Posted on 11/05/2009 5:07:03 AM PST by Kaslin
WASHINGTON -- Bob McDonnell's decisive victory is even more impressive if one stops to acknowledge that it came in the face of incredibly daunting opposition, misleading and low-brow campaign commercials, and a "news" organization which often advocates for left-of-center candidates and causes. To win the election, McDonnell had to defeat not only the Deeds campaign, but the DNC, the White House, and The Washington Post.
Lest we forget, this is not the first time this "take no prisoners" strategy was employed by the Democrats and The Washington Post against a Virginia Republican. In fact, three years ago, not only was the strategy wildly successful, but a case can be made that it also cleared the way for Barack Obama's ascension into the White House. All because of one word. One ugly and offensive word spoken by a candidate who should have known better.
While the narrative of Barack Obama's election has become the stuff of liberal legend, it purposely leaves out numerous inconvenient facts -- one being that in John McCain, he was blessed with an out-of-touch and over-matched GOP opponent.
But for that one ugly and offensive word, it is almost certain that McCain would never have gotten the GOP nomination. Instead, the early betting was that the title would have gone to the more conservative and base-friendly George Allen.
Remember him? The media and far-left "historians" would rather that you did not. Back in 2006, while running for re-election, riding high in every poll and considered the front-runner for the GOP nomination, Sen. George Allen of Virginia damaged not only his chance for re-election to the U.S. Senate, but with it, his chance to be the GOP nominee for president.
Allen did this because a young campaign worker for his opponent, Jim Webb, finally got under his skin. This young man of Indian-American descent would show up at Allen events and videotape Allen in the hopes of recording a campaign blooper. Unfortunately for Allen, he finally took the bait and went after the young Webb volunteer during a speech. He pointed at him and said, "This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent . . . let's give a welcome to macaca here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."
Game, set, and match. Not only because Allen spoke what was proven to be a racial slur, but because the left-of-center Washington Post decided to use that one word to destroy the re-election chances of Allen and ultimately take him out of the running for the 2008 presidential election.
The Washington Post did this -- and Carl M. Cannon, the excellent columnist for the Politics Daily site, outlines this in great detail in a recent column -- by publishing, in the 10 weeks leading up to the election, approximately 115 articles, columns, and editorials attacking Allen over his use of the word "macaca" -- 15 of them, as Cannon points out, on the front page of the paper. Can you say "overkill"?
In the end, The Washington Post succeeded in its quest to take down a candidate who, out of frustration, said something beyond the pale. In the process, that one word and that one newspaper may have changed the course of history.
Flash ahead three years and The Washington Post -- in tandem with the White House and DNC -- tried to replicate those tactics against McDonnell. This time they failed.
The thousands of words, millions of dollars, and vicious ads thrown at McDonnell raise the obvious question: What had The Washington Post, the White House, and the DNC so scared? For sure, they feared that if McDonnell won, it would be seen by many Americans as a rebuke of the policies of Obama and the far left. But what else? My theory is that they went after McDonnell in such an over-the-top way because he is seen not only as a threat to the Obama agenda, but quite possibly to Obama himself in 2012.
Think about it. The GOP bench for 2012 is somewhat thin and, for the moment, splintered. Imagine a newly minted governor from a Southern state who brings a résumé to the game like few before him. In McDonnell, the GOP would have a governor who served 21 years in the U.S. Army, was a prosecutor, served 14 years in the Virginia House of Delegates, was an attorney general, had a very successful private sector career, and even has a daughter who is an Iraq war veteran.
While McDonnell's only concern is serving the people of Virginia, it's easy to understand why the left would fear him. That said, the last thing the people of Virginia or the United States need is yet another self-centered and morally bankrupt politician.
If McDonnell puts the interests of his state and nation before his own and those of his party, he may have a productive governorship and an interesting future. If not, it's "We the People" who once again pay the ultimate price.
The WP is full of macaca.
I watched the acceptance speech by new governor McDonnell and was very impressed. God bless him and his family - because the Marxists won’t stop trying to destroy him since they do obviously fear him.
bttt
WaPo is evil. It’s that simple.
Just a question, what language is macaca, and what does it mean. I had never heard the word until the WaPo used it to destroy Allen. BTW, he only lost by less than 1%. He should have requested a recount and challenged some ballots - you know the Gore/Franken approach to elections.
Even one of its biggest Stockholder’s Warren Buffet knows its dying.
WaPo is evil. It’s that simple.
“It continues to amaze me that people read the WP without realizing it’s little more than the talking points for the DNC.”
I read their online sports and that’s it (I’m a Redskin fan, which is embarassing to admit considering how horrible they are).
Stop contributing to WaPo. Find some other newsource.
It doesn’t cost me a penny.
I think the stalker to whom Allen was referring was wearing a Mohawk hairdo--my theory is that Allen started to say "Mohawk" but modified it in mid-word because he was afraid he might offend American Indians.
It doesn’t cost you anything but each “hit” gives them advertisement money. That’s how they are staying afloat.
Governor’s races are very important. That’s where we get our most viable candidates for the Presidency. Plus conservative control of the state administration makes it harder for Dem vote fraud to occur.
There. Fixed that.
Not a bad article, but his portrayal of how "macaca" came to be is off the mark. I don't know how many times I have to say this. It was a joke that backfired horribly. And no one, not this author, not even Siddarth, had any idea what this word meant when Allen said it. Nor did Allen intend it as an ethnic slur.
But the comparison of how the campaigns responded is valid. McDonnell took the thesis, held a 90 minute press call, answered the questions. And then stopped talking about it no matter how many times the Washington Post or Creigh Deeds tried to bring it up.
