We political bloggers yammer on all day about the Virginia race, but outside of the few dozen of us, there’s precious little talk about the matchup between Lt. Governor Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore.
That changed this week, thanks to Kilgore’s “Hitler” ad.
A quick Google blog search reveals dozens of blogs in Virginia and also around the country who have suddenly started paying attention. Though I haven’t tallied, it looks like about half of the people are Democrats that are angry with Kilgore for the ad, 40% are Republicans or independents who are turning on Kilgore because of the ad, and 10% people saying that they hate them both now and won’t be voting at all. (The latter is, in all likelihood, the true goal of this ad.)
I don’t claim that the results are statistically meaningful, but it does tell me that Kilgore’s ad is backfiring among some, and has had the unintended consequence of getting Democrats around Virginia and the nation to rally to Kaine’s support. They’re sending money and volunteering on the get out the vote effort.
Kilgore’s attack on Kaine may be just the boost that Kaine needed to get Virginia Democrats fired up about his campaign. Much of the base has been unenthused — there have been no real issues, and Kaine is way, way to the right of Democratic activists. I stood up before the UVa Young Democrats on Wednesday evening, giving a presentation on political blogging, and showed them that ad. The students were horrified, and several later told me, in person and by email, that they were upset enough about the ad that they’d decided to get involved.
I’m reminded of the television ad that Democrat Al Weed ran against Rep. Virgil Goode (R-05) a year ago. It was a really harsh attack ad, and it ran on several of the TV stations whose signals reach the 5th. The majority of the people that I talked to about it said that it made them feel defensive of Virgil Goode. Most of these people were Democrats, mind you — few of them were keen on Goode. But they bristled at seeing him treated so disrespectfully, particularly since it was their first real exposure to the fact that Goode even had a challenger. I don’t know if it’s accurate to say that the ad backfired, but among my fellow political science students and professors at Virginia Tech, it really galvanized them.
This “Hitler” ad may prove to be the best thing yet for Tim Kaine.
At RK we’ve been inundated with hits from outta state and I know that the TK4G.org Tim Kaine blog has never seen activity like this.
Does Virginia really need despicable sleeze like these “Hitler” ads?
I don’t think so, and it certainly seems to be getting Dems angrier than Rush Limbaugh at a Gloria Steinem lecture.
Backlash is a bitch.
Well, FWIW, although I’m already a Kaine supporter, my “Kaine for Governor” bumper sticker remained on the floor of my car for the past couple of months. Kilgore’s “Hitler” ad prompted me to grab my bottle of Windex and a paper towel, and finally plaster that bumper sticker onto my Subaru.
Kaine’s new rebuttal ad is up: http://www.tk4g.org.
Waldo, speaking of Virginia bloggers, do you happen to know who is hosting the blog carnival this week? I have a feeling we’ll be seeing many Hitler ad posts there–at least, I hope so.
Plaster that [Kaine] bumper sticker on my Subaru
It’s funny because it’s true…
I hope this prediction is right but I can’t resist sharing this anecdote. I spent a few hours tonight at the local democratic party headquarters making calls. One very nice older lady said she liked Tim Kaine but wasn’t sure if she could vote for him because she believed in the death penalty. My heart sank. I began my explanation of Tim’s actual position on the death penalty and she interrupted saying something like, “yes, yes I read that but I just don’t know”. SCARY stuff. I’m not sure sitting back and waiting for voters to be appalled by Kilgore’s ads will work. Kaine probably hates this mud-slinging crap and so do I but I think its really time to get mean. Luckily, unlike Kilgore, Kaine has the option of getting mean without resorting to making stuff up. I think its time.
Just watched the new ad. Not bad I guess. Not quite what I had in mind though. I still think the footage of mustachioed Kilgore celebrating the day with no escapes needs to go on the air.
Waldo, speaking of Virginia bloggers, do you happen to know who is hosting the blog carnival this week
It’s at northerncrown, a blog that I have to admit that I’ve never heard of, but, then, that’s the point of the carnival. :)
Thanks, Waldo! I just sent in my first carnival submission.
I’d say it is dangerous to count on Kilgore’s ads backfiring. I hope the Kaine campaign comes up with a *much* stronger response, quickly.
Working the Poquoson Seafood Festival, there were a few people who came up and talked to me about how they were offended at the ad campaign. As I told one of the people who came up, “back when I was young, I said some stance was ‘nazi-like.’ My father looked at me, laughed and told me that you never get any credibility by bringing Hitler, the Nazi party, or anything German during World War II for that matter. Once you say stuff like that, you’d better just shut up. You’re wasting air after that.”
Your father was quite correct, Chris. But don’t forget that Jerry Kilgore
is not the one who brought Hitler into this campaign. A reporter did, and
Kaine gave a meely-mouthed answer. Kaine could have put it to bed then and
there, but he didn’t.
Josh’s & Lowell’s gnashing of teeth won’t change that fact.
Of course that doesn’t change the fact that Kaine did put it to rest when the reporter asked, but, predictably, Kilgore took his statements out of context.
There Goes IP freely, soaking the truth and the constitution again. Cowardice seems to run rampant in the Kilgore camp.
“The deserve the death penalty.” – Tim Kaine
“I will exercise death sentences set down by Virginia juries, because that’s the law.” – Tim Kaine
What more do you need?
Is it enough that Kaine’s death penalty position matches Jeb Bush and Ahnold’s nearly to the letter? Are they “untrustworthy” because they’re christians, IP?
How about John Roberts he defended a death row inmate, is he unworthy of government service?
This may be the lowest point in the long history of Virginia politics. Congratulations to you and your beloved Jerry W. Kilgore. Your cowardice deserves vilification, and overwhelming retribution. Reap the whirlwind.
Jeb and the Governator have made a career of trying to abolish the death penalty? Really? John Roberts, too? He’s been an ardent opponent of capital punishment for policy reasons? No kidding?
Quit hiding behind Tim’s Catholicism. That’s a red herring and everybody knows it. He’s against it because he’s against it, and he has a VERY long track record that demonstrates his personal (not religious) objections. If elected, he’ll have the power to stop every execution in the Commonwealth.
Does Leslie Byrne oppose CP because she’s a Roman Catholic, too?