Terry McAulilffe on Possible 2012 Run: "Can't rule it out"

No, No, No, and No!!! He wouldn't have a snowball's (4.00 / 1)

chance of winning and it would be the same old slick packaging and operation.  

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by: Catzmaw @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 19:35:05 PM UTC

Tim Kaine statement (0.00 / 0)

"Even before he won election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Jim Webb served his country with distinction in many ways including protecting our freedom on the battlefield.  For the past four years, Senator Webb has been a strong and effective advocate for the people of Virginia.  While I was Governor, I was pleased to have such a strong ally in the Senate and we worked together on a range of important issues.

"Senator Webb has dedicated much of his life to supporting and honoring America's service members.  He has also worked to promote justice and opportunity for Americans throughout the country.  In the Senate, he led the effort to enact the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the most significant expansion of veteran's benefits since the WWII era; he took a leading role in efforts to make the American criminal justice system more just; and he has served admirably on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Joint Economic and Veterans Affairs committees.  As a Virginian, I am proud of what Senator Webb has accomplished and the service he has provided to our state and his expertise will be sorely missed when his term of service comes to a close.

"I had hoped that Senator Webb, having worked tirelessly to help elect him in 2006, would run for reelection and continue his service in the Senate.  However, over the past decade, we've made major progress in turning Virginia from a solidly Republican state to a highly competitive one, including Senator Webb's victory in 2006, Senator Warner's victory in 2008 and President Obama's historic victory in 2008.  With the investments that President Obama and the Democratic Party will make in Virginia in 2012, I am confident that our party will hold on to this Senate seat in 2012."

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by: lowkell @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 19:37:50 PM UTC

It's a good statement and entirely appropriate (0.00 / 0)

I agree with it, too.  Webb has been a good Senator.  Not a camera hog but diligent and effective.  Our military members and their families have benefited very much from his service in the Senate, and he has opened the door to a discussion of the incarceration crisis in this country which I hope he will continue to lobby and educate people about following his departure from the Senate.

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by: Catzmaw @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 19:44:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

McAuliffe rubs me the wrong way tbh. Not sure why (0.00 / 0)

Perriello is the real deal for sure.  There are a couple facebook pages supporting him up already.

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by: mikefromArlington @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 19:48:27 PM UTC

A good bench (4.00 / 3)

I honestly don't see Terry running for Senate.  He has such an outsize personality and is so much a take charge leader, I really picture him more in the governor's mansion than in the Senate.

As for Mike Signer, I supported him for Lt. Governor, and I think he's a good principled progressive, but I admit my first thoughts went to Tom Perriello.

We certainly will have some good choices.

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by: AnonymousIsAWoman @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 19:52:32 PM UTC

Love it (4.00 / 5)

I love the "haven't ruled anything out" game in races like this. Can I play too? Here we go: I haven't ruled anything out, but I HAVE NOTICED DRAFTMILESGRANT.COM IS AVAILABLE. HINT HINT.

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by: TheGreenMiles @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:08:09 PM UTC

Signer? Seriously? (0.00 / 0)

No offense to the guy, but his only run for office ended with him getting crushed in the primary. I said after he lost that he should start smaller. Going for an even more high-profile office seems ridiculous to me.

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by: Johnny Longtorso @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:11:47 PM UTC

Signer would be a strong progressive choice (0.00 / 0)

If we want a strong progressive candidate Signer is a great option. He gets it on all our issues, and had the national security and foreign policy chops to earn high praise from the RTD in his last race.

While it's true he got beat in in '09, he way outpreformed expectations, racking up more money and more endorsements in the short time he had than the rest of the field put together. With 2 years to plan he could be a serious force, and one that's as strong in Martinsville, Bristol, and Harrisonburg (all cities he carried) as in the liberal lands in NoVA and the SE.

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by: oberhoffner @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 21:51:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Cities he carried? (0.00 / 0)

In a primary for LtGov, I just don't think that equates much to a general statewide election.

