I can't beat Lowell's analysis...

Not Ready for Prime Time

I hate to say it - because Creigh Deeds really is a nice guy - but sometimes, nice guys finish last...dead last. Deeds had terrible shortcomings from the get-go. He was uncomfortable campaigning. He was unable to handle questions thrown at him by the press. He couldn't think on his feet in a debate. He never gave Virginians a reason to vote for him. I can't even begin to list what was wrong with his staff, but Lowell is right. Some of those guys should never be involved in politics again. (Well, if they want to help Republicans, that would be OK with me.)

Worst of all, at least in my estimation, was Deeds' insistence on harping on his country background, all the while - as Lowell pointed out - never giving voters a positive narrative about why he was prepared to be governor. (Actually, he wasn't prepared to be governor. He just thought he was.)

Was there no one in the DPV or the Deeds campaign who could cogently point out the absurdities in McDonnell's transportation plan? Of course, that would have required the Democrat to have a plan of his own!

Heck, I'm sure Terry McAuilffe would have let Deeds steal his very detailed plans to get jobs in the state and to solve transportation. Of course, that would have required Deeds to spend time to digest those ideas and to adapt them.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 08:52:39 AM CST

And anyone who tried to make these points on this blog in August got viciously attacked.

During the 4 years prior to his election, Prince Mark worked the non-urban crescent part of Va (formerly known as RoVa) non-stop. Did Creigh do the same with the part of Va with which he is not familiar? Not so much.

Margie, Stevens-Miller, Greg and others have every reason to be thoroughly t-o with the uncoordinated campaign and Cranwell: thanks for turning off our base! Great job.

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by: martinlomasney @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 08:59:45 AM CST

With

Cranwell leaving, who will take over DPVA? Do we get to give input on that or is someone just appointed (one of the IN people I suppose).

Just wondering how the dems plan on recovering from this since we cannot afford to lose a single senator next year.

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by: VADEM @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 09:19:04 AM CST

WE HAVE TO PICK UP CUC'S SEAT IN THE SPECIAL AND OLESEK CAN'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Her only claim fame is the School Board which has t/o'd lots of folks in that district over that last few years.

Who else is Saslaw going to find for that race?

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by: martinlomasney @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 09:47:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Don't forget....

that the Republicans started all of this with special elections early this year where we outworked the Dems and started winning.  We should win in Ken's district because we are even more energized now than we were then.  As for Janet Oleszek, she is the ideal candidate!

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by: cageyd @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 10:33:56 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Did you not see the debates?

Oleszek was a disaster.  I'm sure she is capable, just like I'm sure Creigh is capable, but her campaign abilities are lacking.

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by: Pain @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 11:03:39 AM CST

[ Parent ]

cageyd

is a Repub. That's why he thinks Oleszak would be an "ideal candidate" - she'd be easy to take down, not poised to win.

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by: libra @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:05:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

If you had ever watched Olesek at a School Board meeting there would be no doubt of her

lack of capabilities. She's a disaster as a candidate and an officeholder.

Please God let us find someone else or we will be experiencing another loss.

Again.

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by: martinlomasney @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 23:41:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

How do you know Cranwell is leaving ? Who will run in his place ?

The last time I spoke with Dick right after I'd heard rumors that he might retire from the DPVA chairmanship job I asked him who he was "grooming" as his replacement and although he didn't say directly that he wasn't retiring he made a joke that implied to me that he was "grooming" himself. Given his great sense of humor and the fact that he has an endless supply of jokes to fit any occassion, he might very well have been making a joke to politely avoid revealing his preference prematurely.

But at least I do know that the DPVA party plan does contain very specific and detailed procedures and rules about ELECTION of a new chair or re-election of the current chair every four years so we know the chair is NOT appointed, but rather elected by the members of the State Central Committee, whose members come from every County and City Committee - i.e., statewide influence, not limited to just certain regional power bases like we have in the General Assembly.

I THINK the DPVA chair election occurs in gubernatorial election years, but I don't know if that is correct, or if it has already occurred or will be at the next quarterly meeting. Anyone out there know for sure ?

                      T.C.

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by: Tom @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 10:17:42 AM CST

[ Parent ]

In the case

of the party chair leaving/dying/etc, the next in line is the first vice chair, if I remember correctly. If that individual leaves/dies/etc, then there is undoubtedly a nomination period and then a state central committee meeting to elect a new chair and vice chair.

Either way, Cranwell was elected for four more years this summer past. Maybe in 3.5 years there will be someone new but not until then.

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by: Tiderion @ Tue Nov 10, 2009 at 16:00:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That was spot on

And more or less validated what I thought. I was personally kind of pissed that I made a big donation at an event attended by Obama, and Deeds kept trying to hit me up even as he rejected Obama's policies.  I wanted to ask him, "do you think I took off work early and battled traffic just to see you?"  

Whatever you can say about McDonnell, he didn't fall into the trap of the "real Virginia" being downstate and way beyond the Beltway.  Unbelievably, Deeds acted like that was the case.  My hubby is from a rural part of the state, I know there tends to be a big difference in outlook and political priorities, but Deeds never really seemed to get it.  

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by: rb6 @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 09:59:56 AM CST

From

Kos:

And today, Think Progress expands on that point with a look at how Creigh Deeds failed to run as a progressive ... and failed miserably:

NOT PROGRESSIVE ON CLIMATE: By the end of his campaign, Deeds was running ads attacking Obama's clean energy agenda, saying Obama's "cap and trade bill" would "hurt the people of Virginia." Other ads carried the same message: "Creigh Deeds says no to any new energy taxes from Washington." Instead of disputing his Republican opponent's false attacks on climate legislation, Deeds amplified them. Deeds chose to run away from his past record on environment and climate issues.  [...]

