Can Obama Snag Virginia?

Washington Post: Democrat Threatens To End 44-Year GOP Streak In The Old Dominion

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Michael D. Shear and Amy Gardner.

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain will take different messages to different audiences in different parts of Virginia over the next two days, but they will have the same goal in mind: to urge their supporters to spend the final stretch of the campaign fighting for every vote they can find.

Obama will hold a rally today in Roanoke, a conservative part of the state where he hopes to keep the race relatively close. McCain will travel tomorrow to Prince William County, where he aims to cut into Obama's Northern Virginia base.

In his quest to win the Old Dominion, Obama is trying to end 44 years of Republican dominance and become the first Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson to carry the state. McCain's challenge is more immediate, as he has less than three weeks to reverse polls that show a trend against him.

By every organizational measure, Obama's campaign appears to have the advantage -- it has nearly three times as many offices, has contacted tens of thousands more potential supporters, and has helped register nearly half a million new voters this year, most of whom state officials believe favor the Democrat.

But Virginia remains a state with strong conservative tendencies, and it is unclear whether a majority will pull the lever for a Democrat whom McCain has derided as having "the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate." A key to a McCain comeback will be whether Republicans have built a strong enough get-out-the-vote operation in a state where none has ever been needed, something many party leaders question.

"People have no idea how hard you have to work to shake the tree for every last vote," said Rob Catron, a longtime political consultant who has managed GOP campaigns in the Hampton Roads area for years. Republicans "still think, somehow, that Virginia is bulletproof when it comes to presidential elections," he said.

Aides say the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate transformed their effort, energizing church communities, home-schooling leaders and social conservatives.

In Southwest Virginia, there are now waiting lists 300 deep for signs that used to sit on shelves. Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation, is handing out conservative voter guides to churches she had never heard of before. And home-schooling champion Michael P. Farris's "Generation Joshua" is organizing teams of teenage McCain door-knockers in parts of Northern Virginia.

McCain's staff members also say they have recruited volunteers in 1,500 of the state's precincts, assembled one of their best phone and door-knocking operations, and used the latest technology to quickly update voter lists.

The Republican National Committee has also begun making automated phone calls in Virginia and in other battleground states that talk about Obama's connections to "terrorists," a reference to the Vietnam War-era radical William Ayers. And the Republican Party of Virginia has circulated a mailer bearing a dark-skinned face and the words "America must look evil in the eye and never flinch."

Still, Republicans are not bullish about their statewide effort, especially compared with an Obama operation that got in gear before the state's February primary.

The GOP "doesn't even know where the Republicans live" in Fairfax County, bemoaned longtime county Supervisor Michael R. Frey, expressing dismay at what he described as his party's lack of organization, unity and excitement.

"Until Sarah Palin was nominated, there was absolutely no enthusiasm for McCain's candidacy," said Farris, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1993. "People were resigned to vote for him, but that was it. There was no reaching out. No one asked us to do anything. In the last few weeks, people have asked us. So we're going to do it."

Obama's campaign has staged huge voter-registration drives that have gone unmatched by McCain, according to local registrars, who say they are swamped by Obama's efforts.

[snorp73]

Liberals are such tools....

Yes, Obama wants to "spread the wealth around" unfairly.

He doesn''t want to do it by encouraging others to use their efforts to work harder. He thinks he can give them all an allowance with funds received from taxing corporations and capital gains.

Sorry Obama, because of liberal politcal correctness, Fannie and Freddie collaposed leading to stock market disaster. Not one American will be declaring a capital gains surplus for almost 10 years now. Where''s he going to get the money then?

Sorry Obama, when you tax corporations, they merely transcend the tax increase to raising prices of goods and services which we pay for and they cut jobs and wages.

In the end, socialist welfare will continue to lose. Someday, some politician like Palin did, will have to tell America to start with the man in the mirror for a path to true and honest economic recovery for all.

[starleo146]

Sorry, but in case you do not know, nobody watches the ''''Fear Factor'''' game anymore. So, trying to scare people about Higher Taxes is not going to work as you should know so far.

