We can’t AFFORD Mark Warner
Stand by… we all know it’s coming… But I will join my other conservative bloggers in saying that he’s got a “long row to hoe…”
From the Virginian-Pilot:
Several Republican strategists said Warner is no shoo-in for the Senate in 2008 and could face a bruising race. They said Warner had the luxury of never having held elected office when he ran for governor.
“This time, he has a record and he’ll be held to it,” said Chris LaCivita, an adviser to Davis, a possible candidate. LaCivita noted that Warner raised taxes as governor despite making repeated campaign promises that he would not.
“The free ride is over,” said Dick Leggitt, an adviser to Gilmore.
And of course there is the issue of the misplaced money… 137 million dollars worth of misplaced money. From WaPo: (my emphasis added)
The report blames “inadequate quality control” for the errors, which included a simple math reversal — addition when there should have been subtraction — and a mix-up in how the state calculates revenue from the sales tax.
“The lack of follow-up to seek an immediate resolution of these concerns, to inform the incoming governor and legislative budget committees . . . proved inappropriate considering the ultimate magnitude of the errors,” the report concludes.
The simplicity of the mistake is actually what concerns me. Attention to detail please???
We can’t afford Mark Warner…
[techtags:Mark Warner, simple math, Democrat, raising taxes, unaffordable]
So according to the Virginian-Pilot, some people who work for Warner’s would-be opponents think that he might not be a shoo-in? Huh. Well, pretty much everyone in politics who is not working for Warner’s opponents completely disagrees.
That said, I do think that you are on to something in that an attack based on that miscalculation of sales taxes is probably the best hope on which to pin any attacks on Warner. There’s really not anything else to work with. Mind that I don’t see either Davis or Gilmore even breaking 45% against Warner in the general election. But if I was running against Warner, that is definitely what I’d focus on. It’s the classic Rove approach, really. Take your opponent’s perceived greatest strength (fiscal responsibility) and attack that directly in an effort to completely re-define him.
A major and constant direct mail effort hitting Warner on this could get Davis as high as 46%. If I were Tom Davis I’d start doing that the day after Warner announces his candidacy. Don’t even wait for the primary to be over. Gilmore doesn’t have the money. But Tom Davis has the kind of cash where he could throw a million bucks at direct mail attacks in NoVa right away and potentially re-define Warner before he has a chance to reintroduce himself and set the tone for his own campaign. Hitting Warner hard and heavy right away (like, next week) is Davis’ only real hope.
Comment by
Jackson Landers — September 12, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Whine all you like, but the next US Senator from Va will be Mark Warner.
No politician is perfect, but the Commonwealth is still reaping the benefit of his wisdom - we don’t repeatedly get Forbes’ Magazine’s “Best State to do Business” rating because of the Republican assembly’s pioneering spirit - it’s due to programs and policies started in the Warner administration.
If he was as bad as you make out, why have so many corporations relocated here - and NOT just NoVa…
Comment by
vaporland — September 14, 2007 @ 06:23 am
I use to vote republican, but we have serious problems that need serious people and republicans just can’t figure it out. Mark Warner is a solid moderate democrat in a state that is becoming more mainstream. Sen. Warner(R) has done a terrific job and I am sad to see him go but Gov. Warner(D) will continue to represent Virginia well.
Comment by
Wayne B — September 14, 2007 @ 13:53 pm