What happend to Jerry Kilgore?

[AuH2O]

Kilgore was just a weak campaigner and debater. I don't think it's that complicated.

The fact Bolling and McDonnell won-- the latter without an NRA endorsement-- makes it clear Kilgore wasn't rejected for being a Republican. He was rejected for being Jerry Kilgore.

Frankly, he was notably weaker than Earley-- though Kaine is likewise weaker than Warner.

Internal GOP conflict in VA probably hurt Kilgore, but was not at all a deciding factor.

[AuH2O]

Kilgore was just a weak campaigner and debater. I don't think it's that complicated.

The fact Bolling and McDonnell won-- the latter without an NRA endorsement-- makes it clear Kilgore wasn't rejected for being a Republican. He was rejected for being Jerry Kilgore.

Frankly, he was notably weaker than Earley-- though Kaine is likewise weaker than Warner.

Internal GOP conflict in VA probably hurt Kilgore, but was not at all a deciding factor.

McDonnel didn't exactly get a mandate. Bolling didn't exactly landslide.

True, which is why I used the term "won," i.e. a reference to the victor in the race, which for Lt Gov was Bolling, and for AG was McDonnell.

Secondary statewide races often follow the Governor's race; Kaine won because of Warner. In this case, voters clearly separated Kilgore from Bolling/McDonnell, even though the latter two are arguably more conservative.

Look at Virginia Beach, for instance. Kaine won it outright, a surprising feat, but Bolling and McDonnell won easily.

Like I said, the data seems fairly clear to me. I'm not sure WHY someone would vote for Bolling and McDonnell and Kaine, but they did, and in large numbers.

[AuH2O]

Kilgore was just a weak campaigner and debater. I don't think it's that complicated.

The fact Bolling and McDonnell won-- the latter without an NRA endorsement-- makes it clear Kilgore wasn't rejected for being a Republican. He was rejected for being Jerry Kilgore.

Frankly, he was notably weaker than Earley-- though Kaine is likewise weaker than Warner.

Internal GOP conflict in VA probably hurt Kilgore, but was not at all a deciding factor.

So you disagree that he wasnt conservative enough?  I heard a lot of rumbling throughout the campaign regarding Kilgore not responding to a conservative groups survery regarding cutting taxes.

This could well have been part of the problem. Kilgore was seen as weak on taxes, abortion, and some other key issues. He was all about the death penalty but that was just not a major concern... Democrats take away the death penalty and they'd have 15 delegates and no Governor for 20 years.

I think the proximate cause of Kilgore's defeat was the debates. Virginia is no more "purple" now than it ever has been... going back to 1860 and before Virginia has behaved in a unique fashion, clearly different from the deeper South but also from the more northerly Mid-Atlantic states.

Part of it is that Virginian voters have a technocratic streak. Part is just Kilgore's misfortune that he's from the SW and has an odd voice. A large part is that he didn't sound like he was in control of policy in the debates.

I see no way around this conclusion: many voters-- anywhere from 5-10% of the total-- agreed on policy more with Kilgore, but voted for Kaine.