Virginia 2005 Gubernatorial Election

[nini2287]

Creigh Deeds did a meet and greet at my school today and he talked for a few minutes.  Even though it was a pretty informal meeting, he sounded a lot like a populist and through in a couple Bible references .  However, somebody asked him about the NRA endorsement and he just said "I always check the box on the surveys, which is true to my beliefs, but we have more important issues to focus on."  He also spent a portion of the time strongly praising Byrne and blasting McDonnell for having $2 million in undiscolsed finances.  He also said that an internal poll in his campaign had him up 1 point after being down 8 a week ago.

[TheresNoMoney]

I really hope that Deeds wins.

We need a good Senate candidate in 2008 for John Warner's seat should Mark Warner pass on the Senate race.

[MHS2002]

I don't think Deeds has ever been ahead in any poll. I don't think he had a lead to begin with.

Who do you like?  Ive heard McDonnell is wayyy right.  Any truth to this?

Believe it or not, I voted for Deeds in this race.

McDonnell has the nickname "Taliban Bob" for his conservative views on sex laws. Deeds has the support of the NRA, which helps him out. I could deal with either candidate as AG I suppose.

[MHS2002]

Yeah, but a couple weeks ago I remember someone saying he was a shoo-in.  If I recall correctly it was in this exact thread. 

Nick, if I remember correctly that was just AUH2O with another one of his mindless predictions. I believe he said that since Deeds had the endorsment of the NRA, he was going to win in a landslide (a vastly simplistic analysis).

Deeds has been down in the polls the whole campaign, but supposedly is surging late.

I believe the prediction was made by CARLHAYDEN.

Actually, the Democrat nominee for Attorney General is going to win big.

Unlike Kaine, he doesn't oppose the right to keep and bear arms and hasn't come out for spending tax money for centers to get jobs for illegal aliens.

[TheresNoMoney]

McDonnell has the nickname "Taliban Bob" for his conservative views on sex laws.

Yep, McDonnell is supposed to be FAR FAR right. I've read he's the most right-wing statewide candidate in modern Virginia history.

I've also read that the Republican ticket is the most right-wing ticket in state history.

[Sarnstrom]

NEW POLL!!
Done by: Center for Community Research - Roanoke College
Oct 23- Oct 30

Governor
Kaine (D) 44%
Kilgore (R) 36%
Potts (I) 5%
Undecided 15%

Lt. Governor
Byrne (D) 33%
Bolling (R) 32%

Attorney General
McDonnell (R) 39%
Deeds (D) 34%

http://web.roanoke.edu/x4522.xml

[Moooooo]

Thats an awful lot of undecideds.

[TheresNoMoney]

Small sample (407 voters)

[Moooooo]

Two new Kilgore ad's...

Important Things..

Tax Games..

[Flying Dog]

Kilgore's must be gettin worried by now

[CARLHAYDEN]

NEW POLL!!
Done by: Center for Community Research - Roanoke College
Oct 23- Oct 30

Governor
Kaine (D) 44%
Kilgore (R) 36%
Potts (I) 5%
Undecided 15%

Lt. Governor
Byrne (D) 33%
Bolling (R) 32%

Attorney General
McDonnell (R) 39%
Deeds (D) 34%

http://web.roanoke.edu/x4522.xml

This is hysterically funny!

Deeds is beating McDonnell handily in the real world, Bolling is trouncing Bryne, and Kilgore has a modest lead over Kaine.

Imagine getting all three wrong!

[Flying Dog]

NEW POLL!!
Done by: Center for Community Research - Roanoke College
Oct 23- Oct 30

Governor
Kaine (D) 44%
Kilgore (R) 36%
Potts (I) 5%
Undecided 15%

Lt. Governor
Byrne (D) 33%
Bolling (R) 32%

Attorney General
McDonnell (R) 39%
Deeds (D) 34%

http://web.roanoke.edu/x4522.xml

This is hysterically funny!

Deeds is beating McDonnell handily in the real world, Bolling is trouncing Bryne, and Kilgore has a modest lead over Kaine.

Imagine getting all three wrong!

