One of the few benefits of the government shutdown is it helps seals Ken Cuccinelli's (R. VA) fate in the 2013 Virginia Governor's race:
http://www.politico.com/...
Democrat Terry McAuliffe tried Sunday to inject the looming possibility into the campaign, appearing at an afternoon press conference in Arlington with two liberal Democratic congressmen, Jim Moran and Gerry Connolly, to call on Republican Ken Cuccinelli “to condemn tea party Republicans for holding the federal budget hostage.”
But Cuccinelli already distanced himself from congressional Republicans in a debate last week, stressing that he does not want a shutdown.
The McAuliffe campaign believes it can, nonetheless, score points in vote-rich Northern Virginia, chock full of federal workers who would be directly affected by a shutdown at midnight on Monday.
They note that the Cuccinelli campaign has been in touch with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the symbol of brinkmanship over Obamacare, about appearing at a joint rally in October. And Cuccinelli is closely identified with the tea party wave that has propelled the showdown. - Politico, 9/29/13
And Cuccinelli's is pathetically trying to claim that McAuliffe would be the one to shutdown Virginia's government:
http://fallschurch.patch.com/...
Cuccinelli pointed to McAuliffe’s pledge that he would not sign a budget unless it included expanding Medicaid under Obamacare. “This is a Washington tactic,” Cuccinelli said. “And if you like the way Washington works, you will like a Governor McAuliffe.”
Cuccinelli released a video saying McAuliffe would shutdown the Virginia government.
Last week, McAuliffe spokesman Josh Schwerin issued this statement:
“While Ted Cruz is doubling down on his efforts to hold the federal budget hostage in order to drive an extreme Tea Party agenda, Ken Cuccinelli still refuses to condemn Cruz for jeopardizing the health of Virginia’s economy and military community. A government shutdown would stifle Virginia’s economic growth and undermine our military’s ability to keep our nation safe. Virginians deserve real answers as to why Ken Cuccinelli would rather satisfy an extreme Tea Party ideology than do what’s best for our Commonwealth.” - Falls Church Patch, 9/30/13
McAuliffe shot back stating that he wouldn't shutdown the local government to expand Medicaid. But political experts claim that the federal government shutdown benefits McAuliffe because it will motivate voters to get out to the polls:
http://www.usnews.com/...
In the lackluster Virginia gubernatorial race, the threat of a federal government shutdown could just be the spark Democrat Terry McAuliffe needs to fire up voters against his Republican opponent Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, experts say.
The two candidates are fighting for votes in the populous northern Virginia region, which is packed with federal workers. A shutdown at the hands of House Republicans inspired by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would disproportionately affect those voters and likely help tip the scale of the close race into McAuliffe's favor.
"Approximately half of the families in Northern Virginia have at least one person who works for the federal government – so it's tangible," says Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "If you've got someone in your family whose job depends upon the federal government to stay open, it's going to matter to you."
But Sabato says at the end of the day, this could help McAuliffe overcome an enthusiasm gap between Republican and Democratic supporters.
"The effect to me is mainly pro-McAuliffe because he's looking for motivators to get Democrats out to vote; it's no secret that people are not in love with him," he says. - U.S. News, 9/30/13
Not to mention Cuccinelli might have a problem with this guy:
http://www.politico.com/...
Robert Sarvis has benefited from disenchantment with both major party candidates, but the 37-year-old former lawyer is proving particularly attractive to a bloc of right-leaning independents uneasy with Republican Ken Cuccinelli’s strident opposition to abortion and gay marriage.
Millions in ads have driven up both sides’ negatives, and many voters don’t want to pick the lesser of two evils. Offered a third choice by a pollster, they pick a guy they’ve never heard of — even if they have no intention of showing up in November’s low-turnout, off-year election.
Last week, Sarvis claimed 10 percent in a Washington Post poll that had McAuliffe ahead by 8 points. When he was taken out of the mix, McAuliffe’s lead narrowed to 5 points. NBC/Marist pegged Sarvis at 8 percent among likely voters.
His standing in the polls puts him right on the double-digit threshold set by the sponsor of the race’s final debate — at Virginia Tech on Oct. 24 — for allowing a third-party candidate to participate.
Cuccinelli senior strategist Chris LaCivita warns that Sarvis, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate as a Republican in 2011, could be a spoiler.
“Going in and casting a ballot for Robert Sarvis is casting a ballot for Terry McAuliffe,” he said. “It’s kind of head scratching that some in the libertarian side of the party would consider voting for Sarvis when Ken has been their guy for so long.” - Politico, 10/1/13
We need to win this race and the Tea Party loons are helping us. Of course we need our base to come out and vote on November 5th. We have over a month until election day, lets help McAuliffe get the voters out. You can click here to donate or get involved with his campaign:
http://terrymcauliffe.com/