Posted by lovegetpeace at 05:02 PM : Oct 17, 2008
+ report abu

I saw a Bush mouthpiece on CNN and he said, "the way we win at the end, we say over and over higher taxes," and it gets the people every time so folks listen to Mc Same''s mantra once again following the Bush game

[starleo146]

hope not. Olamo will be a disaster for our country. Dem. Pres.+ Dem. Congress = Higer Taxes your income = poorhouse. Stop watching the beltway elite media tube. Show your vote at PitbullPalinNET.

No one can be a worst disaster than that numbbrain that is occupying the White House now.....Unless of course, the "disasta" from Alaska somehow wins...

Posted by dredigga at 06:17 PM : Oct 17, 2008

Are you saying our country is in wonderful shape now, and Obama would only mess it up. Are you kidding me, we are not even close Bush and Cheney already destroyed our country, and Mc Same couldn''t straighten it out, because he doesn''t have the sense he was born with. The Republicans mess everything up, want it all for themselves.

[starleo146]

Thank you Virginia, The state that has the greatest Senator Jim Webb great man, and what a blessing to the U.S. Senate, I can see the next president working well with Webb, both have great minds.

[jimjus]

Obama is the most intelligent presidential candidate USA ever had. He will not only fix the economic melt down but end the unnecessary war also.

[joezap5]

Acorn was the victim of their own stupid quota system. They paid the inner city poor by the hour and "suggested" (quota) that about 14 per day was acceptable.

If you''ve ever registered voters in districts that are being combed by many political organizations at once, during a hectic political season, you see that the region quickly becomes saturated. They should''ve known that once their cash paid, low income, workers were striking out they might resort to fudging the forms.

The fact that the Acorn employees registered fictitious names like Mickey Mouse and John Q. Public, in no way comes close to voter fraud! The Irony is that Acorn, in a way, is the one who was defrauded. But, by being that stupid, they deserve it.

The worst part of the Acorn affair is that the disgusting, Anti-American, Voter Suppressing, Civil Rights destroying GOP is able to lie and use this to their advantage.

After Kathleen Harris & Co. purged tens of thousands of legitimately registered voters in Florida In 2000 (Gore "lost" by less than 270 votes), the GOP will try to claim that this is the reason McCain is going to loose in a landslide. Sick Irony

[claydowner]

NEEDERBAUER: You are wrong and ignorant about Senator Obama. Do rightwingers like you even bother reading the newspaper every day? Read Obama''s website. Senator Obama is going to correct the suffering that average middle class people have under the Bush Administration. Our $11.4 trillion national debt will be a crushing burden that we can pay interest on for a generation. There are huge problems with our country''s economy. We have huge trade deficits, budget deficits, and heavy borrowing from China and other countries to finance our country''s finances.

[tmn]

"LIKE I TELL MY KIDS..."
====
Your poor kids...

[ragnar30066]

Obama will wins hands down in Virginia after all the votes are counted of those who went down with the Titanic.

P.S. Obama has contacted some of his old buds back in Chicago and there is a contract out now on Joe the Plumber.

[farshs]

You people are saying Obama is a Muslim terrorist...same time, you are saying that he has been going to Rev Wright''s church for 20 years. Which one is ture ? make up your mind !!! You said he is associated with Ayer because they served on the same broad. Please don''t forget Biden serves in the senate with Strom Thrumond (asked to maintaining segragation), Jesse Helms (did not view blacks as full americans) Robert Bryd (known member of the KKK). But guess what, McCain is also a senator and serves the same senate as these racists. So by association, McCain is a racist ? You ignorant people say Ayer killed americans and Muslims must be terroists who also kill americans...Helms, Thurmond and Bryd are americans but guess what they hurt/killed their own kind also...
you guys said Obama is not a true american because of a Kenyan father ? Who are the true americans ? The native indians !!! Even McCain is irish..his grandparents were not true "americans"...The GOP has been scaring american public for 7 years. What have they done ? they spent 10 billion dollars a month in Irqau...do you know how many people they can help with 10 billion dollars..they are helping those poor souls in middle east...what about the people in US...it took 5 days to help people in New Orleans under the republican government...they can invade Irqau in less time but they can not get water, food and medicines to New Orleans...How can u vote for the republican party !!!!

