going out on a limb to predict deeds with 45% (0.00 / 0)

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by: seabrook @ Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 23:04:02 PM UTC

maybe not as much of a limb as i thought.... nt. (4.00 / 1)

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by: seabrook @ Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 23:15:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Deeds is Winning (0.00 / 0)

7 votes to 4 for T-Mac with one precinct reporting.

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by: ecotect @ Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 23:08:06 PM UTC

Anyone but McAuliffe is fine with me... n/t (4.00 / 3)

REID: Voting against us was never part of our arrangement!
SPECTER: I am altering the deal! Pray I don't alter it any further!
REID: This deal keeps getting worse all the time!

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by: lord_mike @ Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 23:13:00 PM UTC

Hopefully this sends a message (4.00 / 2)

to the corporate wing of the party.

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by: glacierpeaks @ Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 23:53:39 PM UTC

AP Calls It For Deeds (0.00 / 0)

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by: glacierpeaks @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 00:04:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Agreed. (4.00 / 1)

And the wing that only cares about ego.

Check out Blue Arkansas:
http://bluearkansas.blogspot.com/

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by: ARDem @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 00:07:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Amen (4.00 / 2)

Terry McAuliffe is one of my least favorite people. Based on a single speech he gave to a state party meeting I attended, and the question-and-answer session which followed, I decided that he was someone I never wanted to be in the same room with ever again. The closest runner-up was George Snuffleupagus, who I had the misfortune to overhear talking to several of the folks who invited him to speak on my campus. Lord have mercy, what an impossible ego!

What was it with Clinton anyway? To think that I used to consider Hamilton Jorden a shyster. Compared to these guys, he was a pussycat.

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by: William Timberman @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 00:38:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'd love to hear some details on that. (0.00 / 0)

If you don't mind sharing, it'd be a great diary to elaborate on those two blowhards.

Check out Blue Arkansas:
http://bluearkansas.blogspot.com/

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by: ARDem @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 02:16:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Memory doesn't always serve (4.00 / 1)

I don't remember any of the details about Stephanopolous. It was about 10 years ago, and I was following behind them on a crowded sidewalk -- they were on their way to the Faculty Club for lunch, and I was headed off campus. What I remember mostly was the tone.

Two anecdotes from the McAuliffe encounter: he told a long story about how he'd pried a $500,000 contribution out of a tribal casino in Florida, if I remember correctly. It was something about wrestling an alligator on a bet -- a big joke, right -- but what amazed me was that the Abramoff scandal was still fresh in a lot of people's memory. So wrapped up in himself, I thought, that it never occurred to him that he was presenting an incredibly sleazy story as a personal triumph. At best he seemed either awfully sure of himself, or awfully oblivious to what other people might think.

During the question-and-answer session, someone concerned about the AUMF vote, and its effect on the primary, asked whether or not Hillary intended to apologize for her yes vote. No, he said, because I'm not gonna let her. I would NEVER let her do that. Seeing the look on the woman's face who'd asked the question, he paused and said ...but of course, Hillary makes up her own mind about these things -- I only meant that I'd advise her to stick to her position that it appeared to be the right thing to do at the time.

The impression given, at least to me, was that he was a an egotistical blowhard, and in all likelihood a male chauvinist as well.

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by: William Timberman @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 05:29:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

are we sure (4.00 / 1)

that Deeds is not going to cater to the corporate wing of the party? presumably he'll be more corporate friendly than moran.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 02:09:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Deeds has a pretty good record. (0.00 / 0)

He's been great on consumer issues, leading the charge against opportunistic lenders, fighting for genetic nondiscrimination, along with better healthcare, better teacher pay, etc.  He's conservative on guns and has admitted that his position is evolving on marriage equality as he becomes more comfortable with it (he has an evangelical background after all).  His "conservatism" is on social issues more than economic and domestic areas, and he's shown that he's willing to learn, change, and avoid making an ass out of himself in the process.

Check out Blue Arkansas:
http://bluearkansas.blogspot.com/

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by: ARDem @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 03:58:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm actually pretty happy with this. (4.00 / 1)

Deeds was billed as the conservative candidate and an also ran, but I got to admit, I love the underdog comeback story, especially when it's about a less than polished politician who comes off as an ordinary guy and managed to bring down a giant in the party who had no core or reason to run other than his own ambitions.  That said, while Deeds was the most conservative candidate on gay rights and gun rights, he also showed a lot of willingness to listen and grow and was open in saying he could be wrong and would try to change, a nice touch.  I think he fits Virginia nicely and would be our strongest candidate against McDonnell, and if his feet get held to the fire I suspect he might get some progressive policy enacted.

Check out Blue Arkansas:
http://bluearkansas.blogspot.com/

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by: ARDem @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 00:11:03 AM UTC

A Star is Born? (4.00 / 1)

He's still got to grind it out in the general like every Democrat has to in Virginia (Kaine, Webb, Obama) but he just beat the former head of the DNC, $6M in tow, like a rented mule, and NoVa royalty. If he wins the governor's mansion in the general, you'd have to say he's a formidable prospect for higher office in the future.

I'll be interested to see the next wave of polls. McDonnell was hovering around 45 but the Democrats in the matchup were lagging because of the uncertainty over who the candidate would be. I suspect he gets a huge bounce out of this primary win. It might even be a tie ballgame around 45-45 a piece in a week or two. Things will definitely shape up once Warner, Kane, and Webb all throw their support behind Deeds, and having Obama right on your doorstep is just going to be a nightmare for the GOP. This was the worst-case scenario for the Republicans. Deeds was the candidate they absolutely did not want to face.

The only thing Deeds is lacking is money, and I suspect that won't be the case for very long.

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by: ecotect @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 04:53:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ugh. (0.00 / 0)

I may be the only "T-Mac" fan here, but I guess that won't stop me from saying that I'm a little disappointed tonight. This may sound weird, but I think MacAuliffe ran on the most overall progressive platform (though I'll admit was pretty close to Moran's). Moran irked me with his low-blow negativity (especially trying to resurrect "the primary wars"), while Deeds scared me a little with his conservatism.

But whatever, it's over now and Deeds won. He's not my favorite, but he's much better than McDonnell.  

Yes, Virginia, there are progressives in Nevada.

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by: Andrew Davey @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 02:10:59 AM UTC

Knowing what we do about T-Mac ... (0.00 / 0)

just because he ran on a progressive platform .. doesn't mean he'd govern that way

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by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 04:27:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]