By Bob Lewis
SALEM
In their final debate before the gubernatorial race in two weeks, Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell on Tuesday sparred early on how to revive Virginia's ailing transportation system.
In a format that let the men interact, McDonnell said Deeds had no clear plans for building roads. Deeds again offered only general concepts, saying he would sign a bill raising taxes on items that "had a nexus to transportation." When asked to specify, he said if it involves how people travel, it qualifies.
But McDonnell was also taken to task, both by Deeds and the debate panelists, for a list of ideas that raised serious questions about whether they can work or are even permissible under federal law.
The issue later turned to the graduate thesis McDonnell wrote in 1989 at age 34. It was a conservative manifesto that called working women a detriment to society and was critical of gays and unmarried couples who live together.
When asked why his campaign had dwelled on the paper since The Washington Post disclosed it in late August, Deeds said because it's relevant.
"It explains why he has singularly focused on a social agenda during his years in office," Deeds said.
But McDonnell said Deeds seized on the paper because he had nothing else to offer, then played on voter angst about proposals by President Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress.
"He's tied in with his Washington allies on cap and trade and card check and unfunded mandates," McDonnell said, noting a controversial energy bill and one that would make it easier for unions to organize.
The debate, starting exactly two weeks before the polls close on Election Day, has Deeds in urgent need of a game-changing moment and McDonnell needing only to preserve a lead he has maintained for months.
With Republicans eager to reassert themselves in a state they once dominated after being routed at every level a year ago, Deeds is looking to energize Democrats.
He campaigned last week with former Vice President Al Gore, a hero to environmentalists. On Monday he rallied with former President Bill Clinton and, just as importantly, his primary rival and former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe. Next week, he is scheduled to campaign in Hampton Roads with President Barack Obama.
The debate was produced by Roanoke television WSLS and aired nationally on CSPAN. WSLS newsman Jay Warren moderated the debate along with Bob Denton, a professor of communications at Virginia Tech.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Dont read my Thesis, and please dont review my trans plan
Hopefully we can get a replay of the Monica Goodling USAttorney firing scandal, but at the State level. Perhaps a McD admin position for Monica, or someone comparable, is in works.
"Not long ago, it was rare for Regent graduates to join the federal government. But in 2001, the Bush administration picked the dean of Regent's government school, Kay Coles James , to be the director of the Office of Personnel Management -- essentially the head of human resources for the executive branch. The doors of opportunity for government jobs were thrown open to Regent alumni.
"We've had great placement," said Jay Sekulow , who heads a non profit law firm based at Regent that files lawsuits aimed at lowering barriers between church and state. "We've had a lot of people in key positions."
Did you….
….know that Bob McDonnell drove onto the expressway when the toll was still in effect and didn’t throw a dime in the basket?
Could history be repeating itself through the silent majority?
1948: The Great Truman Surprise
New York Times declared, “Thomas E. Dewey’s Election as President is a Foregone Conclusion.” Top pollsters predicted a Dewey win, as did leading national political writers. In fact, with the exception of Truman, everyone else was certain Dewey would be elected. Months before the election, Life ran a cover of a picture of Dewey with a caption that read, “The Next President of the United States.” Headline after headline screamed Dewey as President. http://www.kennesaw.edu/pols/3380/pres/1948.html
Bob won this one too. Deeds
Bob won this one too. Deeds and the democrats are done.
Virginians Cannot Afford Bob McDonnell
Virginians lost in this debate, as no one challenged Bob McDonnell and the Republican members of Virginia’s House of Delegates on their political posturing, political antics and hurtful and harmful political games that caused Virginia to leave $125 million in additional unemployment funds on the federal table; thus forcing our Governor to borrow $250 million for the unemployment program in these very difficult times of record setting levels of high unemployment.
Folks should really read the link to understand that Bob and the Republican delegates put partisan political games above the best interests of many of Virginia’s unemployed citizens. There was no unfunded mandate for a permanent program; but rather, a $125 million grant to fund a $20 million program that could have been repealed by a GA vote in 2010!!!
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/mcdonnell-ducking-cover-jobless-benefits#comment-727344
si
Where is this debate being shown? The VP took the link down after it was taking you to an OLD debate.
Our Next Governor
It's over and the winner is:
Bob McDonnell.
news flash
Bob McDonnell wrote a thesis a couple of decades ago and he is bestest buds with Pat Robertson. I have no idea what Deeds' plans are for the economy, transportation or education, but I thought you should all know about McDonnell's thesis. Oh, and that he knows Pat Robertson.
Did I mention that he wrote a thesis?
How about that he knows Pat Robertson?
You forgot to mention..
that he is an ultra right wing conservative nut job who has a record of trying to push his ultra conservative religious agenda on others through the legislation he has authored. I'll concede he is not the Taliban but his views are definitely oppresive to women. A woman should receive equal pay for equal work and a woman should have the right to chose what to do with her own body and two consenting adults (two women or two men) should be allowed to live as they chose to live regardless of how we personally feel about their lifestyle morally or according to our religious views. And a woman and a man should have the right to use contraceptives if they so choose. It is not Bob McDonnell's or Pat Robertson's decision to make.
