Yesterday, both Survey USA and Public Policy Polling released polls showing Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli all leading their opponents in double digit margins.
McDonnell leads Democrat Creigh Deeds, 58-41% (Survey USA) and 55-40% (PPP).
Bolling leads Democrat Jody Wagner, 56-42% (Survey USA) and 50-38% (PPP).
Cuccinelli leads Democrat Steve Shannon, 57-41% (Survey USA) and 52-36% (PPP).
I am a little late to the game tonight, and I have missed the opening statements of the debate. Right now, the debate format is allowing an open discussion about transportation. Deeds is not being clear on the tax increases, yet he came back to the fact that he does not rule out raising taxes. Deeds also mentioned that he believes in leadership and would appoint a committee to come up with a transportation plan. McDonnell talked about how his plan for improving transportation, while mentioning that Creigh Deeds does not have a transportation plan.
In terms of the budget, Deeds had difficulty answering which programs he would cut and he mentioned that he would be utilizing the general fund to help address the budget crisis. McDonnell laid out how he would cut spending by doing an internal review of each of the departments at the state level to see what’s working and what’s not. McDonnell also mentioned that he would allocate a portion of the budget towards improving education in Virginia.
The question period, then turned to the negative campaigning by both candidates. Creigh Deeds defended the thesis allegations and said that Virginians have a right to know where Bob stands on social issues. Bob McDonnell talked about where he stands on the social issues. McDonnell is against partial-birth abortion, and we need to adopt a fatherhood initiative. McDonnell mentioned that his main focus will be on boosting employment and the economy.
The moderator called Deeds out on the 35 bills claim and clarified that it was only 8 bills. Deeds tried to refute this.
Now, both candidates are back to focusing on the economy. The question focused on the stimulus legislation and why we are last in spending the transportation funding. McDonnell pointed out that it would help if we had a full-time governor to address these issues. McDonnell said he would focus on improving the employment situation and boosting a job initiative. McDonnell has talked with business owners across the Commonwealth and would reduce taxes to help stimulate the economy.
Deeds said that the Governor has done the best he could with the stimulus situation and blamed the lack of shovel ready projects. Deeds mentioned that we need a tax credit for every job created. The two pillars of infrastructure we need to focus on is education and transportation.
The moderator, then turned the questions, asked how they would fund higher education initiatives. Creigh Deeds mentioned his plan to make college more affordable by saying if a student holds a B average, then they would receive lower tuition.
McDonnell indicated that we need to make college more affordable and accessible. His plan is to create 100,000 degrees by allocating a portion of the budget to improving the education.
The next question focused on improving health care for Virginians. McDonnell and Deeds are against the public option, but both indicated that they are committed to finding ways to help make health care more affordable in the Commonwealth.
In terms of climate change. Deeds wants to ensure that our environment is going to last, so he is in favor of climate change legislation. McDonnell mentioned MeadWestvaco, which is located in Deeds’ State Senate district, will be impacted by cap and trade. McDonnell said it is bad policy, as it would harm the coal industry and drive businesses out of Virginia.
The next question focused on the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. McDonnell, as Delegate, voted against the bill, but he mentioned that he would double the fund, as it would help with boosting employment in the Commonwealth. McDonnell mentioned his strong business record.
Deeds dodged this question, and went back to climate change. Deeds discussed his endorsements by the League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club, and he said he is against the cap and trade bill. (Note: During his time as a legislator, Deeds voted for cuts to the Governor’s Opportunity Fund in 2007, 2008, and 2009.)
Nice question: Who is the Governor you admire the most? Deeds has learned from Doug Wilder, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine, but he greatly admires Jerry Beliles. McDonnell admired George Allen, because of his strong leadership and how he managed the state.
Closing Statements: Deeds said he would work to create prosperity, hope, and growth within the Commonwealth. Deeds said he would create jobs, improve education, and bring Virginians together to improve transportation. Deeds attacks McDonnell for being a smooth talker and referring to him as being dishonest. Deeds said he would operate in the Warner-Kaine tradition.
