The Washington Post today endorsed Democratic Senate hopeful Harris Miller over Jim Webb in the upcoming June 13 primary:
Some Democrats have convinced themselves that only a candidate with Mr. Webb’s résumé and panache stands a chance of knocking off incumbent Sen. George Allen, a Republican with a daunting track record of electoral success. But that would be missing a key point, which is this: Of the two primary candidates, Mr. Miller is the better-briefed, better-focused and more thoughtful. He would make the better senator.
I’m no expert on Northern VA politics but I’ve heard that the Washington Post endorsements are pretty powerful there. This piece falls right in line with what the Pilot editorial on Miller said a few weeks ago. In that piece, the Pilot said:
Once the topic moves beyond Iraq, Webb labors in deep waters that Miller swims in easily.
Similarly, the WashPo endorsement:
Mr. Webb’s somewhat strident populism on trade policy tends toward xenophobic sloganeering and business-bashing. And while he is right to focus concern on the widening disparities of Americans’ income and wealth, his ideas about the problem’s causes and possible antidotes are sketchy.
You can read about Miller’s stand on various issues in the pages of his website. Webb’s site reflects a single page of issues.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 