I agree with you, except kaine will win by a hair

[nini2287]

NEW POLL!!
Done by: Center for Community Research - Roanoke College
Oct 23- Oct 30

Governor
Kaine (D) 44%
Kilgore (R) 36%
Potts (I) 5%
Undecided 15%

Lt. Governor
Byrne (D) 33%
Bolling (R) 32%

Attorney General
McDonnell (R) 39%
Deeds (D) 34%

http://web.roanoke.edu/x4522.xml

This is hysterically funny!

Deeds is beating McDonnell handily in the real world, Bolling is trouncing Bryne, and Kilgore has a modest lead over Kaine.

Imagine getting all three wrong!

I agree with you, except kaine will win by a hair

Don't be so sure.  Kaine's numbers are obviously waaay inflated, I still have no idea who will win.  I don't understand why people keep saying Bolling is crushing Byrne, as far as I can tell, Bolling is just as far right as Byrne is left, although I think Bolling will win since this is Virginia and the Dems don't exactly have a stellar top of the ticket.  As for the AG, the only poll that has Deeds up is an internal poll showing him beating McDonnell by 1 point.  I think the AG is another Election Day tossup.

[Flying Dog]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

[Virginian87]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic, and it strongly supported Warner in 2001.  It is likely that Kaine will draw the most votes here and in his hometown, Richmond.  Hopefully, he can build on Warner's momentum.  His greatest weakness will be the panhandle, which is Kilgore's home.  Amazingly enough, despite the economic problems of that area (and southside Virginia in general) most people are single-issue voters and side with the Republicans over the values debate or gun control.  Sad, really.

[Flying Dog]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic, and it strongly supported Warner in 2001.  It is likely that Kaine will draw the most votes here and in his hometown, Richmond.  Hopefully, he can build on Warner's momentum.  His greatest weakness will be the panhandle, which is Kilgore's home.  Amazingly enough, despite the economic problems of that area (and southside Virginia in general) most people are single-issue voters and side with the Republicans over the values debate or gun control.  Sad, really.

Thanks for the info.

[MHS2002]

I thought I would post this article, as it mentions former Governor Wilder's endorsement of Kaine, among other things.

Kaine wins Wilder's nod as Kilgore stumps at the pumps

By BOB LEWIS
AP Political Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrat Tim Kaine won a commitment Wednesday from former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder to campaign at his side vigorously through next Tuesday's election for governor while Republican Jerry Kilgore pumped gasoline and warned anew that Kaine plans to boost fuel taxes.

With only six days left in a very close race that's already the most expensive in Virginia, both candidates worked to energize their core followers to go to the polls Tuesday and take people with them, the final - and likely the decisive - phase of the campaign.

Kaine beamed as he stood beside Wilder, now Richmond's mayor, in a hilltop inner-city park with Richmond's skyline as a backdrop. Wilder, a Democrat with a conservative streak who has snubbed some statewide Democratic candidates, said Kilgore's inclination to weaken Virginia's handgun restrictions helped persuade him to back Kaine.

"I did everything I could as governor to be certain that we did have a change from Virginia being the No. 1 gunrunning state in the nation," said Wilder, who won passage of a law limiting handgun purchases to one per month in 1993, the final year of his term.
   
"We can't afford to have it changed. We can't afford to have it even loosened," Wilder said.

Kilgore, endorsed by the National Rifle Association, supports "a review" of the law because criminal backgrounds can be checked more quickly now and other laws render the state statute obsolete.

He also said in a radio interview that he would support repealing the state ban against carrying concealed firearms into bars, which further irritated Wilder.

"Being able to bring guns into bars and to restaurants is not, in my judgment, what promotes public safety," Wilder said.

Wilder stalled in announcing his endorsements as he pressed candidates and even Gov. Mark R. Warner to support a state supplement for a federal program to help poor people pay their heating bills with energy costs soaring this winter. Kaine and Kilgore both supported the measure.

Wilder sided with Kaine even though the two have not always agreed on public policy. In the 115-day budget battle in 2004 when Kaine and Warner backed a successful $1.4 billion tax boost and Wilder sided with Republicans in calling for a statewide voter referendum to decide if taxes should have been increased.

"There have been disagreements in the past and there even may be one in the future. Who knows?" Kaine said, grinning broadly as Wilder laughed. "But there wouldn't be a political party, a political alliance, a friendship or a marriage without a disagreement every once in a while."

In the upscale suburb of Midlothian and later in Norfolk, Kilgore pumped gasoline into cars as he told motorists that they would be paying 14 cents more per gallon if Kaine had his way during the 2004 tax battle.