From an Eagles fan, I mourn for your franchise. Daniel Snyder’s name is a curse.
Yep. I loved Allen a lot, but he was too apologetic. We don't need another president who lets the media beat him like a rented mule.
Things are pretty bad when anyone is more embarassed to admit to being a ‘Skins fan than a reader of the WaPo ;)
Thought McDonnell and his campaign handled it brilliantly — would say there were some lessons learned after what the WP did to George Allen.
I am totally impressed with your new Governor-Elect. Virginia has proven that good conservative candidates can win with the right message.
Allen got bad advice from his campaign manager. Unfortunately, he followed it.
WMAL in DC just reported that at the “Office Call” today, a small woman was questioning Connolly, who pushed her aside and warned her not to mess with him, that to do so is a felony! That’s what’s called constituent service?
Voting for Connolly should be a felony. Send that jerk packing next year.
Okay, genius. What exactly does 'macaca' mean? To whom is it offensive?
Yeah, he couldn’t have said that. But I take issue with people that blame him for the Senate shifting sides. Reality is he lost in a very close, very hard fought, very targeted race when Republicans were getting slaughtered nationwide.
As for being forced out of politics, I think we’ll see him back. Certainly he’s back as the elder statement and is doing some very good work on energy issues. What lies ahead as far as elective office? He’s probably the only one who could answer that right now and he’s not talking.
Unless he intends on attempting a comeback for the Senate (rematch against Webb), he’s going to have a real problem with the Governorship, since it appears we now have our ducks in a proverbial row for the next 12 years (McDonnell in ‘09-check; Bolling in ‘13; Cuccinelli in ‘17). By January 2022, he’ll be 2 months short of 70 and we’ll likely have younger, newer people by then. Of course, Allen I’m sure would be available to serve in a Cabinet position under President Palin. ;-)
An analysis by Michael Barone offered the point that (other than the only segment of the electorate interested in being swayed by the opinions at the Washington Post is the democrat voter base) one reason McDonnell wasn’t sunk but was actually able to capitalize on the WP attacks was his “sense of command” under fire. I can’t help but think his U.S. Army training served him well there. A sense of discipline that the Allen team probably didn’t have the benefit of. Now Republicans know what to do.
I’ve been a Skins fan since I was a kid, not gonna change even considering how bad they are. After the season is over I hope Snyder hires one of the following:
Bill Cowher
Tony Dungy
John Gruden (Chuckie!)
Mike Holmgren
Corin nailed it. It wasn’t considered a slur ANYWHERE until 2 days AFTER it was said.
But see, where you’re mistaken, and where this writer is mistaken is that Allen did not say this out of frustration.
Trust me on this. I know Allen. I know the people who were there.
Yes, absolutely Siddarth was annoying. But Allen was trying to crack a joke. And the welcome to the “real Virginia” part played exactly as it should have to that crowd of people who feel abandoned by Richmond and Washington.
He DID NOT, look at a video camera and utter a racial slur, and he DID NOT utter it out of frustration.
Trust me when I tell you that the leftist spin that’s been playing on tihs for three years now is NOT the real story.
YES, he said it. YES, he and the campaign bungled the response. But anything beyond that is pure spin.
Actually, I’m in the camp that thinks it’s the owner who should be changed. After this season ‘Skins fans might even welcome Rush as the new owner.
How many coaches has Snyder been thru in his relatively brief time as owner? I’m still ticked at Jack Kent Kook for screwing his own son in his will re the team ownership.
Still, the thing I like about football is that a team that may dominate for a given year or years soon enough goes to the bottom and the bottom teams rebuild and become champs. The ‘Skins willl have their day again, no concerns there.
Oh Good Lord!
Now they will try to infer McDonnell is POTUS material?
Gimme a break!
Until that word was edited into Wikipedia two days later, it was gobbledygook.
We’ll see if McDonnell is POTUS material. Too soon to tell.
As it stands now who is likely to run against Webb in 2012?
I honestly don’t know if Allen would go for a rematch or not. He’s been a lot more visible lately. I’d be the first to jump on the bandwagon.
It scares me to think that Jim Gilmore might consider another run.
It might also depend on how much Bill Bolling wants to be Governor. He bowed out this time to avoid the primary fight with McDonnell, so the assumption would be that it’s “his turn.” But his running and defeating Webb could open the way for Cuccinelli to run for Governor in 2013.
I could live with that scenario.
Gilmore’s absolutely horrible showing in ‘08 should give him a clue that elective politics has concluded for him.
You’ve never met him, have you?
Losing his bid for the White House and his bid for the Senate wasn’t ~his~ fault...
Nope, never met him.
I was being a bit facetious. But the reality is he has a huge ego. And he’s quite arrogant.
I thought you might’ve been heading there... ;-)
Senate rematches don’t always fare well for the challenger. To beat Webb, we need a war veteran. Webb was able to beat Allen by bragging about his Marine service and hightlighting Allen’s lack of it. People may agree that Webb is a jerk, but still approve him for his patriotic service.
Tell that to Jeanne Shaheen.
"To beat Webb, we need a war veteran. Webb was able to beat Allen by bragging about his Marine service and hightlighting Allen’s lack of it."
Sure worked for John McCain when he beat Zero in Virginia... Oh, wait...
Jeanne Shaheen lost to Sununu in 2002 due Bush’s high approval ratings at the time. Then in 2008 with Bush’s approval ratings low, Shaheen won.
Webb will be up for re-election with Obama on the ballot. Depending on Obama’s 2012 approval ratings, the Obama worshippers, who were disinterested in Deeds, may flock to the polls for their “God”. If they do, then Webb is the favorite to serve another Senate term.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.