McDonnell talked about being a public servant and how he has outlined a strong vision for moving Virginia forward. McDonnell wants a comprehensive energy plan, and said that we need to keep taxes low, while reducing spending. He also highlighted his service as Attorney General and how he would work in a bipartisan matter.
My take on the debate:
Well, you can tell who will continue the Warner-Kaine legacy of raising taxes. Creigh Deeds will continue this tradition, and during these troubling economic times, we definitely do not need this style of leadership. Throughout the debate, I noticed at point that Deeds was getting frustrated and he even dodged an important question about the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. It’s troubling that Deeds wants to place transportation improvements to a committee, instead of taking initiative and being a leader. Being a leader means taking a stance and not backing down, and I just do not see that in Deeds.
On the other hand, Bob McDonnell did a good job defending his initiatives and proposing a solid vision for improving Virginia. He has a plan for improving education, the economy, and boosting employment. McDonnell has proven leadership, and even when times were challenging, he did not back down. His endorsements from pro-business organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police proves that he is a committed leader. Virginia will be in good hands with McDonnell as Governor.
There’s good news for the Republican statewide candidates. All hold significant leads over their Democratic counterparts. According to the SurveyUSA polls, the Republicans hold a 14-19 percent lead.
Here’s the breakdown:
Bob McDonnell. 59
Creigh Deeds. 40
Bill Bolling. 56
Jody Wagner. 42
Ken Cuccinelli. 56
Steve Shannon. 41
It is no surprise that Creigh Deeds is the darling of The Washington Post. After all, he loves high taxes and believes that they are the solution to addressing our budget woes. (On a side note, if it weren’t for revenue projection oversights made by former Secretary of Finance, Jody Wagner, we might be in a better situation.)
If you think for a minute that Creigh Deeds will not end the right to work law, you are wrongly mistaken. When Creigh Deeds announced his candidacy for Governor in 2008, he promised the labor unions that they would have a friend in him. I also touched on this over at Bearing Drift.
RPV released a video laying out Deeds’ final case focusing on his proposals to raise taxes and showing his partnership with the unions.
The Washington Post endorsed Creigh Deeds for Governor. One has to wonder what they were smoking when endorsing Deeds, as he has no concrete proposals on what he will do for the Commonwealth. So, keep on the lookout for the road signs.
When will Democratic candidate for Governor, Creigh Deeds, stop flip flopping around whether or not he will raise taxes? At last night’s debate, Deeds said that the ads running against him on his tax increase stances are not true. Deeds did make comments about raising taxes. He did so after the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce debate, and it was if he was proud of making the remark.
Our economy is in a downward spiral, and we need more pragmatic solutions than raising taxes to address boosting our revenue.
Wow, what a difference a few months make for Creigh Deeds! In July 2009, Deeds said he would be open to the sale of ABC stores throughout the Commonwealth and allow for the privatization of alcohol sales to help generate revenue (Source: The Washington Post). Then, one month later, Deeds said he was against the sale of the ABC stores, because it is not a viable option, and now, after an appearance on WTOP’s Politics Program with Mark Plotkin, Deeds stated his support of privatizing ABC stores. You can listen to the clip here.
Can we trust a leader who flip flops on issues that will help generate revenue for Virginia without raising taxes? Again, the answer is no. We need a strong leader, who will not stray from his positions on getting the economy in Virginia back on track.
How about a flashback to the primary elections? Creigh Deeds publicly said he is in favor of cap and trade. In fact, Deeds served on the Governor’s Climate Change Commission that recommended a policy that would have been stricter than the policy Congress is considering. Do we need a Governor who supports a policy that would drive more businesses out of the Commonwealth, suppress the coal industry, and enforce stricter energy regulations? No.
Bob McDonnell has released another ad that highlights Creigh Deeds love for taxes and his proposals to raise taxes by $7,800 for Virginia families.
Newspapers across the Commonwealth have called Creigh Deeds out for his negative campaign tactics. Don’t you think dirty campaigning needs a theme song?