"My grandfather said the best way to tell where someone is going is to look at where someone has been. My goodness, he's said the next tax we ought to look at is the gas tax," Kilgore said.

Kilgore reprised claims that Kaine backed an unsuccessful $3 billion state Senate tax increase package last year.

Kaine actually supported Warner's $1 billion competing plan, which contained no fuel tax increase. Kaine pledged before the tax fight and since to veto new transportation taxes pending a constitutional amendment to forbid legislative looting of the transportation fund when state budgets run lean. A constitutional amendment could be ratified no sooner than 2009, the final year of the next governor's term.

[MHS2002]

Also, for those voting in the race, post your votes:

Governor: Jerry Kilgore (R)
Lt. Governor: Bill Bolling (R)
Attorney General: Creigh Deeds (D)

The other races were the local House of Delegates seat and local Board of Supervisors seats, which were uncontested.

[minionofmidas]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic, and it strongly supported Warner in 2001.  It is likely that Kaine will draw the most votes here and in his hometown, Richmond.  Hopefully, he can build on Warner's momentum.  His greatest weakness will be the panhandle, which is Kilgore's home.  Amazingly enough, despite the economic problems of that area (and southside Virginia in general) most people are single-issue voters and side with the Republicans over the values debate or gun control.  Sad, really.

...that's quite a recent trend, Southwestern Virginia used to be Democratic. Kilgore is from there? Yeah, they'll probably vote for him, in that case.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic, and it strongly supported Warner in 2001.  It is likely that Kaine will draw the most votes here and in his hometown, Richmond.  Hopefully, he can build on Warner's momentum.  His greatest weakness will be the panhandle, which is Kilgore's home.  Amazingly enough, despite the economic problems of that area (and southside Virginia in general) most people are single-issue voters and side with the Republicans over the values debate or gun control.  Sad, really.

...that's quite a recent trend, Southwestern Virginia used to be Democratic. Kilgore is from there? Yeah, they'll probably vote for him, in that case.

I guess it depends how you define Southwestern Virginia, but the area voted for Warner in 2001 and still has (IIRC) a fair few Democratic state reps. And a Congressman o/c.

[Frodo]

Also, for those voting in the race, post your votes:

Governor: Jerry Kilgore (R)
Lt. Governor: Bill Bolling (R)
Attorney General: Creigh Deeds (D)

The other races were the local House of Delegates seat and local Board of Supervisors seats, which were uncontested.

Governor: Tim Kaine (D)
Lt. Governor: Leslie Byrne (D) -reluctantly
Attorney General: Creigh Deeds (D)

[WalterMitty]

Is northern virginia a solid dem area or is it a tossup or what? Just wondering

Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic, and it strongly supported Warner in 2001.  It is likely that Kaine will draw the most votes here and in his hometown, Richmond.  Hopefully, he can build on Warner's momentum.  His greatest weakness will be the panhandle, which is Kilgore's home.  Amazingly enough, despite the economic problems of that area (and southside Virginia in general) most people are single-issue voters and side with the Republicans over the values debate or gun control.  Sad, really.

...that's quite a recent trend, Southwestern Virginia used to be Democratic. Kilgore is from there? Yeah, they'll probably vote for him, in that case.

I guess it depends how you define Southwestern Virginia, but the area voted for Warner in 2001 and still has (IIRC) a fair few Democratic state reps. And a Congressman o/c.

you think the dems could hold rick boucher's district if he decided to retire?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

you think the dems could hold rick boucher's district if he decided to retire?

Had he retired in 2004 or if political trends at the election he retires in are the same or similer to 2004? No. Very unlikely although with a good candidate (presuming the Democrats can get one to run) you can't really rule that much out.

What's made him unbeatable is the fact that he can poll decent %'s in pretty much all the district (unusual for a Democrat, no? I think he only lost three or so counties in 2004 despite an unusually well funded opponent).
From memory, the district was a volatile swing seat before he first won (beat a Republican incumbent IIRC).

[Moooooo]

News Flash:

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that a new Mason-Dixon poll will be out tomorrow in the Virginia governor’s race.

[Ben.]

News Flash:

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that a new Mason-Dixon poll will be out tomorrow in the Virginia governor’s race.

Any word on the content?