New NBC/WSJ/Marist Poll of Virginia Spells Bad News for Romney

A new NBC- Wall Street Journal- Marist poll of Virginia (and Florida and Ohio as well) spells bad news for Mitt Romney.  While I will not stop holding my breath until the results are known on election day night, I suspect that the poll results are an indication that American voters have received the message put out by the GOP and Democrat conventions and that the vision of the GOP - preference for the obscenely wealthy at the expense of the middle class and special rights for racists and religious extremists - simply is not selling well.  At least not outside of those individuals motivated by greed, Christianist extremism, racism and anti-immigrant fervor.  Blue Virginia summarizes the poll results as follows:

1. Barack Obama leads Willard "Mitt" Romney by 5 points (49%-44%) among likely voters, by 7 points (49%-42%) among registered voters. 

2. Tim Kaine and George Allen are tied at 46% each among likely voters, with Kaine ahead by 1 point (46%-45%) among registered voters. I continue to find it fascinating that Obama's doing better against Romney in Virginia than Kaine's doing against Allen. Are there really Obama-Allen voters out there? It seems highly unlikely to me.

3. Obama's got a +10 favorable rating (53%-43%) in Virginia, compared to Romney's +1 favorable (46%-45%) among likely voters. Again, it's even a little better for Democrats when looking at registered voters.

4. Note that this poll does not include Gary Johnson (Libertarian), Virgil Goode (Constitution) or Jill Stein (Green). My guess is that if they were included, it would bump up Obama by another couple points.

P.S. Obama leads in Florida (49%-44%) and Ohio (50%-43%) as well. No wonder why Willard's been flailing around, lashing out, acting like a crazy man, etc. recently.

Obviously, between now and election day it remains critical that undecided voters be educated as to what the GOP vision for the nation would really mean for them once Romney/Ryan lies are stripped away.

Virginia Board of Elections OKs Virgil Goode for Presidential Ballot

Today the Virginia Board of Elections handed down a decision that likely has not warmed the dishonest hearts of Republicans: former Congressman Virgil Goode (pictured above) will appear on the presidential ballot in November as the candidate of the miniscule Constitution Party.   Why does this matter?  Because Goode may siphon off votes that might otherwise have gone to Mitt Romney.  Which is why the Republican Party fought tooth and claw to keep Goode off of the ballot (the GOP is doing the same thing to Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson).  The Virginian Pilot has details.  Here are highlights:

Virginia's Republican-dominated electoral board rejected an effort Tuesday by the state's Republican Party to keep conservative former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode off the presidential ballot to avoid draining votes from the GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, in a deadlocked swing-state contest.

Goode, nominee of the obscure Constitution Party, and Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson of New Mexico were both added to the Virginia ballot after Republican Party of Virginia attorneys asked the board for an independent review of alleged irregularities in both candidates' qualifying petitions.

"We're on the ballot, so I'm happy," said Goode, 65, who has been a Democrat, an independent and most recently a Republican during a 36-year career that spanned 12 years in Congress and 24 in the Virginia Senate. Goode lost his U.S. House seat in 2008 to one-term Democrat Tom Perriello.

The Republican Party leveled the challenge against Goode as a Quinnipiac University poll showed Romney and President Barack Obama tied in Virginia. Goode, who was elected five times to Virginia's 5th District seat representing rural Southside Virginia, could draw thousands of votes from a conservative base less than four years after leaving office.

Virginia Constitution Party Chairman Mitch Turner called it an effort by a moneyed major party to intimidate conservative third-party rivals and limit their access to the ballot.

"I think that sends a message to the people that if you are going to buck the establishment, if you want to get out there and make a difference, you better watch out," he said. Goode, who has said he's on the ballot in other states, said early this year he was focused on balancing the budget and limited government. He acknowledged that his likelihood of winning was small, but he said his campaign was more about a message than winning.

