Have you noticed how Ken Cuccinelli is always talking about how Virginia can’t possibly handle strengthening its renewable energy standards, as dozens of other states have done (among other things, Cooch falsely claims that clean energy would be more expensive than new coal or nuclear power plants)? Apparently, Cuccinelli has so little confidence in Virginians that he thinks we can’t handle what Texas, California, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, and a bunch of other states are already doing. Just today, for instance, I saw this article in the Boston Globe (“Wind power now competitive with conventional sources“):

The state’s biggest utilities, in a milestone for New England’s wind power industry, have signed long-term contracts to buy wind-generated electricity at prices below the costs of most conventional sources, such as coal and nuclear plants.

The contracts, filed jointly Friday with the Department of Public Utilities, represent the largest renewable energy purchase to be considered by state regulators at one time. If approved, the contracts would eventually save customers between 75 cents and $1 a month, utilities estimated.

“This proves that competitively priced renewable power exists and we can get it, and Massachusetts can benefit from it,” said Robert Rio, a spokesman for Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a trade group that represents some of the state’s biggest electricity users.

The utilities – National Grid, Northeast Utilities, and Unitil Corp. – would buy 565 megawatts of electricity from six wind farms in Maine and New Hampshire, enough to power an estimated 170,000 homes.

So, add Massachusetts to the list of states – both “red” and “blue,” I’d point out – which Ken Cuccinelli apparently believes are better (smarter?) than Virginia, as they can apparently handle stuff we can’t, in his bizarre/warped view. Weird dude, also ignorant as can be. Let’s just make sure he doesn’t come anywhere close to the Governor’s mansion.

Putting a bill that would have made miscarriage a CRIME that women would have had to report to the police within 24 hours or face JAIL TIME?!? Yeah, that’s Mark Obenshain and his Senate Bill 962 (“A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-264 of the Code of Virginia, relating to reporting of fetal deaths; penalty”). What’s possibly even more infuriating, if that’s possible, than Obenshain’s legislation, is the fact that he’s now going around Virginia whitewashing his record, pretending none of his past extremism ever happened, that he’s suddenly a “moderate.” Apparently, Mark Obenshain thinks Virginia voters are all complete idiots. And we would be if we believed him…

P.S. Let’s also not forget that Mark Obenshain voted for the failed transvaginal ultrasound measure in 2012; repeatedly introduced amendments to prohibit state funding for “any

organization providing abortion or abortion counseling services;” sponsored a bill to prohibit women from having an abortion beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy; sponsored “personhood” bills to effectively outlaw abortion and many forms of contraception (plus embryonic stem cell research). He also waged war on contraception at James Madison University when he was a member of the school’s Board of Visitors. Sensing a pattern here?

The McAuliffe campaign starts to roll out the political “big guns.” I presume many more to follow, by President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, etc. In stark contrast, who are the “big guns” Ken Cuccinelli can roll out? George W. Bush? Not. Eric Can’tor? John BONEr? Other assorted crazies (Steve King, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, etc.)? More right-wing hate radio hosts? Wow, so impressive. Personally, I’ll take our team – the Obamas, the Clintons, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, etc. – over theirs by a factor of, I dunno, infinity? How about you?

I was honored to serve as governor of Virginia.

We brought folks together in Richmond to focus on creating jobs and getting results

That’s the Virginia way and that’s why I’m backing Terry McAuliffe for governor.

Terry won’t let ideological battles get in the way of making progress. Terry will work with, Democrats, Republicans and Independents to create jobs and move Virginia forward.

It’s important for Virginia that we elect Terry McAuliffe as our governor.

by Paul Goldman

Every gubernatorial candidate has to dodge a certain number of “hot potato” issues imposed by Washington in a gubernatorial campaign. These issues are reduced to “sound bite” politics. Thus, we have the anti-coal issue and the anti-Obamacare issues popping up right now, as actions by the Obama Administration and the GOP majority in the House of Representatives boomerang around the Commonwealth.

This is the political game – like it, leave it, you got to play it as it lies. But any analysis has to reach the following conclusion: Terry’s position is better, as a matter of politics and principle, hands down. It is a win-win. Conversely, Cuccinelli has a better win-win play. But as usual, his campaign goes for the lose-lose strategy. See my article tomorrow in the Washington Post, which is actually online right now.

Politically speaking, the coal issue plays biggest in an area that has already swung big time from Democratic in years past to Republican today.  I think Terry has the right view, although unpopular on the left and right from what I can tell. Yes, a fine line perhaps to walk in politics, that’s what a Governor has to do. I think he is being gubernatorial here. I reject the criticism.

