I have a confession to make: I'm going to be sad when this race is over. You all know how much I love writing my diaries for you guys but this particular race I'm just too fond of. It's just a great joy to get out of bed in the morning and wonder, "What's the Cooch going to say today that I can write about?" Well, the Cooch (R. VA) didn't let me down:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been trying to downplay his outspoken opposition to abortion rights in his campaign for governor this year as part of an effort to win back the support of women voters.
But in his speech to the Christian Life Summit last year -- unearthed Monday night by NBC12 -- Cuccinelli said he is surprised that God has not yet "imposed" more judgement on America for allowing abortion to be legal.
"Really, given that God does judge nations, it's amazing that abortion has run as far and foully as it has, without what I would consider to be a greater imposition of judgment on this country," Cuccinelli said. "Who knows what the future holds?"
Cuccinelli also criticized the Catholic church for its "soft and weak" leadership on social issues. - Huffington Post, 10/15/13
More below the fold.
The Cooch has been downplaying his radical stances on social issues because it's been hurting him in the polls. But now it seems like he's shifting back to them so he can fire up his religious whack job base. But even if he does try to pivot back to social issues, there's still one big factor hurting him in this race:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/...
With three weeks to go until Election Day in Virginia, a new poll indicates Democrat Terry McAuliffe holding a single digit advantage over Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the battle for governor.
And the survey, by the Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, also suggests that the partial government shutdown is hurting Cuccinelli more than McAuliffe. Virginia is home to a large number of federal government and defense industry workers, many of whom have been impacted by the two-week long shutdown.
According to the poll, which was conducted Tuesday through Sunday, 46% of likely voters in the commonwealth back McAuliffe, a businessman and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who's making his second bid for governor. Thirty-nine percent of those questioned say they support Cuccinelli, with Libertarian Party candidate Robert Sarvis polling at 11%.
The Christopher Newport University poll is similar to two other surveys released last week in the Virginia gubernatorial battle. McAuliffe led Cuccinelli by eight points in a Quinnipiac University poll and held a five point margin in a Roanoke College survey.
Most voters questioned in the poll say neither candidate bears any responsibility for the partial government shutdown, but of the 13% who pointed fingers, 47% blame Cuccinelli and only 7% blame McAuliffe. And McAuliffe leads Cuccinelli by 15 points among likely voters affected by, or know someone affected by, the shutdown.
"The shutdown is definitely motivating some voters against Cuccinelli, who already had a Tea Party problem with Independents and business-minded Republicans," said Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center. - CNN, 10/15/13
So yeah. there's that. Meanwhile, T-Mac is getting some extra fundraising help from Hilldawg:
http://www.latimes.com/...
Tapping California’s political donors, Hillary Rodham Clinton will later this month headline a Beverly Hills fundraiser for Virginia gubernatorial candidate and longtime family friend Terry McAuliffe.
The Oct. 30 luncheon, hosted by media mogul Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl, will cost $15,000 per person and $25,000 per couple, according to an invitation.
Clinton has largely skirted politics since stepping down as secretary of State in February, but of late has begun advocating for McAuliffe, who is a longtime confidant and fundraiser for Clinton and her husband, former President Clinton.
The former first lady is scheduled to formally endorse and publicly campaign for McAuliffe at a “Women for Terry” event in Falls Church, Va., on Saturday. She has already headlined one fundraiser for him, and will take part in another Tuesday night in New York City.
On Monday, the former president sent out a fundraising appeal asking for donations to help McAuliffe as well as Democratic candidates across the nation.
“Despite what you might hear from the media, the next election isn't in 2016 or 2014. In Virginia, it's just 22 days away, and there's a lot on the line,” Bill Clinton wrote. “My close friend Terry McAuliffe is running for governor (he'll be a great one!) against a guy who's really out there.” - Los Angeles Times, 10/15/13
That money will certainly come in handy but we need to make sure our base gets out and vote. That's the key to winning this race. If you would like to get involved with McAuliffe's campaign, you can do so here:
http://terrymcauliffe.com/