Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

The Democrats’ Counterforce Troika

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Peter Galuszka
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Terry McAuliffe, Mark Herring, Ralph NorthamBy Peter Galuszka

Setting up a nice counterpoint to the Republican Party’s strident assault on women’s issues and other social matters, Ralph S. Northam, one of two good options, was selected as lieutenant governor candidate for the Democratic Party in Tuesday’s primary. Winning the attorney general nomination was Mark R. Herring.

The two should be valuable counterpoints to E.W. Jackson, the Republican’s choice for lieutenant governor, and Mark Obenshain, the GOP attorney general candidate. Those two have been noted for over-the-top positions on birth control and abortion that have proved enormously divisive.

Northam, a Norfolk pediatric neurologist who defeated technology guru Aneesh Chopra, ran a freedom-of-choice campaign on women’s issues, pointing out that his profession has given him a special knowledge of the privacy that needs to cloak health issues. As a state senator, he fought last year to stop the Republicans’ pathetic bill requiring trans-vaginal ultrasounds before a woman could have a legal abortion.

Chopra would have made a decent candidate as well. The former top technology officer for Gov. Tim Kaine and President Obama, he symbolizes the importance of Virginia’s tech sector, where many of the state’s jobs have been created over the past two decades. He would have helped draw attention to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s quest to create jobs.

Voters, however, seemed to say that the Republican troika of hard-liners, led by gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, required a strong counterattack on social issues.

Jackson only fueled skepticism about his candidacy at a press conference Wednesday when he talked about his past, which includes a bankruptcy and a spotty career in the broadcast media. His statement that he smoked marijuana makes no difference (who hasn’t under the age of 70) but his continued statements that gays and lesbians are “sick” and his claims that Planned Parenthood led a eugenics movement against African-Americans are absurd.

It is rather sad for the state that such wedge issues dominate attention when there are so many other important problems to address. Another disturbing point was that yesterday’s turnout was only a poor 140,000 voters. Either voters don’t care or they are tired of Virginia’s off-year state electoral system.

The lax showing still showed more voter involvement than the convention the Republicans held last month in lieu of a statewide primary. Cuccinelli maneuvered to have the convention to ensure that he would beat out Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling as gubernatorial candidate. At the convention, the hard-right-leaning delegates went for candidates of the same stripe.

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6 responses to “The Democrats’ Counterforce Troika”

  1. Breckinridge Avatar
    Breckinridge

    I agree the Democrats now have a strong ticket, and their best chance at a sweep in a long time. But the low turnout primary was a harbinger of a hard road ahead. Yes, just as the Tea Party-owned convention for the GOP points to the challenges they face — “None of the Above” is running well at this point this year. “None of the Above” had a good day Tuesday, with voters staying away from both party primaries by the busload.

    Northam ran a reasonably good campaign and responded appropriately when Chopra took the low road and attacked (with a shortage of facts.) A poorly researched attack can result in a rebound against the attacker, and that happened in this case. Northam carried Fairfax County and Chopra got the lowest vote total of all four candidates on the statewide ballot. Herring on the other hand barely held on by his fingernails against an underfinanced and badly run campaign by Fairfax, who got maybe one piece of mail out to the right mailboxes before the voting.

    If the general election is all about social issues, it won’t be because the Republicans want to make it a focus. The Democrats are eager to talk about it, chomping at the bit to make this a referendum on reproduction — probably the least relevant issue candidates for statewide office could focus on. I don’t think who is Governor has any impact whatsoever on how many abortions are performed (or not) in the four year term. But we may get an election dominated by pro or anti abortion voters, with large numbers of the rest of Virginians voting for “None of the Above”.

    The more important primary results were in the House of Delegate races, where those who live by the gerrymander died by the gerrymander. The highly partisan, bizarrely-constructed districts now becoming standard when either party makes the map are having an impact — the ideologues rule, community of interest is lost, and legislators known for working across the aisle and compromising have targets on their backs. Joe May paid that price, and on the other side Roslyn Dance almost lost her seat for being “too Republican.” I suspect Dance survived because local Republicans could cross over and vote in her primary, while in May’s district the Democrats who showed up could only vote in that primary, not his. The open primary law is a strong inducement to moderation but only if only one party holds a primary!

  2. larryg Avatar
    larryg

    At one precinct I’m familiar with – the turnout was 10 to 1 GOP.

    The GOP usually gets their base out. The Dems… not as reliably… and I still
    this election is going to be decided by RoVa unless NoVa and the other urbanized areas and RoVa independents turn out.

    If McAuliffe and company have half a brain, they’re going to realize that GOTV is the key to this election.

