In a two-way race against McAuliffe or Deeds, Moran very well might have been unstoppable. […] But then McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, burst onto the Virginia political scene in late summer and began scoping out his own bid for governor. If McAuliffe jumps in, there will suddenly be paths for all three candidates to get the 33.4 percent of the vote needed to win the nomination.
[…]
Since McAuliffe first signaled at the Democratic National Convention in Denver that he was considering entering the race, Moran and his campaign team have appeared as though they were working their way through the seven stages of grief.
[…]
But there is still plenty of time for Moran to right his campaign. That’s assuming Moran has finally reached the last stage of grief: acceptance that he’s going to be in a tough three-way race for the nomination.
Tim Craig mentions something else important, too: the increasingly-common sense that Moran’s staff members are simply writing off anybody who doesn’t support their guy. That’s something I’ve heard a lot of over the past year, but didn’t know if it was just overly-sensitive people. (I have zero tolerance for people who demand to be petted and loved by candidates, and support whichever one sucks up the most. Know what I loved about Webb’s candidacy? The dude didn’t know me from Adam, and didn’t care. Harris Miller contacted me to get together and talk for an hour or so. It was nice of him but, really, me? I can name, seriously, a hundred better Charlottesvillians to spend an hour talking to.) The practice of shunning supporters of the opposition might have been a reasonable tactic six months ago, but it’s one that Team Moran may come to regret.
Do yourself a favor and read Craig’s article in its entirety. He really does a good job of summing up the state of the race.
Hmm… A candidate acting as though they are the frontrunner only to realize the nomination is not already theirs and then start acting erratically. Sounds familiar.
Well I can say the same thing for Brian Moran. He did not know the host of Meet the Candidate before he met her either, and he took a chance on her by appearing on her tv show on the Southside earlier this month. It went very well. She asked him some touch questions but he answered them very well. People watch that show and see who appears on it, and who don’t.
At the time, Harris Miller called me too, but I was a chair. I really had very little to say to him, since I was supporting Jim Webb, but I thought it was nice of him to work it so hard. I did think it was odd that he called me.
The communications from Brian Moran have already dwindled here. I am not sure if they realize that I am a Deeds supporter, or if they are just flailing right now.
I have absolutely nothing against Brian Moran, and I don’t really know him that well. So this is just observation, hopefully not carping.