Must Read - What does Kaine's nomination mean to VA Democrats?

[1776Forever]

Check this out:

The Death of the "Virginia Democrat?"
Tim Craig

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/01/the_death_of_the_virginia_demo.html?hpid=topnews

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's expected appointment as the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee will likely undermine the Democratic candidates for governor ability to distance themselves from the national party.

Ever since Senator-elect Mark R. Warner (D) ran for governor in 2001, Virginia Democrats have gone out their way to stress that they are different from the national, more liberal, wing of the party. That branding of a "Virginia Democrat" - pro-business, socially moderate - was then used by Kaine during his race for governor in 2005. It also helped Sen. James Webb in 2006.

But now the head of the Virginia Democratic Party will also be in charge of the national committee. When the eventual Democratic nominee for governor takes on Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the GOP nominee, this fall, they won't be able to position themselves as somehow different than the national party without first distancing themselves from Kaine.

GOP officials in Richmond were gleeful when they heard about Kaine's appointment. "The Mark Warner model is dead," one Richmond-based GOP strategist said.

Democrats argue that it will no longer be a liability for them to be linked to the national party now that Barack Obama, who easily carried Virginia this year, is the titular head of the party.

But Kaine will also be easily attached to the Democratic leadership in Congress, who polls show are unpopular, and other elements of the national party that the governor will have to cater to, including national liberal bloggers, labor unions, environmentalists and other elements of the party base. And when voters go the polls this November, the election will no longer just be a partial referendum on Kaine, the governor, but also on Kaine, the head of the national Democratic party.

.........

Is this where "we" are going to go from here?

[w4rma]

1. If we had a good candidate for governor coming up I would be very happy with this news.

Virginia Democrats *should* attach ourselves to the national party.

[Bucky]

2. Governing is always a chance to win over independent minded voters

The "Virginia Democrats" have done an excellent job at this--building strong business climates and smudging the lines for most of the name-calling, wedge issue politics Republicans use to get elected. Kaine moving into a national spotlight will continue to make it harder for Republicans to get elected by attacking all Democrats as liberal elitist anti-business snobs (if you'll be so kind as to ignore the obvious contradictions), and continue to reduce the Republicans toward becoming the party of social hysteria and moral panics.

Obama, it should be noted, has the same (and greater) opportunity nation-wide. If he manages the economy well and can reignite job growth through liberal policies, then that will be a huge step toward establishing the Democrats as a lasting majority party. Liberalism, after all, started out in the 18th century as the principal philosophy of unshackling commerce from government intrusion.

[BR_Parkway]

3. IF the Dem leadership in Congress would listen to the liberal bloggers

, labor unions, environmentalists and other "fringe" elements of the party base - they might not be so damned unpopular. I really, really wonder who they think actually voted for them if not us "fringey" Democrats.

[1776Forever]

4. I am right there with you. n/t

[SheilaT]

5. The rank and file voters have

no idea who the party chairs are. Heck, I couldn't tell you who the RNC chair is, and I'm a political junkie.

The Virginia Democratic Governor candidates will have no problem continuing to distance themselves from the national party, if that's what they want to do.

[KamaAina]

6. "who easily carried Virginia this year"?

As I recall, VA was among the last Eastern states to be called.

edit: early returns actually had McLoser in the lead. Then NoVA came in for Obama.