New Poll: Support the nominee

Local, National, Politics, Virginia 1 Minute

In the sidebar to the right is a new poll. The question is straightforward: will you support the Democratic nominee for US Senate?

Published

12 thoughts on “New Poll: Support the nominee”

  3. FT – I hope you voted in the poll as well 🙂

    Mimi – I intentionally didn’t make “maybe” an option 😉

    I know it’s early, but it is really nice that there is only 1 no vote so far 8)

  5. Klein’s piece is brilliant. And it essentially affirms my original argument for supporting Webb. And one I used in supporting Dave Marsden’s recent successful campaign in Northern Virginia.

    The key to turning Virginia blue is precisely our ability to reverse the trend of Democrats who leave our party for the Republicans. We had been bleeding conservative and moderate Democrats for 25 years.

    It’s time we welcomed back a few Republicans for whom the Republican Party has grown too extreme. And Webb supports most of the Democratic so called litmus issues like abortion rights and gay rights anyway. As did Dave Marsden.

    I’ll go with an economic populist outsider for whom the Republican Party is no longer home because they are too far to the right rather than a so-called moderate Democrat who originally supported the war in Iraq, the death penalty, and who is the poster boy for outsourcing of well-paying jobs.

    Let me see, a decorated war hero who was an early opponent of the Iraqi war or a lobbyist for the multi-million dollar telecomm industry – and in a year when ending “the culture of corruption” is a major national theme for Democrats. Hmm, difficult choice, huh?

  6. AIAW,

    You’re right. Klein’s piece is brilliant. But it is not advantage Webb. It is also not advantage Miller. It is advantage Allen.

    I ask you, I beg you, to fast-forward to September and consider the discipline of the Allen campaign and the undiscipline of the Webb campaign. If you really believe that the Webb campaign can reinvent itself in 90 days to ensure that THEY can set the message, well think again. From June 14th on, Allen’s staff will be working hard to set the tone.

    As there is a risk for a less appealing candidate like Harris Miller, George Allen is not so appealing as well. One thing both do have in common: An outstanding internal staff and outside senior advisors, not to mention loyal and enthusiastic local leaders throughout the commonwealth. As for Webb’s staff? They are so far behind that it scares me to think that they will have any true organization.

    Again, it is about political and personal aptitude. Even Klein pointed that out, and it is a painful reminder of how well Miller’s campaign has done and how terrible Webb’s campaign continues to do.

  7. Yes, I did vote in the poll, after I figured out that my “yes” in the comments section was not the way it worked. By the way, I’ve read and agreed with your thoughtful comments on various topics in the last few weeks. You give me hope the untamed blogosphere can be a tool for positive change.

    — Terry

  8. There is an interesting discussion going on over at too conservative regarding the echo chamber of the blogsphere.

    “Due to this condition arising in online communities, participants may find their own opinions constantly echoed back to them, and in doing so reinforce a certain sense of truth that resonates with individual belief systems. This can create some significant challenges to critical discourse within an online medium. The echo-chamber effect may also impact a lack of recognition to large demographic changes in language and culture on the Internet if individuals only create, experience and navigate those online spaces that reinforce their ‘preferred’ world view.”

    This is what I fear has happened within the discussion of Webb v Miller. What really bothers me is that after 6/14, will the hyperbole of the blogs result in such a tremendous division between the factions that Allen wins by default?

    “Can’t we all get along?”

  9. Terry – thanks! And I adore your writings as well. I think there is a tremendous opportunity for the blogsphere to be a change agent in this world of ours, or, as a friend of mine often says, help “move the pile forward.” It is why I blog. And why I urge others to blog responsibly.

  10. FCDC Democrat, I sympathize with your arguments. And I agree that Webb does need to get some experienced staffers and some discipline in his campaign. He is obviously the inexperienced outsider, underdog.

    But he has aroused considerable passion and enthusiasm, not just among bloggers, but other activists. I just don’t see Miller inspiring similiar emotion except among the many party insiders who happen to be his personal friends. It’s admirable to have many friends but I am not sure that it translates into votes.

    If a slick, experienced organization is all it took to get elected, Democrats would not be the minority party in Congress and they would be holding the White House right now.

    It takes a candidate who can inspire voters who don’t necessarily pay attention to who is the more loyal Democrats or how long they’ve been a Democrat.

    Voters respond to the candidate who is talking about the issues that affect their lives. And in Virginia those issues include the war in Iraq, outsourcing of well paying jobs, privatization of the federal workforce, strong defense, national security and immigration policy. And on all those issues, Miller is weak. In a state that has a strong military population, a lot of IT workers, and a region that is virtually a “company town” for government workers, will Miller’s positions on any of those issues inspire voters to pull the lever for him?

    I just don’t think so. I hope we don’t have to find out. And if we do, I hope perhaps I am wrong in my assessment. But right now, I don’t think so.

  11. I have a question: outside of NoVA, how many IT jobs are there in Virginia? The reason I ask is because here in SHR, our economy is mostly driven by the military. This is not a hi-tech area so we don’t have many IT jobs.

  12. One indicator of IT jobs is the number of IT organizations. Haven’t checked recently, but it seems to me that the Tidewater area has quite a few. Mostly connected with the Military. Richmond and Blacksburg also have quite a few.

    Also, I have been pleasently surprised by how many IT people are supporting Miller because they like the idea of an IT guy in power.

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