Senate 2008 Guru: Following the Races

Keeping a close eye on developments in the 2008 U.S. Senate races

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Sunday Briefs

  • Virginia: The Washington Post obliterates Republican Jim Gilmore. I don't even know which passage to highlight. Read the whole thing.

  • Alaska: Ted Stevens must be thrilled that even more media outlets are covering the institutional political corruption in Alaska. If Alaskans don't like their state being portrayed as a hotbed of political corruption, they ought to send a clear message by voting Ted Stevens out of office. (FYI: Retire Ted!)

  • New Mexico: The New York Times offers a recap of the domino effect created by Pete Domenici's retirement, including quotes from New Mexico blogger Joe Monahan.

  • South Carolina: One of Lindsey Graham's primary opponents, RNC member Buddy Witherspoon, has a history of affiliation with white supremacist organizations. How will this affect the dynamics of the SC-GOP primary? I honestly don't know.

    • posted by Senate2008Guru | 12:45 PM

    14 Comments:

    Blogger Hokie Guru said...

    That Washington Post article is terrific.

    1:09 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    While I don't disagree with the article, its important not to overstate its significance. The Washington Post carried Mark Warner's water for the four years he was Governor, and he won their unequivical endorsement the minute Tom Davis dropped out.

    2:09 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Senate2008Guru said...

    va blogger - I don't follow. If Gilmore was a lousy Gov, and WaPo calls him on it, it's accurate, not an overstatement. And I suppose the voters of Virginia "carried Mark Warner's water" too cuz they gave Warner very high marks along with WaPo, apparently.

    3:30 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    No, I meant the importance of the WaPo article can be overstated.

    Sadly, for me, this sort of anti-Gilmore, pro-Warner bias will be featured in every single article written about the Senate race. I had enough of it last year.

    5:22 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Hokie Guru said...

    "The Washington Post carried Mark Warner's water for the four years he was Governor, and he won their unequivical endorsement the minute Tom Davis dropped out." - VA Blogger, are you suggesting that Tom Davis would get endorsed by additional Washington, DC area media aside from the Washington Times? At ths point, he would not be endorsed by the Fairfax County Times... right in his own backyard.

    7:14 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Hokie Guru said...

    And mind you, I'm referring to the Senate... not his house seat.

    7:17 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Senate2008Guru said...

    va blogger said: "Sadly, for me, this sort of anti-Gilmore, pro-Warner bias will be featured in every single article written about the Senate race."

    There's a difference between "sentiment" and "bias". There will be an anti-Gilmore and pro-Warner sentiment because Gilmore was a lousy Governor and Warner was a terrific Governor. That's not bias - it's not "perception" - it's actuality.

    And it's not me saying Warner was good and Gilmore was bad. And it's not WaPo. It's the voters of Virginia.

    7:28 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger The Deplorable Old Bulldog said...

    Guru,

    While I appreciate your PR efforts, c'mon. No one thinks the WaPo is an objective source of political news.

    I would imagine that If the Times wrote the article then you'd have a point.

    The WaPo coverage is more like the Virginia state Democrat Party issuing an attack lit piece on Gilmore.

    9:32 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Senate2008Guru said...

    the real sporer - I'm sincerely curious, as I rarely have the chance to ask this of individuals who do this. Do you feel awkward or sheepish when you type "Democrat Party" instead of "Democratic Party"? Do you feel at all silly employing such a clanky and ham-handed Republican technique?

    11:59 PM, November 25, 2007  
    Blogger Unknown said...

    Most certainly

    If you want to do that, you yourself can be unbiased and call it the Republic party.

    12:36 AM, November 26, 2007  
    Blogger jak said...

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    1:25 AM, November 26, 2007  
    Blogger jak said...

    Wow, did someone just hold up the Washington Times (est. 1982), the unabashedly conservative propaganda organ of the Unification Church and former employer of notoriously tendentious Republican partisans like Tony Snow, Larry Kudlow, and Tony Blankley, as a more reputable journal of opinion than the Washington Post (est. 1877)?

    What country are we living in that we have morons spew this kind of prima facie nonsense, parroting whatever Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, et al. told their listeners on talk radio the other day?

    Yep, WaPo is a lib'rul rag if I've ever read one. One which counts noted neocons Charles Krauthammer (of FOX News talking head fame) and George F. Will as contributors to its editorial page. One which endorsed plenty of Republican pols, including Bob Ehrlich, Frank Wolf, and (gasp!) Tom Davis, in 2006. One which continually banged the drums of war before, during, and after the Iraq invasion. One which even went so far as to voice guarded support for Bush's Social Security privatization scheme.

    Not even va blogger, whose opinion (despite its intensely disagreeable delivery) I respect given his involvement in NoVa politics, has suggested that the Washington Times is a more "objective source of political news" than the Washington Post... though he hasn't weighed in on the matter, so I suppose I shouldn't put it past him just yet.

    Mold spore - try getting your facts straight before contaminating the comments section.

    3:05 AM, November 26, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    Of course WaPo is more repudible than the Times. For starters, the Post doesn't make up news stories.

    However, beyond any percieved "liberal" bias that exists in the editorial pages of the Post (and it does exist, strongly), is a much stronger bias against Southern Virginia. The Washington Post, simply put, hates anything in Virginia south of the Rappahannock. They tolerate some of the Democrats, if they act like a Northerner (like Tim Kaine and Mark Warner) who simplys "plays to the South" instead of is actually from the South.

    They absolutely despised George Allen. I mean, despised. They hated Gilmore. They hated Kilgore. They hate McDonnell. Incidentally, they love Jim Webb. Why? Because he's not from Virginia.

    There would be a battle for the endorsement between Davis and Warner, yes. At the very least, the Post wouldn't be chock-full with stories that dis Gilmore every chance they get, even in purported "objective" stories.

    7:41 AM, November 26, 2007  
    Blogger Josh I said...

    Breaking:

    Trent Lott is reportedly resigning his Senate senate.

    Wonder who Lobbyist Haley will pick? Chip Pickering staying in DC after all?

    Pretty stunning that after returning to the leadership, he'd just cut and run.

    http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/26/480226.aspx

    8:11 AM, November 26, 2007  

    Post a Comment

    << Home