The Virginia loss was not mainly about immigration

Spencer Warren provides perspective on the loss by the Republican candidate in Virginia which makes me feel better:

I don’t think his defeat says much about anti-immigration politics.

1. He was not a good candidate, making a rather nervous, abrasive impression in debate and on his TV ads, which also were shrill and over the top.

2. Turnout was 44 percent, below the last gov’s election.

3. Transportation and taxes were bigger issues.

4. Kaine’s margin of victory (100,000 out of almost 2 million votes, 52 to 46 percent, with 2 percent to a moderate Republican 3rd party candidate) could be attributed to the huge popularity of the outgoing Mark Warner, who campaigned hard for Kaine.

5. Kaine took an anti-development position (with which I agree strongly), which helped him to win outer northern suburbs for the first time. Wild Development is like a cancer devouring the lovely countryside. This too was a bigger issue than illegal aliens.

Another reader writes:

There is another big reason that Kilgore lost in Virginia. GWB has sunk below 40%. This is mainly because of the unending bad news out of Iraq. The steady erosion of Bush politically will continue. Still it is very, very bad news that a candidate with a strong stance on immigration lost. There is no getting around it. Someone on our side is going to have to win one of these days. I also believe Bush’s unpopularity (the war in particular) helped Corzine as well.

Speaking of Iraq, if I may, GWB and his cheerleaders keep bragging about the “Iraqi Constitution.” Well, a constitution is only as good as the people who live under it. Notice how defense attorneys and others keep being assasinated? Why isn’t the rule of law taking hold, GWB and Rush?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 09, 2005 11:14 AM | Send