  3. Ghost of Ted Dalton Avatar
    Ghost of Ted Dalton

    I actually disagree with most about Herring. I think Fairfax was the much better choice for AG.

    Herring is simply boring. I’m simply not sure how he inspires anyone but the most committed of D’s.

    Whereas Fairfax oozed charisma and could have served as a rallying point for African-American voters.

    I see Herring in the same mold of Bill Dolan and Steve Shannon…a boring white guy from NoVa who talks a lot about abortion. Dolan and Shannon also focused a lot of their campaigns on calling their opponents “extreme” and “anti-choice.” They both got dusted.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      Absolutely. Fairfax was a much better candidate – especially if you consider the future of the DPVA.

      Don’t get me wrong – Herring is serviceable as a candidate but Fairfax would have brought out more voters who, in turn, would have cast ballots for the entire ticket. Fairfax is a former prosecutor which appeals to moderates. He is young, articulate and ran a positive campaign – which should appeal to everybody. That fact that he’s African-American is interesting but, frankly, of little consequence in modern Virginia. After Doug Wilder became America’s first African – American governor the question of whether African – Americans could be successful state-wide candidates in Virginia was answered.

      The importance of the Attorney General election is often missed. In 2005, a little known legislator named Bob McDonnell ran for AG. He was opposed by a legislator who was only a bit better known – Creigh Deeds. McDonnell won by a few hundred votes.

      How does the 2013 election look if Creigh Deeds beats McDonnell for AG in 2005?

      The DPVA’s trick will be to keep Justin Fairfax in the spotlight until they can get him back in another state-wide race.

      As an aside, Fairfax ran a competent, positive campaign which should become the blueprint for both parties. He made some tactical mistakes but maintained a great philosophical approach.

      Does the RPV have any young guns like Justin Fairfax? If they do, they are doing a good job of hiding them. Pete Snyder may be one but Fairfax’s tenure as a prosecutor trumps Snyder’s successful entrepreneurship when it comes to attaining state-wide office.

      The DPVA missed a trick.

  4. larryg Avatar
    larryg

    Agree… I don’t think he’s going to motivate beyond the committed base and doubt he is appealing to blacks and hispanics, etc.

  5. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    Peter:

    I have to disagree about Chopra. He would have been a problem on the ticket. He got soundly defeated in Fairfax County by a guy from the Eastern Shore of VA. Why?

    Chopra is perceived as a dilettante who lacks depth and has accomplished little. He is a “tech guru” only by dint of getting appointed to government jobs involving technology where he accomplished little (if anything). His appointment to the Obama Administration was seen in Fairfax County as more of an attempt by Obama to appear tech savvy (by creating the CTO of the United States) than anything else. Quick – who is the current CTO of the United States?

    Chopra needs to do something far more meaningful then he has done to date if he wants to run for state-wide office. The “high information” voters who vote in primaries here in Fairfax County know a hand waiver when they see one. If Chopra has a political future he’d better demonstrate he has substance over the next four years. And NOT by being the government liaison for a big technology company. He needs to own a P&L or run for office (and win) or something.

    Beyond serious mis-givings about Chopra’s suitability for office there were also issues with him on the “ticket”. McAuliffe and Chopra would have represented two candidates where neither has ever held elected office. That would have been a field day for Cuccinelli. Northam is a politician of substance. He can be credibly seen as the Dem who can get the McAuliffe platform enacted in the General Assembly. McAuliffe and Chopra are both NoVa – not good, especially with McAuliffe’s ties to the Washington establishment. Northam brings in a critical geographic dimension. Finally, Northam has proven he is willing to cross party lines and work with Republicans. While this might make the party faithful wince in June it will be crucial in November.

    Don’t get me wrong – Chopra would have been nowhere near the handicap that Jackson will be. However, a McAuliffe – Northam “ticket” is much more likely to succeed than a McAuliffe – Chopra ticket.

    Meanwhile, the RPV’s insane convention really handed the Dems a gift with the nomination of Jackson. Pete Snyder – who would have been a near perfect counter-point to Ken Cuccinelli – lost in the fourth ballot (cast at 9:30 pm).

    Cuccinelli – Snyder – Obenshain beats McAuliffe – Chopra – Herring. Period.

    However, Cuccinelli – Jackson – Obenshain probably loses to McAuliffe – Northam – Herring.

    Had the Dems gotten the dynamic Justin Fairfax on the ticket it would have sunk the RPV’s chances. The Dems should still win but Fairfax would have been a masterstroke.

    Thank goodness for the DPVA’s good sense to hold a primary rather than a re-enactment of the Cantina Scene from the original Star Wars.

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