Unless Tim Kaine is wrong, which I doubt he is on this, it looks like Jim Webb’s going to run.
In a Tuesday afternoon interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, former Virginia Governor, and current Democratic National Committee Chairman, Tim Kaine said he has “no reason to believe” that Virginia Senator Jim Webb, a fellow Democrat, will not run for re-election in 2012.
“I just believe for a variety of reasons … That he’s going to run,” Kaine told Mitchell, adding that he had no specific knowledge of Sen. Webb’s plans.
Good news, if true. Although I’ve had my differences with Webb, particularly on energy/enviro issues, I think overall he’s done an excellent job and also is infinitely superior to any of the Republicans running (Allen, “Sideshow Bob” Marshall, Corey Stewart, Jamie Radtke).
Meanwhile, I was quoted in the Washington Examiner about 2012. A few of my main points didn’t make the article for whatever reason: 1) Webb would start this time as the incumbent, with all the advantages that entails, as opposed to Allen as the entrenched incumbent with a warchest in 2006; 2) Webb won’t be at the top of the ticket this time, as it will be a presidential year, so his fortunes will depend to a significant extent on how Obama fares in Virginia this time around; 3) Allen may very well not be the Republican nominee, but if he is, he starts off with “macaca” and continues on with “macaca,” because he’s never fully explained or really come to terms with not just the word, but with his longstanding attitudes towards African Americans (deer head in a black family’s mailbox, habitual use of the “n word,” etc.); 4) 2012 will be a very different year than 2006 in terms of activist energy levels, so it will be interesting to see if Webb can recreate the “ragtag army” this time around. Finally, with regard to Tom Perriello, my point was most definitely NOT to say that he couldn’t win statewide, because I believe Tom would be a very strong statewide candidate, but simply a factual statement that he’s never run statewide, while Webb and Kaine both have.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