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by: NotJohnSMosby @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 22:28:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Perhaps he's just showing how.... (0.00 / 0)

... he's still interested in running for office. I had heard through people close to him that he was looking at running for LG again in 2013.

I hadn't heard his named really mentioned to replace Webb until he put it out there himself and now he's all of a sudden become part of the discussion. So as a way of staying somewhat relevant, I say it isn't that bad of a move for him to put his name out there for discussion and see what kind of response he gets.

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by: Bryan Scrafford @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 22:39:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My two cents (0.00 / 0)

http://www.the-richmonder.com/...

The Richmonder

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by: The Richmonder @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:27:23 PM UTC

You asked "His People" ? Why not just ask Terry directly ? (0.00 / 0)

Who are "his people", exactly. I feel hurt. I'm one of "his people (for governor) and no one asked me. Seriously, though, it's not that hard to get a reply from Terry so why ask "his people" ?

I think he'd run a strong campaign, but I think Kaine would have a better chance of winning a primary (and it's starting to look like there will be at least two, maybe three, Dem. candidates). I just hope we don't end up with a very negative three-way primary that results in the two strongest candidates splitting almost half the vote and the weakest winning the primary and getting blown away by Allen.

If Brian is even half as good a DPVA chair as his supporters think he is he should already be talking privately to the main contenders and asking them first to lay off the negative crap like he used against Terry in their gubernatorial primary and then asking all except the two most viable not to run, and thirdly Brian MUST remain publicly neutral (i.e., not like Cranwell when he endorsed Miller against Webb). That's a lot to ask of any DPVA chair, and especially Moran, I know. But he is now faced with the most important task a party state chair can have and he has to take time off his "day job" to get this one right on the first try. I'd think that a head-to-head primary between Perriello and Kaine would be a good test for both, and then if Tom wins he will have gained enough statewide name recognition, as well as campaign and debate experience, to run a strong race against Allen. But if the DPVA chair can't prevent another devisive 3-way primary, too many people whose candidates' lost would not show up to help in the general election campaign. This is Brian's big test, and for the sake of the party and the state I hope he doesn't fail the test.  

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by: Tom @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:31:39 PM UTC

Not quite what I think Brian should do. (0.00 / 0)

While I agree that the DPVA chair should work to prevent the primary from becoming divisive (especially coming from experience), I don't think the test of his mettle should be whether or not he can pressure all but two candidates from dropping out.  We had a crowded LG race and we ended up with a great candidate, Jody Wagner.  Even with a big crop of candidates it always become clear, through the vetting and campaign process, who the front-runners are.  Why expel people before they have a chance to prove themselves?

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by: frankoanderson @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:46:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Uh... (4.00 / 1)

"We had a crowded LG race and we ended up with a great candidate, Jody Wagner."

Really?

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by: aznew @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:52:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In early 2009 (0.00 / 0)

I endorsed Jody, before Signer got in the race.  Given the electoral circumstances, I don't think either of our primary candidates could have won that year.  

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by: frankoanderson @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:43:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

She did finish ahead of Deeds and Shannon. (0.00 / 0)

There was no way she was going to win with an 17-point loss at the top of the ticket. Had Deeds managed to make it close, then she probably could have won.

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by: Johnny Longtorso @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 14:54:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think a primary battle (0.00 / 0)

between Perriello and Kaine is not very likely.

Among the other positives Perriello has going for him as a politician is his close association with the President (although our friends on the Right see this as a liability, Perriello proved in the last election is was not, and Obama promises to be way more popular heading into 2012 than he was last year).

So, I just don't see him primarying one of President Obama's closest allies.

Beyond that, I think both men are strongly motivated by a desire to see Democrats do well in Virginia, and a primary between them would not be good for the party's prospects in the Commonwealth in 2012. (Although I do agree with your point that such a primary could benefit Perriello by increasing his profile in advance of the general election).