NOT PROGRESSIVE ON HEALTH CARE: During the final gubernatorial debate, Deeds stressed that health reform must "reduce costs so more people can afford insurance" and "increase coverage," but argued that creating the option of a public health care plan "isn't required." "I don't think the public option is necessary in any plan...I would certainly consider opting out if that were available to Virginia," he said. [...]

NOT PROGRESSIVE ON LABOR ISSUES: "When I'm governor, you won't just have a friend in Richmond - you'll have a partner," Deeds told union supporters in October, 2008. However, despite support from SEIU and the Teamsters, Deeds then proceeded to campaign on an anti-labor platform. He opposed the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) - which would have created a fairer path toward unionization for workers - saying it would "put us at a competitive disadvantage" and reasserting the false right-wing claim that EFCA would eliminate the secret ballot in union elections.  [...]

NOT PROGRESSIVE ON IMMIGRATION REFORM: More than one in ten Virginians are immigrants. The Immigration Policy Center also points out that Latinos comprised 2.0% (or 74,000) of Virginia voters in the 2008 elections - enough to make a difference in a tight race. Creigh Deeds might regret repeatedly voting in favor of legislation that would hurt a large and growing part of his constituency.  

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by: VADEM @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 12:06:56 PM CST

You were not "viciously attacked."

We are progressive Democratic bloggers who blog for progressive issues and candidates.  We also blogged to turn and keep Virginia Blue.  Creigh ran as more of a so-called "radical centrist" (or really a conservadem), unfortunately.

Under no circumstances could it have been better to elect McD than Deeds.

During primaries we tried not to provide ammunition Republicans could use later.  And during the general we try to elect, not to take down, our own candidates.  You persistently worked against that.  But when others called you on what you were doing it was not "viciously attacking" you.  Indeed, you pretty relentlessly and viciously attacked our own candidate.  That's not why we are here.

After the fact, have at it.  But let's agree to keep it as constructive as possible.  To do that, ultimately, we have to dissect the campaign and all the problems. I will do so too, in my own time.  But we are talking about human beings who sacrificed a lot to run. Let's try to remember that.

Just my two cents.

"One person, one vote" died at the hands of SCOTUS, January 21, 2010

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by: KathyinBlacksburg @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 13:53:38 PM CST

Yes, you in particular were condescending and authoritarian. Go back and read your "can we talk post" in the cold light of subsequent events.

What I wrote properly, and accurately, identified the tactical failings of this candidate and his campaign and suggested essential changes that needed to be made (like spend more time in NoVa and the rest of the urban crescent) at a time when those changes might have had a chance to make a difference.

Too bad that tacitical debate was shut down before it had the time to be effective and avoid this disaster. But that's the choice you made.  It's your blog. Hope you got everything you wanted out of it this election cycle.

Politics ain't beanbag.  If we can't discuss midcourse corrections here, if all this blog is going to be every summer and fall ('cause we have elections every year) is a mindless cheerleader for every tactical blunder everybody with a D next to their name ever makes, then there are going to be a lot more days like yesterday in our future. But as I wrote, its you blog.

BTW I'll confidently wager I put in more hours and money into this fall's campaign season to elect progressives than many on this blog, including you.

While everyone keeps describing Creigh as a "nice guy", I found one disturbing similarity to W: he appeared to seek the office not to implement a program to improve the lives of Virginians but for the glory and honor of the title to which he somehow came to believe he had become entitled.  He wanted the office to be somebody, not to do something.

He was woefully ignorant of issues facing Virginia's higher education system which made his promise of 70,000 additional colleges degrees a source of both mirth and disgust: given the miserable graduation rates at most Va public universities, there was no credible way to get close to that number, unless, of course, his plan was to send even more Va. high grads out of state for college. Maybe he was gonna have a lend lease plan to rent dorms from the states to whom we are renting our prison cells.  We'll never know. He never told us how he was going to make it happen.

He displayed an arrogant dismissiveness toward the well founded anxieties of NoVa parents concerning access to Virginia's very limited number of effective public universities or the need to improve the performance of Virginia's many failing public universities.

He had no idea of the size of the Fairfax County Public School system or that it was the largest employer in Fairfax. Pretty disturbing when put together with the fact that Fairfax is the economic engine of the Commonwealth. (Doesn't that make FCPS the economic engine of the Commonwealth? Scary, especially given the near total mess that the FFX School Board is in.)

And this guy wanted to be known as the education governor? Seriously?

[Also BTW Connolly's boy, who clearly sought the Providence SB slot as a stepping stone toward higher office, lost. Anybody know anything about the winner.]

Deed's transportation plan was a pathetic joke and he didn't care because "it was better than McDonnell's"; which is damning with the fainest of praise possible.

Creigh and his minions were simply not ready for primetime.  What the hell was Fred Hiatt thinking?

I will not go so far, as others on this and other blogs have, as to say that no Democrat from the rural part of Virginia can ever hope get elected state wide.  I will say that such a candidate had better spend several years (not a couple of days) becoming familiar with the needs and aspirations of the heart of the Virginia Democratic Party, which is the progressives in the urban crescent, and demonstrate that understanding before such a candidate can take themselves seriously or expect us to take them seriously in the future.

That is not to dismiss issues facing the non-urban crescent (trying to avoid RoVa because it's sooo offensive - I'll ask again: got any better suggestions?) or more moderate Ds.  Prince Mark was very effective in disarming the suspicions of rural folks toward the venture capitalist, Harvard lawyer from the people's republic of  Alexandria mem with his Nascar racer and medical foundation.

The base of the D electorate is not in the non-urban crescent part of Va (God that takes forever to type). It's the progressives in the urban crecent - ignore them at our peril.

Constructive enough for you?

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by: martinlomasney @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 01:21:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]