a staunch free-market person.

[alarimer]

14. Get some facts

universal health care is the only way we are going to solve the problems. The FACT is Medicare has a much lower overhead than ANY HMO or insurance company because they don't have to pay for the fucking CEOs million dollar salary. Insurance companies are a giant scam or did you miss the part where they delay and deny things that are supposed to be covered? Or any of the other evils they do? Fuck the insurance companies. They need to get out of the health care business altogether.

What other right-wing talking points are you going to repeat here? How care is rationed in Canada? How there are long delays? None of that is true-just ask some of our Canadian DUers.

The free market sucks for health care. PEOPLE DIE because of this "free market" approach. Did you know that most bankruptcies in this country are due to medical care costs, even for people with insurance? In a just society this would not happen.

[CANDO]

19. How do we find solutions to our problems?

By demonizing something as "socialist" doesn't solve anything, does it? Do you enjoy your "socialized" mail service, police, fire, military protection? Medicare enjoys an operating overhead of only 3%, while most for profit insurance companies have overhead costs in the 30% range. Wouldn't it be great to have that extra 25 or 26% going to caring for sick people rather than padding the bottom line or paying for advertisements or for executive perks? Try getting beyond the placing of human lives into the "market ideology" paradigm and offer some real ideas for solving our society's problems. When are people going to wise up to the idea they are being propagandized, rather than being informed?

[pinto]

2. Bet this becomes a trend across the country. Colorado,

the Southwest, even the Missouri/Mississippi River states.

:kick:

[provis99]

4. Virginia, Democratic? What next, dogs and cats living together?

Seriously, it'd be funny if the only counties the Republicans won were the ones where Regent and Liberty Universities (are they accredited?) are.

[VTMechEngr]

15. Technically, they are not in counties.

Virginia has the independent city system, where a city can be separate from a county. In SE Va, there are no counties at all. It is cities bordering cities.

[The River]

5. We MUST Dump Virgil Goode (R) Racist

Getting rid of Macaca Allen was a good start.
Booting Goode would be even better.
I think Virginia will go Dem in 08.
Maybe then I'll color Virgina Blue.

[Virginian]

7. Gerrymandering and the VA House of Delegates

This year, we MUST get more Dems in the House of Delegates. These are the delegates who will reshape the congressional boundaries after the 2010 census.

The Dems are concentrated in some districts so they can be diluted in others. In McLean/Vienna, there are three congressional districts. The eighth(D) is only a few blocks wide in places. The tenth(R) runs from embarrassingly wealthy McLean all the way to the West Virginia border. The eleventh(R) Takes in the river front area near Mount Vernon and heads west. In the Vienna area, it grabs one address at the end of a street, while everyone else on that street is in the 8th.

This November is an off year. Not the high volume of voters you find in all the other November elections. Get out the vote THIS year and we can elect a more representative congress after the census.

[Wesin04]

16. Actually, the Senate in VA has a better chance

With only a 4 seat pick-up needed, this would ensure Democratic control of redistricting. Much better chances in the Senate race than the House, though pick ups there would be very helpful! Won't be another Senate race before redistricting.

[bluestateguy]

6. Virginia

Demographic changes in northern VA are particularly favorable for Democrats. The DC suburbs vote just like northeastern metro areas now. Fairfax County voted for Kerry in 2004, the first time that county voted Democratic for president since 1964. Kerry also gained ground in historically Republican counties like Prince William and Loudon Counties. Tim Kaine and Jim Webb swept all of these counties in 2005 and 2006. Even in central VA, Democrats are gaining ground. Kerry won Albemarle County in 2004, the first time that county went Democratic since 1948. A contact of mine who has ties to this county tells me that Albemarle, which surrounds Charlottesville, is filling up with rich people, retirees and artists. Kaine and Webb also took Albemarle by a big margin. Many of these new migrants into Virgina are non-native southerners, and that is good for us.

The challenge is that the religious right has always been strong in Virginia. The right Democrat can win Virginia, if it is contested. John Kerry pulled out of VA in August and deservedly lost the state.

[lanlady]

10. great news!

The Jim Webb miracle was just the beginning of our state's transition from red to blue.

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Jefferson would be pleased

Poor Thos. He must be tired after spinning in his grave so fast for all these years.

[underpants]

17. Hard to believe W "won" by 8% here in 2004

really hard to believe huh?

[Doctor_J]

18. At this moment, I don't see any "leaders" on our side who could bring

independent voters over. I mean really motivate them to get to the polls. Edwards could be the guy, I guess, but what Dem would get people excited about voting? Note: (S)he would not neccessarily have to be on the ticket - just appeal to indepdendent-minded folks. Wes Clark? Anyone else?

[radicalcapitalist]

20. Well, Virginia did elect a Dem Governor and Senator the last time around.

However, if Hillary is the nominee, all bets are off.

[hooraydems06]

21. A good indicator...

... of this possibility will be if the Dems take the state senate this November. If that happens, it's more than likely that Virginia will become fully blue next year.