Once again - as in the case of voter ID laws that address a nonexistent problem - we see the GOP being unable to win on the basis of its policies and candidates and resorting to blocking legitimate candidates and American citizens from voting to steal elections.

Will Former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode Deliver Virginia to Obama?

Since he was voted out of office, former Congressman Virgil Goode has become a gad fly for both of the national political parties, but especially for the Republican Party.  Now, if Goode can get on the Virginia ballot as the Constitution Party's nominee for president, it is conceivable that Goode could siphon off enough votes from Mitt Romney that he would throw Virginia and its 13 electoral voted decidedly into the Obama-Biden column.  That in turn could assure Obama s re-election.  Needless to say, the GOP will do all it can to keep Goode off of the November ballot.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

Former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode of Franklin County has submitted more than 20,000 petition signatures to get on Virginia's ballot as the Constitution Party's presidential candidate, but will have to wait until after Labor Day for certification from the state board of elections.

The board earlier this month asked Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's office to investigate possible irregularities with some of Goode's petitions, but it remains unclear whether the matter will keep Goode off the ballot for the Nov. 6 election. The state board will meet Sept. 4 to certify petitions submitted by third party and independent candidates.

Goode said Republicans mounted a challenge that kept the Constitution Party off the ballot in Pennsylvania, even though more than 34,000 petition signatures were submitted.  "I'm sure they are looking not just there but in every state they can," Goode said.

Goode said that he has qualified for the ballot in about 25 states, "give or take a few," including battleground states such as Florida, Ohio, Michigan and New Mexico. He also has qualified as a write-in candidate in several states, he said.

But Goode — who has been elected as a Democrat, an independent and a Republican — arguably could have the greatest impact in his home state, where President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are locked in a tight race. Goode said he doesn't buy the argument that he would draw votes from Romney and possibly tip a close race to Obama.

I hope Goode gets on the ballot and makes life most interesting for Mitt Romney and his equally out of touch and greed drive VP oick, Paul Ryan.

Virgil Goode Denies Involvement with Eden's Curve

Not surprisingly, Congressman Virgil Goode quickly denied any involvement witht the gay themed movie, Eden's Curve, written and produced by Jerry Meadors, the artistic director of the North Theater in Danville, which received a $150,000 earmark from the federal budget due to Goode's efforts. Meadows went to great lengths to explain why Goode and his wife, Lucy, are thanked in the closing credits of Eden’s Curve. Of course, even if Goode had no involvement with the movie, many of the Neanderthals in his district will be none too happy now that they know that Goode has a gay Press Secretary who had a part in the gay theme movie. Goode's district includes progressive areas like Charlottesville, but also some of Virginia's most reactionary and backwards areas as well with many Bible beating fundamentalists. Here are some highlights from Charlottesville's Daily Progress:

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U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, said on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with a 2003 art house film that depicts gay sex, violent beatings and drug use. “I never gave any money to that film. Wouldn’t do it,” Goode said. “Haven’t even seen it. Wouldn’t see it.”

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In a bizarre twist to Goode’s re-election bid against challenger Democrat Tom Perriello, news rocketed across Virginia’s blogosphere on Wednesday that Goode and his wife, Lucy, are thanked in the closing credits of “Eden’s Curve,” a gay coming-of-age film that was inspired by a true story that occurred in Danville during the 1970s.

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The film is about a young man who goes off to an all-male college and begins to explore his sexuality, eventually engaging in a ménage a trois with his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriend. Afterward, the roommate becomes jealous and savagely beats the protagonist. A poetry professor takes in the injured main character and they begin a sexual relationship of their own. Once their affair is made public, however, the student leaves school and the professor commits suicide.

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Revelations about “Eden’s Curve” emerged at a Wednesday morning press conference convened by liberal blogger and activist Mike Stark. Stark, a student at the University of Virginia School of Law, is best known for getting tackled by several George Allen supporters in a video filmed at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel in 2006.

