Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Weather Report: Six more weeks of mud

So says the Washington Post, commenting on the Virginia Senate Race:

RICHMOND, Sept. 26 -- Democratic Senate candidate James Webb launched an ad Tuesday attacking Republican George Allen on the decision to go to war in Iraq,

That isn't really mud. It's negative, but not mud.
My way of saying, this is the least of the mud problems in this campaign.

"He has yet to offer any kind of a clear position on what to do in Iraq," Wadhams said of Webb. "It's terribly consistent with Webb's continued vagueness and contradictions."

It's easier for a challenger to complain about what the incumbent as done than it is to articulate a decent response of his own, and hard to fit into a 30-second commercial.

Allen is also attacking Webb's attitude toward women in fliers mailed to voters across the state.

OK, It is based on fact at least, but it was 30 years ago. If Webb had seriously apologized for and repudiated his statements, this would be a dead issue, but since he wouldn't even acknowledge the women who said they were actually harmed by his statements, it lives on.

Still, why not instead send out flyers telling Virginians what Webb supports -- it would win more votes for Allen. If only we knew what Webb supported.....

"They are desperate," (Kristian Denny Todd) said. "They can't talk about one positive thing. They can't talk about anything resembling his job or representing this state."

Well, at least Allen has run two TV commercials discussing issues he thinks are important. Webb has run one commercial claiming the support of a dead man, and now the one attacking his opponent about Iraq. Then there was that false body armor ad.

With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, the race between Allen and Webb has tightened as it has become dominated by accusations, countercharges and defenses. And political observers say they expect both sides to keep up the negativity

On rare occasions, I find something I can agree with in the Post.

University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, who attended U-Va. with Allen, insisted again Tuesday that he believes Allen has used racial epithets, although he acknowledged that he has never heard him directly.

Thanks Larry. I believe Allen used the n-word sometime, somewhere as well. I could be wrong, I'm not a psychic like you. But Allen's hung around the south, and Webb said anybody who hung around the south was BOUND to say the n-word sooner or later. Or use it in his fiction books.

LaCivita declined to criticize Sabato. "All I'm going to say about Larry is that he and George did not hang around the same people."

See, Allen wasn't so bad in college, at least he didn't hang around with Larry.

Webb campaigned Tuesday with former vice presidential candidate John Edwards in Fredericksburg, capping a week in which he raised nearly $1 million in a series of star-studded events

First, is Edwards really a star? Second, I bet we don't see Webb with the previous Democrat Vice Presidential candidate any time soon. Wonder if Lieberman could be convinced to campaign for his fellow Jewish senator, George Allen.

Webb also held a news conference with several former military officials who reiterated their support for the Democrat.

I'm sorry, had something happened which them think they had to re-iterate their support? I know why Lambert felt he had to come out again with his endorsement.

"He has the courage and integrity to ask the right questions, not just about the military and the armed forces, but about the country," said former NATO commander Wesley Clark.

Oh, Wesley Clark. Never mind.

Asked about the scandal enveloping Allen, Webb declined to comment, saying it was a distraction to his campaign.

How is his campaign "distracted" by the attacks on Allen? It's not like they are spending a lot of time spreading rumors, forwarding e-mails, meeting with their good friend Doug Thompson, and telling Shelton not to talk to Fox News, right?

"It's not relevant to what I'm trying to do," Webb said.

Your campaign Web team didn't get the message.

"There's six weeks left. I'm trying very hard to get our message out so people who will know who I am. That's really what's important to me."

Be careful what you wish for. After all, the Post suggested there's a lot more mud to be slung, and when you are slinging mud, some is bound to fall on you, even if you've got the media on your side. Are you sure you want Virginia to "know who you are"?

That's what I want, because if people vote on the issues, and know what Webb stands for, Allen will win this thing, despite the mudslinging.

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