So to the extent he needs to play dodge ball, I get that: at the same time, I see no reason to back down from his environmental policies as articulated. If it doesn’t sell in coal country, then so be it. As they say, it comes with the territory. Terry is fine where he is: if it costs him some votes, it costs him some votes. I like his play. On a purely 200-proof statistical basis, whatever he might lose do to GOP attacks is not part of any “winning” statistical scenario for a Democrat in Virginia. Yes, every vote counts, every Virginian needs a Governor who worries about his or her future. But Terry’s being responsible here, and Dems should have his back.

HOWEVER, as to Mr. Cuccinelli, the “shut down the government if the President refuses to defund Obamacare” Cruz control of Senator Ted Cruz threatens his candidacy, Texas style. Senator Ted Cruz is no Teddy Bear to Cuccinelli, not even a Miley Cyrus VMA performance. Cruz ain’t just twerling his behind at Cuccinelli, he is giving him the old Texas “kiss my grits” politics.

If the GOP in Washington gets blamed for shutting down the government, even someone who only cooks with a microwave knows the AG is cooked, unless something totally unpredictable happens in the remainder of October. The shutdown will boomerang around NOVA and Tidewater, and will by any analysis cost Cuccinelli votes he simply can’t afford to lose, given the GOP guv guy’s underdog status.

To be sure: I am assuming the GOP-controlled House of Repercussions gets blamed by Virginians for the shutdown mess. Sure, it’s theoretically possible the public will blame the President or the Democratic Senate. It’s also theoretically possible the moon is made of green cheese and Neil Armstrong couldn’t smell it through his space suit.

 

The point being: Even in our “bizarro” national political climate, the President has the right policy for the right reasons in this battle, and I am confident the people will see it that way. Give folks some credit. The President is right on this one. So are Senators Warner and Kaine. End of story. Meaning Ken Cuccinelli takes the far greater dodge ball risk by dodging questions regarding his view of the shutdown strategy. Why?

Only two things can happen: the government shuts down, or it doesn’t.  SO WE ASK AT 200 PROOF: From Cuccinelli’s underdog position, what is his risk in calling on the GOP to avoid a shutdown and win some small modification of some Obamacare aspect which I think the President would be obligated to accept, or risk being seen as the one causing the shutdown? I can think of a couple of minor tweaks. Yes, it is “cya” thing for the House Republicans. Like this is new to politics?

Why is this the smart play? Again: If the GOP is blamed for the shutdown, Cuccinelli has to figure he loses big. If the Democrats are blamed, Cuccinelli gains. Both of these outcomes occur REGARDLESS of what Cuccinelli says or doesn’t say.  But assume Cuccinelli sets himself as one of the voices calling for no shutdown, and that is the outcome. He then gets to posture himself as one of the few Republicans who took the middle ground of trying to govern in a responsible way. Therefore, taking the anti-shutdown, start-the-process-of-fixing-Obamacare tack is all upside to him. Plus, no one on the right can claim Cuccinelli, with his record, is “soft” on Obamacare!

If the GOP in Washington ultimately agrees with him, then how does that hurt him with his base vote? And if the GOP in Washington doesnn’t agree with him, at least he can say to the public “don’t blame me,” and hope it helps reduce his damage at the polls.

NET, NET:  Dodge ball is one of those “labors of Hercules” a candidate has to do to get to be Governor. It tends to be lose-lose, so the winner is the guy who avoids the biggest hit. Terry’s situation on coal is easier, since the issue has a more regional and thus limited saliency. Cuccinelli faces the much tougher challenge, since a shutdown hits everyone in Virginia, especially in NOVA and Tidewater, both much bigger than the far Southwest Virginia.

Cuccinelli clearly wants to make Obamacare a big issue at the end. I get that. But the shutdown will suck up all the political oxygen for days. Once again, will Cuccinelli’s campaign be unable to figure out how to protect their “downside risk?” This already has happened with the Jonnie Williams gifts, with the mistake on Haynesworth, with the Chef’s trial, with the whole staying on as AG (which has been a net-net disaster).

In a campaign defined by negativity – by a 3-1 margin voters think both candidates have been hugely negative, a record number in almost any campaign ever run in America – the guy who can better protect his “downside risk” figures to win. This requires winning at dodge ball. There will be other dueling dodge ball issues. But right now, Terry has the lead and Cuccinelli the high risk of seeing his campaign skid into the ditch on Cruz control.