Former Gov. Wilder In No Hurry to Endorse Deeds

There are several stories that ought to be raising concerns among Democrats in terms of the outcome of the race for Virginia Governor this fall. While Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell continues to falsely market himself, Creigh Deeds is largely invisible. Worse yet, he seems to being doing no outreach whatsoever to black or LGBT Virginians without whom he will not be elected governor. Should that happen, Virginia will have policy made via McDonnell by Pat Robertson, James Dobson and the Family Foundation all of whom are de facto racists, anti-gay and any Hispanic under the guise of immigration issues. In terms of gays, I don't believe that this election cycle Deeds has even conceded that we exist. Politico has a story that was reprinted in the Virginian Pilot that looks at Doug Wilder's reticence in endorsing Deeds and the Daily Press also has a story today on Deeds' weakness with key constituencies. First some highlights from Politico:

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The Obama administration dispatched a senior aide to Richmond Wednesday to urge former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder to get behind state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.
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But Wilder, in disclosing the meeting in an interview with POLITICO, made it clear that he remained far from endorsing Deeds and was in no hurry to weigh in on the closely watched race — all the while outlining with his typical brutal candor what he thought some of the party’s challenges were and what was at stake. On what the former governor called “bread-and-butter issues,” he said of Deeds: “Tell me what the man has done? I haven’t heard it.” Asked if he thought Deeds may have a problem this fall with African-American voters, Wilder said flatly: “I do.”

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He said black voters have no reason at the moment to vote for the nominee and referred to the decision this week of BET co-founder and Democratic donor Sheila Johnson to support GOP nominee Bob McDonnell. “Many people feel taken for granted and I think that was built into the decision Mrs. Johnson made,” Wilder said.

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And Wilder took a similar swipe at the state Democratic Party, saying he had not heard from its high command. “I’m right here in Richmond,” he said with a chuckle. “I thought the party headquarters was in Richmond.” But Wilder also said that Obama officials had aggressively sought his endorsement for Deeds. They argued that keeping the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands was important for the president’s political standing.

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In last month's three-way primary, Deeds fared poorest in the Richmond-to-Tidewater region where Wilder still commands the most influence. Democrats are concerned that the state senator, who hails from an overwhelmingly white Allegheny Mountain town, may not have the same appeal to black voters as their past two governors, Alexandria's Mark Warner and Richmond's Tim Kaine.

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While he won the Democrat primary, I have personally viewed Deeds as the weakest candidate against McDonnell - Deeds is from the most backward part of the state and it is politicians from those areas of rural Virginia that have largely kept Virginia in the 19th century on social issues and the lack of transportation funding. The Daily Press likewise looks at Deeds' potential uphill battle. Here are some highlights:

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"No question, there's a lot of softness in support among some core constituencies and he's got a lot of work to do," said Democratic blogger Ben Tribbett. Perhaps Obama's first visit for Deeds on Aug. 6, a rally and fundraiser in the Virginia suburbs a short drive from the White House, will change some of that.

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But each day, White House allies such as the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America barrage millions of volunteers and activists with e-mails, tweets, and postings on social networking sites. They exhort them to reprise last year's door-knocking, phone banking and neighborhood canvassing to pressure Congress to enact Obama's priorities, particularly health care and climate change legislation. Virginia's election? Check back later.

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But how much courtship is needed for liberal activists to fall for a moderate, sometimes even conservative, country lawyer. The candidate is a state senator from Bath County, far from the cities and suburbs where Democrats thrive.

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Deeds has supported gun rights legislation, notably opposing a state law limiting people to one handgun purchase per month. He supported Virginia's constitutional ban on gay marriage. He has not rejected a coal-fired power plant proposed for Surry County and he backs clean coal research, calling that energy source too important to be dismissed. That helps explain the midsummer chill between Deeds and some liberal groups.

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Virginia Beach environmentalist Eileen Levandoski, who runs blog VBDemocrats.org, said young, Internet-savvy Democratic volunteers are multitaskers who can push simultaneously for Deeds and the president's agenda. They just haven't. Levandoski likes Deeds for his unpretentious manner and sides with him on many issues. But she echoes those Democrats who complain he hasn't spoken forcefully enough on issues dear to their hearts.

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"We want him to win, but we want him to win engaged on what is front-and-center on our minds," Levandoski said. Black voters are another major Democratic constituency where Deeds has work ahead.

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In some ways by nominating Deeds the Democrats have set the stage where the election will be perceived more as a contest between two Republicans rather than candidates from different parties. Admittedly, I did not support Deeds in the primary for the very simple reason that I had concerns whether he can motivate liberal voters and voters in Northern Virginia and Tidewater who may see him as just a watered down version of Bob McDonnell. If Deeds cannot carry Tidewater, he cannot win in November.