Alan: Right-wing pundits are busy representing Virginia's election of Terry McAuliffe into vindication for The Tea Party. Setting "the horse race" aside, the surpringly close contest between McAuliffe and Cuccinelli is the best possible outcome for The Democratic Party. As long as Tea Bags have reason to believe their intransigent obstructionism is "a political winner" they will double down on The Civil War they've been waging in The Republican Party. If the keep it up just a little while longer, they will eclipse The GOP and bring about decades of Democratic dominance. I say, "Donate to The Tea Party." They know better than the aggregate of shrewd Democratic strategists how to destroy their own political future. (Note that Virginia -- recently a blood red state -- is morphing through purple to blue. This same transformation is taking place in Florida -- and albeit more slowly, in Texas too. In 15 years or less, it is impossible to imagine significant Republican majorities.)
CUCCINELLI, SARVIS COMBINE FOR 53% OF VOTE
Breitbart.com
Despite polls which showed Democrat Terry McAuliffe with a solid lead, it looks like he will eke to victory in the race for Virginia Governor. With 92% of the vote counted, he leads Republican Ken Cuccinelli, 46.8% to 46.5%. Libertarian Robert Sarvis garners 6.7% of the vote. Combined, the Republican and Libertarian get 53% of the vote. McAuliffe will be elected with 47% of the vote.
Just a few thousand votes separate McAuliffe and Cuccinelli. Sarvis received over 130,000 votes.
Cuccinelli, it should be noted, was out-spent at least 3-1 by McAuliffe. Outside Democrat groups amplified the funding disadvantage facing the Republican. By finally nationalizing the campaign and focusing on ObamaCare, however, he was able to come within a few thousand votes of winning. All in the face of a GOP Establishment that turned its back on him, a consultant class that misguided his campaign and GOP pundits and commentators who said for weeks he couldn't win.
Yes, the libertarian cost Cuccinelli votes. The campaign, however, bears some responsibility for allowing Sarvis to gain traction.
This was clearly a very winnable race, in spite of what people say about conservatives or the government shutdown. The GOP abandoned Cuccinelli. And, Virginians certainly didn't embrace Terry McAuliffe.
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Conservative-stalwart Virginia is being overrun by liberalish D.C. suburbs. "Mr. McAuliffe benefited from an electorate that was less white and less Republican than it was four years ago. He drew about as large a percentage of African-Americans as Mr. Obama did last year. Blacks accounted for one in five voters...That Mr. McAuliffe was elected in a onetime Republican stronghold while unapologetically supporting gun restrictions, same-sex marriage and abortion rights will no doubt be scrutinized by both parties, particularly by Republicans concerned about the appeal of the Tea Party in swing states and districts ahead of the 2014 midterm elections." Trip Gabriel in The New York Times
Check out the Virginia vote maps. The Washington Post.
Check out the Virginia vote maps. The Washington Post.
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