Deeds, a complicated moderate, earns Democrats' nod

If Virginia is getting bluer, Creigh Deeds proved Tuesday that the commonwealth isn't about to swath itself in azure threads manufactured by a partisan spin shop in Washington.

Deeds sports a comfortable, understated blue that is uniquely Virginian and recognizable whether you live in the folds of the Appalachian Mountains or by the shoals of the Chesapeake Bay.

Most of the 320,000 voters who straggled to the polls in Tuesday's heat and thunderstorms were Democrats, and some would even describe themselves as liberals. But those 6 percent of state voters overwhelmingly handed the victory in the gubernatorial primary to a plain-spoken son of rural Bath County, who has never strayed far from the political center over his 18-year career in the state legislature.

While he promises to carry on the centrist policies of Democratic governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Deeds is a more complicated moderate. Warner claimed the title as a businessman, while Kaine earned his stripes as a good-government mayor. In contrast, Deeds must lug around a voluminous portfolio of legislative votes and partisan shrapnel accumulated over nearly two decades.

Anyone inspecting Deeds' record will find some element that inspires a wince. His votes to allow concealed weapons in bars and his opposition to the state's one-handgun-a-month law give pause to urban residents. His support for a gas tax increase is already providing grist for Republicans as summer pump prices rise.

This editorial board counts itself among those who have disagreed with Deeds, occasionally on principle, more often on strategy. But no one who clashes with the state senator ever walks away doubting his genuine love for Virginia or his desire to serve its people with honor.

Joining Deeds on the Democratic ticket is Virginia Beach's Jody Wagner as the nominee for lieutenant governor. Her sharp legal mind and financial acumen make her particularly overqualified for the job she seeks, but she has already proven herself to be a resourceful candidate and public servant. Steve Shannon of Fairfax County has not distinguished himself during his short tenure in the House of Delegates, and he remains a stranger to voters outside his district. If he wants to be the next attorney general, he should start explaining now why he's qualified for the job.

There are no strangers in the gubernatorial contest this year, however.

Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell both served with distinction in the legislature, and both still bear scars from their last election match four years ago, when McDonnell eked out a 360-vote victory in the state attorney general contest. The narrow margin is testimony to the reality that the two men are closer philosophically than either would choose to admit.

Both men are problem-solvers who have left more than their share of skin on the asphalt in transportation funding battles over the past decade. Both deserve credit for their effort, but they also must shoulder blame for the failure to reach consensus.

Deeds and McDonnell spent too much of their previous campaign nit-picking, distorting each other's legislative records and engaging in personal attacks. All that is old news and should stay in 2005's trash bin. McDonnell is not Pat Robertson's minion, and Deeds - like McDonnell, a former prosecutor - is not a friend to depraved criminals.

Virginians don't want tired reruns this year. Both parties have selected candidates with the smarts to offer realistic solutions to the state's transportation, education and economic problems. The question voters will be asking is which man has the grit and leadership to achieve his goals.