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by: aznew @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:50:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Kaine isn't Obama's close ally ? Obama picked him for DNC chair. (0.00 / 0)

Kaine's efforts for Obama in Virginia are a big part of how Obama chose him as his preference for DNC chair. That's about as close as anyone can get to an Obama ally. Of course Obama appreciated Perriello's votes on the House, but I can't see how that would make Perriello any greater an ally than Kaine would be in the Senate. I think the key criterion is which would be the most likely to beat Allen, and I don't see why a primary between these two unlikely if they both indicate they are willing to run. Neither is likely to run a nasty, negative primary campaign so that's no risk. I just don't know what might happens if there is a third person in the mix.

Assuming for the sake of discussion both Kaine and Perriello indocate they want to run, why do you think a primary battle is unlikely so long as it's a clean battle ? I don't follow the logic. Again, they are both allies of Obama so that doesn't seem to be a factor.

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by: Tom @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:11:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

well, yes, that was my point (0.00 / 0)

Kaine is a close ally of Obama. If Kaine wants to run for the seat, Obama would almost certainly back him, and I just don't think, given that, that Perriello would then challenge Kaine for the nomination.

Take a look at Pennsylvania in 2010. Snarlin' Arlen was Obama's man in that election, and the WH was none too amused when Sestack challenged him. And Spector wasn't nearly as close to Obama as Kaine is.

Of course, if Perriello has a burning desire to be a Senator, maybe all bets would be off, but my sense is that Perriello is more interested in working toward good, Democratic solutions for our problems, as opposed to any personal ambition, and he has related to me how important he believes it is for Virginia Democrats to work together and have comity in order to rebuild after two very tough election cycles.

As for whether a primary between the two would not be nasty or negative, I'm not sure where you get that. Even if I were to concede it would not be nasty (although nasty is often a quality that is in the eye of the beholder), of course it would be negative. I'm no political consultant, but almost every campaign I have seen encompasses two broad themes: why voters should vote for me, and why they should not vote for the other guy. There is always a negative element.  

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by: aznew @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 02:33:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Agree (0.00 / 0)

Plus, primaries burn through a pile of money. Some candidates can accumulate the cash to make both a contested primary run and a general election drive, but Democrats historically have a harder time raising money that the GOP.

In a primary between Kaine and Perriello, Kaine is bound to point out that Perriello only has one term in Congress on his resume, while Kaine was mayor of Richmond and then governor. There is always, as you point out, a negative side to a primary battle.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 18:10:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I May Be Way Off the Mark, But... (0.00 / 0)

I absolutely believe that the leaders of the party in all parts of the Commonwealth will be determined to see that the mess that was the 2009 gubernatorial primary is not replicated. There are more than a few members of the DPVA central committee who believe that Republicans in some parts of the state, especially NoVa, crossed over and voted for Creigh Deeds because they felt he was the weakest candidate. Also, the negative tone of that campaign, led by Brian Moran, gave the GOP all the talking points they needed, not to mention all the money that was spent in fighting each other.

Look for Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (plus President Obama)to have the most influence on who will be the nominee. I personally hope that the choice is based on who can best hold that seat for the Democrats in 2012. I shudder at the thought of George, fake cowboy-empty suit-race-baiter-macaca man, Allen taking back that seat. Jim Webb was one of the best senators Virginia has ever had. George Allen was one of the worst.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:24:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Terry's got one main person working for him. (0.00 / 0)

Former DPVA Exec. Director Levar Stoney.  

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by: lowkell @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 21:48:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I also am not ruling it out (4.00 / 2)

...Especially if Tim Kaine jumps in the race.  Maybe I'll run and have the support of 300,000 Virginia citizens who can't vote because Tim Kaine refused to sign an executive order restoring their rights.  That'll get me elected!

But seriously, I think Terry McAuliffe is more of an executive than a legislator.  It seems like he would be excited about the campaign but bored with the sluggish pace of the Senate.  I'd honestly consider supporting him for Governor -- and this is coming from someone who was a field organizer for Brian Moran.