[jesuit12]

The moral of the story of Joe the plumber is not to question the government and especially the democrat messiah. Does this give evidence to the assertions that Obama will try to overturn the second amendment and gun ownership rights? The vote was close in the previous supreme court decision but liberal justice Kennedy made the decisive vote knowing it would have lead this country to civil war. A domestic militia is need in time of war. People should start stocking up before it is too late. Do not take freedom for granted. Just look to the history of Cuba.

[grammys5]

What so many of you seem not to understand is how bad this economic crisis is going to be. Many, many, many Americans, ourselves, our neighbors, are going to lose our jobs in the months to come as businesses close. It''s already started.
Ideology will not put food on your tables or in your children''s stomachs.
This Virginia voter will proudly vote for Obama, the only candidate with the intelligence to get us out of our current economic woes.

[farshs]

Everybody has the right to vote for whoever he/she wants. However, dirty and insenstive campaign should not be allowed. McCain said his campaign is appropiately clean...BUT...I was reading this article and SHOCKED to be informed that the Republican Party of Virginia has circulated a mailer bearing a dark-skinned face with words said "America must look evil in the eye and never flinch." A DARK-SKIN face ? what kind of impression they are giving to the children in Virginia ? A person with dark-skin face is EVIL ???...oh my god !!! This is horrible. You can call Obama a jerk, a liar, a cheat...but putting this impression (a dark face person is evil) in people''s (espically children''s)mind ? Who allows this to happen. Did they sitting around the table really think this is a good idea ? This is McCain/Palin''s campaign and they should be responsible for this action. How can a person vote for McCain if he allows act like this happen ? May be I live in NY and too liberal. Virginia might has a different culture...but i don''t think the great people in that state are racist. If they allow this to go on for the next 18 days, they might has well set up a KKK office branch at the state house. I am amazed and yet frightened !!!!

[mkcscbs]

doctorcool4u

Are you making over $250,000 in net profit because that is the bar for the Obama tax to effect you? Not to mention the 50% credit he will give you on the insurance your state mandates you have for your employees.

[sly_64]

Posted by doctorcool4u

I feel sorry for you, you live in NJ. I was born and raised there and it took me years to get out. Now I''m urging my family to do the same. I haven''t seen a more corrupt state. It''s not federal givt you have to worry about, It''s your state government.

I could go on and on and on and on.

[dredigga]

I hope not. Olamo will be a disaster for our country. Dem. Pres.+ Dem. Congress = Higer Taxes your income = poorhouse. Stop watching the beltway elite media tube. Show your vote at PitbullPalinNET.

No one can be a worst disaster than that numbbrain that is occupying the White House now.....Unless of course, the "disasta" from Alaska somehow wins...

[dredigga]

OneAmerican7, I sure want to read your posts on the 5th of November. Please don''t change your nickname as I am sure that will deny so many people pleasure. No one has ever accused you of being the shapest knife in the kitchen have they? I can tell.

[rytom64]

McCain couldn''t care less about people''s rights either. That really worries me . Rights are an idea, not reality, but they are an important idea.

[wevehadenuf]

Mccain couldn''t care less about people like Joe "the plumber." This is an obvious exploitation used by a desperate politician who is "experienced" with lying to the American people. Fact is Obama is for the worker and Mccain is not.

[the74blaster]

I hope not. Olamo will be a disaster for our country. Dem. Pres.+ Dem. Congress = Higer Taxes your income = poorhouse. Stop watching the beltway elite media tube. Show your vote at PitbullPalinNET.

Posted by JimmyJoe88 at 04:59 PM : Oct 17, 2008,

Possibly. However, pay as you do democrats are far better the borrow and spend republicans.