I could go on with McDonnell's questionable economic policies (legally and feasabilty but this box is not big enought to explain the falsitudes and impracticalities. Deeds is straight forward. He has a sound record. If the voters turn out, he will win. Demographics are on his side. Voter apathy is his only obstacle to victory.
equal pay for equal work is already the law
I don't agree with all of McDonnell's social views - I'm pro choice, pro-leave-me-and-my bedroom-alone, pro-stay-out-of-my-life, but in total I agree with McDonnell on more issues, particularly economic.
My point in my post was a) Deeds' campaign has been disastrous. Most of his TV time has been spent talking about nonsense and have been attack-based and have not related what he's FOR. b) a certain regular poster here tends to cut and paste the same thing about most topics; about this election cycle it's all been about McDonnell's thesis. Nothing about what Deeds wants to do.
I'd rather have a reason to vote FOR someone rather than AGAINST his opponent. Been a long time since that's happened, and Deeds has run exactly this kind of campaign.e
Medical Marijuana
Someone had better ask about the legalization of Medical Marijuana and the decriminalization of Marijuana, seriously. Virginia has a past with marijuana and Medical marijuana should not be an issue, they tax you for everything so it's not like Virginia's strapped for cash, projects like the Light Rail should be put on pause and let's look at what revenue we can get from Medical marijuana here in Virginia, doesn't Virginia have terminally ill patients and people living with severe pain causing diseases? Doesn't the state provide medical coverage for children only? Now don't get me wrong, you may be eligible for medical assistance if you make less than $8 per hour, but if you make a whopping $8 and up, no coverage for you!! Surely there are no terminally ill patients, or patients living with chronic pain that do not have medical insurance to thier cover pain medicine,...right? Can we please get the political song & dance acts out of the way, and someone ask a real question? President Obama just opened the door for Medical Marijuana and there are a few states that will prosper, because they are not ignorant to the benefits that come with Medical Marijuana, I thought it was all about c
medical marijuana
Yeah, because THAT'S in Virginians' top ten political concerns...
Final debate
Thank goodness this is the last one. Doesn't matter who gets in office, know one will be happy with either candidate. Best thing to do, is flip the coin best of 7 and the winner is the next governor.
No more debates needed. The
No more debates needed. The socialist democrats are history in this state. National elections are next in 2010.
Limited Control
When the Feds offer a deal "too good to be true" like free money, there are always negatives to the bargain such as these expensive & permenant training programs, monetary restitutions, and increased Federal control in our state workings. So quickly people forget the state offering free education to the Ford plant workers - why do we need more mandated costs when the state already does a fair job managing unemployment? When the "gift" is gone, the requirements are still in place.
Anyone remember why the state issued speed limits were set at 55 and 65 forever? The Feds threatened this "gift" money for schools & roads if it was raised. The less Fed involvement is the more honest & less alterior motive VA politicians we have... a gov't for the people instead of for the dollar.
Sambear...
You must be smoking something. Your candidate is trailing in the polls by double digits. Why? Because no one believes what he says and he doesn't have any plans.
Go back to what you are smoking because you are living in a dream world.
Unless voter apathy is too great...
This election may prove quite the shocker for those who really haven't yet grasped the changing demographic in Northern Virginia and Hampton roads. Like Norman Sisisky said, if yard signs could vote, I wouldn't be your Representative right now. Voter apathy is the only way McDonnell can win. Too many people have had their eyes opened up to Republican politics tailor made for the big corporations and wealthy at the expense of lower and middle working class Americans. The Republican voter base just doesn't have the numbers to overcome an active participating electorate of all voters. The problem is that many voters forget that every election has consequences and voter responsibility is a life long commitment. If the voters don't turn out, when the roads continue to grind into disrepair under McDonnell and their districts get drawn up in a way that doesn't truly represent their demographic areas and they can no longer elect the officials to represent them that they so desire. They can only blame themselves for not participating. But I think enough will turn out.
Voter apathy
It would be good if voter apathy of the uninformed occurs on election day. Too many have no idea of the issues or the candidates and are voting with their emotions unfortunately they still vote and their vote cancel out those who have attempted to make informed choices. The fact the the heavy hitters for the democrat and republican parties are now rolling in tells me they want to get out the emotional vote. I think the democrats are running scared that this election is an early indicator of what will happen next November!
HUH???
"Roads grind into disrepair under McDponnell"???? Are you kidding? Have you driven lately? Our roads are in shambles NOW thanks to Mark and Timmy. Deeds has NO PLAN for our roads. As for the statement about Republican politics being tailor made for the big corporations and wealthy at the expense of lower and middle working class Americans, again I must ask? Are you kidding? Tax breaks for big business is so they can EMPLOY more people and LOWER prices. It's a tough concept for Dems to understand, they would rather tax big business, spend those tax dollars on social programs for people who could otherwise work (had the dems not taxed buisinesses so much they cant afford to hire and retain workers in the first place), thereby appearing as the hero when all along they (Democrats) created the mess. Lets quit Hoping for Change, and actually vote someone in who WILL change things for the better, Vote McDonnel for Govenor!
thankfully
The recent machinations of Congress and the Obama administration have reminded Americans that elections do, in fact, have consequences. Hence McDonnell's consistent lead in the polls.