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by: frankoanderson @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:37:35 PM UTC

Webb to Sec Def? (0.00 / 0)

Anyone heard any speculation along those lines?

The Richmonder

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by: The Richmonder @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 20:59:47 PM UTC

I've heard the speculation, but not really (0.00 / 0)

taking it too seriously, mostly because Webb made his opposition to the invasion of Iraq pretty clear and has significant issues with Afghanistan.  But he wouldn't be a bad choice.  Very knowledgeable, and when the war in Afghanistan first started he actually spent some time over there on the ground.  He wrote an article about carrying a letter for his daughter's boyfriend and described what life was like from the point of view of the fighters.  It wouldn't be a BAD thing for us to have a SecDef with the kind of battle chops Webb has.  He'd keep the generals honest, that's for sure.

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by: Catzmaw @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 21:59:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

He'd be great, but... (4.00 / 1)

These statements are done with purpose and I think if he had any interest in SecDef he wouldn't have said he's returning to the private sector. Probably would have gone the "explore other opportunities" route. Just 2 cents of terrible, between-the-lines, arm chair psychology.

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by: George Jefferson Davis @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 22:05:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, (0.00 / 0)

the email I got from Sen. Webb announcing the decision didn't mention that line about "private sector." Oh, well, maybe he wants to write another book. He's a very fine writer. I would recommend "The Emperor's General" as a first read.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:29:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I've read it. Great book. (0.00 / 0)

Boy, talk about changing your understanding of MacArthur and the Occupation of Japan.  I really liked (although I found it very depressing) Fields of Fire and A Country Such as This, too.  

I think Webb really does want to write another book.  

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by: Catzmaw @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:43:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I Agree (0.00 / 0)

Another favorite of mine is "Lost Soldiers." Maybe we should look for a book about the inner workings and latent corruption of Washington as the next one...Are you listening, Jim?   :-)

(Man, I will really miss having a writer as my senator!)

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 00:24:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

He's probably working on it now (0.00 / 0)

and needs time away from his subject.

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by: Catzmaw @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 00:58:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I did enjoy Lost Soldiers (0.00 / 0)

That was a little more mystery and a little less commentary on the nature of power as we find in his earlier books, but an enjoyable read.

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by: Catzmaw @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 00:59:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Think you're right (0.00 / 0)

I don't think he's comfortable in the limelight and doubt he would be attracted to the SecDef position, although he would probably do it if asked.  He much prefers to be a writer.

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by: Catzmaw @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:34:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In 2 years? (0.00 / 0)

That's a long ways away, and there's no way he resigns beforehand since Taliban Bob would give the seat to Felix or Cooch or someone along those lines.  Webb is in the Senate until January 2012, and I doubt if Gates is going to put in another 2 years.

If Obama is re-elected and whoever is the next SecDef steps down at the next inauguration, then possibly.  

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by: NotJohnSMosby @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 22:30:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I doubt it for two reasons (0.00 / 0)

- I don't see much connection or chemistry between Obama and Webb, for whatever reason.

- Last time Webb was Navy Secy, he quit on principle, after a relatively short period of time. Most presidents want loyal dogs, not hard-to-herd cats in their cabinet.  

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by: kindler @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:33:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's a smart response... (0.00 / 0)

...for a politician like Terry who wants to keep his name in circulation.

That said, I don't believe he's serious about it for reasons Frank stated -- I think he wants to be the CEO, not just another member of the board of directors.  

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by: kindler @ Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 23:38:42 PM UTC

There's something (0.00 / 0)

about Terry McAuliffe that I just don't like. Can't place it, but I just don't like him, however, Tim Kaine I do like.

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by: Mike1987 @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 00:43:25 AM UTC

Draft John Grisham .... (0.00 / 0)

He's "authentic" in his own right ... has appeal beyond the immediate party and could AMP up the crucial issue of Judicial Reform as a major campaign theme.

It would be like passing the torch from author Webb to author Grisham.

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by: Jim Webb Dem @ Thu Feb 10, 2011 at 13:09:10 PM UTC