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Stark said he was tipped off about the film’s connections to Goode because Stark is a nationally known antagonist of conservative Republicans. “Eden’s Curve” is relevant to Goode’s re-election campaign, Stark said, because Goode is a vocal opponent of same-sex mar-riage.“When you stick to the facts, there’s a question of hypocrisy,” Stark said. “Virgil Goode sets forth this vision of family values that excludes, in a vituperative way, homosexuals. … There’s enough smoke here. And there’s certainly the fire of hypocrisy.”

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In 2003, Goode secured a $150,000 federal economic development earmark to help businessman Roy Gignac finance a $3.5 million restoration of the North Theater in Danville. Meadors is the artistic managing director of the theater.

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Goode added that he was unaware of the subject matter of “Eden’s Curve.” He only knew, he said, that Duncan had a role in “some film.” A spokeswoman of Perriello, Goode’s opponent in the Nov. 4 election, declined to comment. “We just learned about this,” spokeswoman Jessica Barba said. “We’re still trying to process the details. We’re not going to comment on this right now.”

Virginia GOP Politicians and Gay Sex

Sometimes I think some of Virginia's Republican elected officials are bipolar (not to mention not too bright). Publicly, they are vehemently anti-gay and have near perfect zero scores with HRC while privately they follow a different path. In most cases, unconfirmed rumors circulate about their secret lives and remain just that, unconfirmed. Every once in a while however, their secret life gets exposed and the hypocrisy meter goes off the charts. Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon was former Congressman Ed Schrock who represented Virginia Beach. In Congress, he had one of the most consistent anti-gay voting records, but in private he was using Mega Phone to set up gay trysts - until Mike Rogers at BlogActive.com ended the charade and Schrock withdrew from his re-election campaign in 2004.

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Another Republican about whom unconfirmed rumors have circulated is former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore who ran unsuccessfully against current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. To date nothing apparently has been confirmed or Kilgore ceased to be of interest after he lost the race for Governor. Personally, having met Kilgore in person back before he launched his race for AG, let's just say my gaydar indicated that Kilgore must have an extensive collection of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand albums.

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Now, Mike Rogers has his sights on ultra anti-gay Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode about who there have also been rumors of playing for more than one team. BlogActive is reporting on how Goode appears to have given support to the producer of Eden's Curve, a movie that is filled with lots of gay sex and lots of drug use, and which featured his gay Press Secretary, Linwood Duncan. In addition, the conservative Republican Congressman moved an earmark for $150,000 to the very theater in less than gay-friendly Danville, Virginia, run by the movie's producer. Obviously, something looks a bit suspicious. Here are some highlights from BlogActive (be sure to watch the video below on BlogActive):

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"How does Virgil Goode (R-VA) square his condemnation of gay and lesbian Americans while helping to make Eden's Curve?" asks Mike Stark as part of this story of anti-gay hypocrisy and that good old Washington power tool, money.

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[H]ow does an anti-gay Republican US Congressman come to support a movie that is filled with lots of gay sex and lots of drug use? Well, the best place to start is with Linwood Duncan, Goode's Press Secretary. Linwood is gay (an open secret in DC) and has aspirations to be a movie star.

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You're thinking "what's the big deal?" Who cares if Roll Call wrote about a movie starring a right-wing Congressional staffer that was "especially popular at gay and lesbian film festivals across the country because the lead character gets mixed up in relationships with his male roommate..."?I'll tell you who cares. The anti-earmark conservatives care and the anti-gay troglodytes care... A LOT!

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You read it here first: After his press secretary got his first film acting break in a movie filled with gay sex and drug use, the conservative Republican Congressman moved an earmark for $150,000 to the very theater run by the movie's producer. And get this, the press secretary is on the board!

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Mike Stark of Accountability Moments has joined forces with BlogActive to deliver this video with clips from Eden's Curve and questions for Virgil Goode. Watch it and learn the connections between Goode and the film makers and actors, see the earmark that moved $150,000 to the theater run by the movie's producer.