Wake up and smell the Kaine
A. Barton Hinkle is at it again:
Come November, Virginians will face a tough choice in the gubernatorial race: whether to vote for a pro-life, pro-gun tax-cutter who opposes homosexual adoption and who will enforce the death penalty - or the Republican, Jerry Kilgore.Read the whole article here.
The big secret is that Dems-in-the-know are disappointed with Kaine - for solid reasons - but they're too darn cowardly to risk a Kilgore victory on a vote for Potts.
A recent Mason-Dixon poll suggests that Republicans are providing most of Russ Potts' gains. If Democrats were paying attention to what Kaine is saying, perhaps they'd be supporting Potts too.
posted by Randy @ 7/26/2005 11:18:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Amen, brothers and sisters. Bring on Potts. Kaine and Kilgore are both jokers. I liken Potts at the Commonwealth level to Sen. McCain at the federal level... a maverick, not afraid to believe in his own principles and tell his party's leadership to put it where the sun don't shine!
Potts is certainly sounding more interesting to me these days. Kaine seems to be trying to be everything to all people--he opposes abortion but doesn't want to "criminalize a woman's health decisions." Kaine see himself as a "crime fighter" although the NRA calls him "an enemy of gun rights." He is opposed to the death penalty but would use his power to offer clemency to death row inmates sparingly. I'm having a serious case of Al Gore/John Kerry-flashbacks with Kaine.
I've shared my views on Kilgore in other posts on this blog, but suffice to say, I see him as Jim Gilmore Jr.
Potts is kind of the grouchy old curmudgeon in the corner. When Kilgore said he wouldn't participate in a debate if Potts was invited, Potts called him "spineless" and "weak-kneed." On what has become the central issue of the Kilgore-Kaine debate--the Warner tax increase--Potts was one of the few Republican state senators to support Warner. He has also said that he feels that the increase didn't go far enough. On the $500+ Million surplus, Potts has said, ""There is no surplus when you still have bills in the drawer that need to be paid," he said." I like his no-nonsense, straight-shooter credentials.
Personally, I don't see a vote for Potts as "risking a Kilgore victory." To me, a Kilgore or Kaine victory would almost be equally as bad--with Kaine slightly better. But still, I'm sick enough of politics as usual to vote for Potts even if he doesn't stand much of a chance.
I don't think its any big secret that Democrats are unhappy with Kaine. Its been posted on the internet, discussed in editorials. The Dems obviously don't want to lose Virginia, but I doubt any of them are that thrilled with their candidate.
Kilgore also sucks. He has no experience, and just echoes the Bush administration's economic theories of cutting taxes and spending tons of money we don't have.
This is so often the quandry for me - do I "throw away" my vote on the independent, therefore not giving my vote to the lesser of two evils (in my mind, Kaine)?
Idealistically, I answer yes. The democratic process should allow us to vote our conscience, regardless of the outcome. Maybe he'll win.
Then, the pragmatist in me says the stakes are too high, and giving a vote to Potts would be giving a vote to Kilgore. I'm really torn.
Can anyone tell me why VA governors only have one term? That seems like such a stupid rule to me. Its like they just get the hang of the job, and they have to leave.
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