Reports are of a light voter turnout. If my precinct is any indication, it will be abysmal. The Olde Creek precinct had an 80% percent turnout (1,953 votes) last November. By 10:00 this morning, usually our busiest period, we had about 60, 2-1 Democratic, as opposed to our 5-vote margin for Kerry. If we double that total, we’re at 5%, and we’re an 80% district. Can’t read much into these numbers, except there’s not much to read, period. I tended to nod off during my poll watching job.
Do people care? Do people know? A neighbor with whom I’ve had spirited and enlightened, though not contentious, email exchanges on national politics showed up and was surprised to learn it wasn’t a general election. Now if he doesn’t have a clue were in trouble.
If the vote were held today, I’d be tempted to vote for Russ Potts. I think so would The Post’s Marc Fisher.
Jerry Kilgore says Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s top job, is making fun of his down-home accent.
Kaine says Kilgore, the GOP hopeful and former attorney general, is hiring “slick radio announcers” rather than speaking directly to voters on radio ads.
After four years of having an adult as governor, the Republican and Democratic parties have decided that Virginians crave a return to childhood, back to fantasies about providing quality education while slicing budgets and concocting magical solutions to traffic without new revenue.
Who wants to eliminate the car tax? Everybody! Wheee!
Kilgore emphasizes such pressing state issues as the death penalty (expand it), the gun culture (celebrate it) and the gay agenda (it’s insidious).
A Kilgore radio ad you’re not likely to hear in the D.C. area boasts that “Kilgore has made his decisions based on the Christian values he learned growing up in rural Southwest Virginia — conservative values . . . standing up for the sanctity of marriage, fighting pornography. . . .”
Kaine, fighting his party’s free-spending reputation, devoted his first TV issues ad to his promise to cut taxes. Kaine is trying to appeal to all sides on social issues by contrasting his personal opinions with his obligations in office. He opposes the death penalty, but he’ll enforce it. He opposes abortion, but he’ll respect the law.
Perfect place to introduce Russ Potts. Potts….”We’re cobbling together the strangest doggarnedest coalition Virginia’s ever seen,” says Potts, 68. “Women who are tired of the extremist Republican position on abortion. People who admire Mark Warner for taking on issues head on. People who know there’s no free lunch.”
He’s pro-environment, pro-immigrant, anti-Wal-Mart. He proposes to put everything on the table to improve the traffic mess — a gas tax increase, more rail, HOV lanes, privately built roads. “No sacred cows.”
He is convinced that voters will not automatically rush to whomever promises to cut taxes the most. “The far-right crowd, the extremists in my party, are going to find out that Virginians value cherished institutions like higher education, and people know they have to pay for it.
“Weicker told me the most dangerous person in a race is the one who’s not afraid to lose,” Potts adds. “I’m not afraid of losing, and I say what I believe. I am adamantly for the death penalty. We already have laws on the books that fully address the gay issue. That’s not even in the top 10 of people’s issues. Leave it alone. People in Virginia are fed up with the Republican Party’s anti-schools, anti-transportation, anti-gays — goodness, what aren’t they anti?”
There have been no reasons for Kilgore and Kaine to worry about the nomination, so don’t expect anything different after today. If you think I’m crazy, I heard from one source that Sen. Dick Saslaw, the minority leader in the Senate, told a public forum recently that he liked Potts, as in he could be a credible governor, not that he was a nice guy. He said he supported Kaine, but more comments like that and a lot of Republicans and Democrats will give Potts a hard look. Absent any overriding issue, why not? And he’ll look better if the kids keep throwing sand in the play box and calling each other names.