2016 Postmortem

Tx4obama

(36,974 posts) Wed Nov 28, 2012, 01:30 AM Nov 2012

Bolling to drop bid for Virginia governorship

Bolling to drop bid for Virginia governorship

Washington (CNN) – Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling will drop his bid for the Virginia governorship, CNN has confirmed, a move that clears a path to the Republican nomination for his primary opponent Ken Cuccinelli.

Bolling's decision sets the table for a titanic 2013 clash between Cuccinelli, the state's Attorney General and a fierce social conservative with a national grassroots following, and likely Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, the irrepressible former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Bolling, first elected to his post in 2005, was backed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and served as Mitt Romney’s campaign chairman in the commonwealth during the Republican’s failed presidential bid.

But even with that blue-chip political resume, Bolling faced long odds against Cuccinelli, especially after state GOP officials decided earlier this year to hold a nominating convention instead of a statewide primary - a process thought to favor Cuccinelli, the candidate with a closer connection to the party’s conservative, tea-party friendly base.

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The decision is a blow to Democrats who had hoped a primary battle between Bolling Cuccinelli would sap each candidate’s resources and expose yet another rift between the GOP’s establishment and insurgent factions.

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Full article here: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/28/bolling-to-drop-bid-for-virginia-governorship/

22 replies

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Bolling to drop bid for Virginia governorship (Original Post) Tx4obama Nov 2012 OP

Damn, who the f... wants mcauliffe. elleng Nov 2012 #1

If the choice is between him ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #6

ohheckyeah, but Dems MUST be able to do better, elleng Nov 2012 #8

Warner was thinking about running again ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #15

Dunno, not in Virginia. elleng Nov 2012 #16

Yep and ex-governor of Virginia. ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #18

People SHOULD be sick of that crap. elleng Nov 2012 #19

I think Webb decided that government ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #21

Can't blame him for that! elleng Nov 2012 #22

Cucinelli is nuts democrattotheend Nov 2012 #2

Like the article said... Tx4obama Nov 2012 #3

Money won't save Cuccinelli gravity Nov 2012 #4

I agree, the Cooch is going down! SunSeeker Nov 2012 #5

That was of course, 2009. And, Cucinelli has a record now. No, Cha Nov 2012 #20

If Terry McAuliffe runs ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #7

I think we just picked up the VA governorship. RandySF Nov 2012 #9

We do not get this for free, especially if we run McAuliffe DFW Nov 2012 #10

When McAuliffe led the party to nothing but defeat after defeat as DNC chair Ken Burch Nov 2012 #11

Cuccinelli was one of the first to sue to overturn the healthcare law davidpdx Nov 2012 #12

Well, that clears the way for Cooch then. Arkana Nov 2012 #13

Exactly why do Dems want McAuliffe? he hasn't proven he can win WI_DEM Nov 2012 #14

its an uphill battle anyway mgcgulfcoast Nov 2012 #17

Tx4obama

(36,974 posts)

3. Like the article said...

Reply to democrattotheend (Reply #2)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 01:44 AM

Nov 2012

Cuccinelli would had to have spent some of his money running against Bolling - and they would have been fighting each (radio, TV, mailers, etc.)

Now the Democrat has to go up against Cuccinelli without him having spent time, energy, and money in a republican primary.

gravity

(4,157 posts)

4. Money won't save Cuccinelli

Reply to Tx4obama (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 01:59 AM

Nov 2012

In 2009, he campaigned as a moderate, but is now exposed as a Tea Party radical.

This should be the Democrats election to lose.

SunSeeker

(51,576 posts)

5. I agree, the Cooch is going down!

Reply to gravity (Reply #4)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 02:32 AM

Nov 2012

Cha

(297,365 posts)

20. That was of course, 2009. And, Cucinelli has a record now. No,

Reply to democrattotheend (Reply #2)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 06:16 PM

Nov 2012

more slithery "mr moderate" proclaimations.

ohheckyeah

(9,314 posts)

7. If Terry McAuliffe runs

Reply to Tx4obama (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 02:57 AM

Nov 2012

hopefully Bill Clinton will do some campaigning for him. That couldn't hurt.

RandySF

(58,963 posts)

9. I think we just picked up the VA governorship.

Reply to Tx4obama (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 04:31 AM

Nov 2012

DFW

(54,414 posts)

10. We do not get this for free, especially if we run McAuliffe

Reply to Tx4obama (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 04:57 AM

Nov 2012

He has not been a dynamic politician in the past, and Cuccinelli would have the current administration's machine pulling for him. Something many will overlook: Cuccinelli will also have a huge ally in Manassas-based Richard Viguerie, whose fund-raising skills and right-wing enthusiasm are formidable adversaries. Richard LOVES Cuccinelli, too. He'll go to bat for him like no one since Reagan, and Richard practically put Reagan over the top with his (then-) revolutionary direct-mail fundraising tactics. This would have been a tough battle even if we had run Mark Warner again. Cuccinelli will be no pushover. We will need the whole coalition of voters that put Obama over the top in 2008 and 2012, and that is never easy to muster in a non-presidential year.

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)

11. When McAuliffe led the party to nothing but defeat after defeat as DNC chair

Reply to Tx4obama (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 05:25 AM

Nov 2012

(with the sole exception of Clinton's basically meaningless personal victory in 1996) why would anyone think it was a good idea to actually nominate the guy for an elected office himself?

Couldn't the Dems find anybody in VA who's actually capable of winning?

Obviously I'd work for him if he was nominated and I lived there...but it's hard to see any case at all for letting him win the damn primary.