According to the
latest polls,
Mark Warner has a huge lead over the likely Republican challenger, Jim Gilmore. I can't wait for this election.
Meanwhile, Lowell at Raising Kaine talks about
next Tuesday's elections:
Jim Webb
said yesterday that 'the country is watching Virginia' to see what happens in next week's state legislative races." He's right. As readers of this blog know, the stakes in next Tuesday's elections here in Virginia are high, with control of the entire General Assembly up for grabs. For more on what's at stake next Tuesday, see
here and
here. In short, the elections next Tuesday matter because:
*Governor Kaine needs allies, not adversaries, to keep "Moving Virginia Forward."
*In 2011, Virginia will go through the next round of Congressional redistricting, and it's important that Democrats have a say in that (by the way, I support NON-PARTISAN redistricting, but having said that, I certainly don't want Republicans being the ONLY ones drawing the lines in 2011)
*Virginia has moved from "solid red" to "purple," and this our chance to keep moving the state in the "blue" direction politically. Why does that matter? Well, if you care about the Chesapeake Bay, a woman's right to choose, transportation gridlock, health care, education, stem cell research...it makes a big difference whether you've got Mark Warner/Tim Kaine Democrats in charge or George Allen/Jim Gilmore Republicans.
*We've got some great Democratic candidates - Chap Petersen, Ralph Northam, Michael Breiner -- taking on Republicans, far-right-wing and otherwise.
*Virginia can be a swing state in 2008, one that both parties' candidates have to fight for -- or not. Next Tuesday's elections will help determine whether Virginia is ignored next year or paid attention to.
*The nation is watching Virginia for how the immigration issue plays out. Will we go with Tim Kaine and other Democrats, who want to deal with the problems of illegal immigration and illegal employers responsibly? Or, do we want to go with the Corey Stewarts and Bill Howells, big mouths who spew lots of hot-air rhetoric and "demagoguery," as Tim Kaine has said, but in the end, do nothing about the problem except to make people fearful?
What he said.