Team Obama: Deeds? The Democrat Running For Governor In VA? He's Done

And don't blame us.

Ah, nothing like throwing a guy under the bus a week and a half before election day.

Sensing that victory in the race for Virginia governor is slipping away, Democrats at the national level are laying the groundwork to blame a loss in a key swing state on a weak candidate who ran a poor campaign that failed to fully embrace President Obama until days before the election.

...A loss for Deeds in Virginia -- which for the first time in decades supported the Democratic presidential candidate in last year's race -- would likely be seen as a sign that Obama's popularity is weakening in critical areas of the country. But the unusual preelection criticism could be an attempt to shield Obama from that narrative by ensuring that Deeds is blamed personally for the loss, particularly given the state's three-decade pattern of backing candidates from the party out of power in the White House.

...But national Democrats are contrasting Deeds with New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine and New York congressional candidate Bill Owens, who they say have more actively sought the White House's help and more vigorously and publicly backed its agenda. Polls show Corzine in a competitive position in New Jersey and Owens ahead, while Deeds has turned aggressively to Obama voters in recent days in an effort to overcome a significant deficit in the polls.

Although Deeds often praises the president on the campaign trail, he has distanced himself from Obama and Democratic policy priorities at times. At a debate in September, he declined the opportunity to label himself an "Obama Democrat." And just this week, he said he did not believe that a public health insurance option is necessary and that as governor he might consider opting out of one if Congress extends that right to states.

Boy, you'd almost think Deeds works for Fox News or something.

As for pointing to Corzine, that is a great idea. You mean Barack Obama is still popular in a hardcore blue state? Wow, better interrupt programming to report that news.

The fact is that Democrats are seeing that Obama is not translating well for anyone but himself in the swing states he carried last year.

While that obviously poses challenges for the GOP in the 2012 presidential race, it's got to have Democrats worried about the 2010 congressional races.

It's a great Catch-22 the Democrats find themselves in, the more congressional candidates find themselves voting for Obama's agenda (health care, cap and trade, etc) the more danger they put themselves in. At the same time, Obama's inability to get anything passed a Congress where the Democrats have overwhelming majorities will damage his chances for reelection.

I get that the environment looks good for Republicans and I understand the need to excite the the team, I really wish GOP officials would stop talking like this.

Leading conservative lawmaker Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) is confident that his party will regain control of the House in 2010.

Dr. Price told reporters Friday morning that the "hyperpartisan state" in the House resulting from "a remarkable lack of leadership" on the part of Democrats bodes well for his own party's chances of picking up 40 House seats necessary to retake the gavel.

In the words of the immortal Han Solo, "Don't get cocky kid".

But do pass the popcorn.

Speaking of not getting cocky...you can sign up to help the GOP candidate in VA, Bob McDonnell here.

And in the closer race in NJ, help Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine.

*I changed the headline because it dawned on me not everyone might get who I was talking about.

posted by DrewM. at 11:53 AM

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