Perhaps McAuliffe could become a Republican ...

 

"Puckett, a senator since 1998, did not respond to calls seeking comment. Other Republicans denied that Puckett was offered the jobs in exchange for his resignation.

In a statement, McAuliffe (D) acknowledged that Puckett’s resignation had created “uncertainty” for his plan to expand the federal-state health program for the poor to 400,000 uninsured Virginians. But he contended that he still had a majority of the Senate on his side."  Washpost

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""Good ole Phil!"  We don't much like Democrats here in the 38th District, but Phil... Hell, he's one of us.  Never could figure out how he could be a Democrat.  His daughter, now she's a right nice girl, makes a great juvenile judge   Now, you know that bein' in the state senate is not a full time job.  You can't live on that.   Now Phil will go back to the tobacco board where he can make enough money to get a good state pension and his girl, she'll get a state judgeship right here in Pulaski or somewhere else in the Mountain Kingdom.  But, the best is that McAuliffe is screwed.  We're sure as hell gonna elect a Republican to fill Phil's seat.  The General Assembly will pass a budget without Obamacare and then McAuliffe can veto it and shut down the commonwealth government if he wants to...  Heh.  Heh.  I suppose we'll have to do something about country peoples health care someday."  Southwest Virginia Mountaineer

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This is a typically Virginia political game.  The pols do not generally like to show their hands but as I predicted, they did not like being subjected to his baloney.  People play rough here and it is a particularly Southern kind of game.  People like Chuck Todd and Larry Sabado think this is a Middle Atlantic state?  they should get out more.  I live in the 8th US Congressional District, the bluest place in the Commonwealth and even here rules of the game that apply in places like Pennsylvania are just meaningless.  There will be no electoral price paid for this, none at all.  pl  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-democratic-senator-to-resign-possibly-dooming-push-to-expand-medicaid/2014/06/08/901edf8e-ef54-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html

Comments

[Tyler]

America owes Virginia a debt tonight. By ousting Cantor, they may have just saved the nation from yet another deceptive amnesty treason.

Raising one to the Seventh District tonight.

[CTuttle]

*heh* Watch Obama annoint him as the next Ambassador to Israel...! ;-)

[The Twisted Genius]

pl,

The 7th district begins south of the Rappahanock River but leaves out the more dependably Democratic Fredericksburg area. The area just south of the Rappahannock actually went more for Cantor. The area south of the North Anna River and north of Richmond went heavily for Brat. I think you're spot on with why Cantor lost. He became a Washington insider interested only in self aggrandizement on the national stage. As you said, "his constituents became to believe that he was not their guy."

[TomPM]

Col. Lang and John,

As to the Lee Atwater quote, the original 1981 interview (which runs 42 minutes) can be heard at this link to a Rick Perlstein article from The Nation, published in 2012. This late at night, I only listened to the first 20 minutes, but it is worth a whole listen, I'm sure.

http://www.thenation.com/article/170841/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy#

As far as I can tell, it wasn't really a formal interview, but sounds like it was a gaggle of reporters just kicking it around with him "off stage" and someone was running a tape recorder (not a great recording, either.) The entire thing is very informal, not really structured, even has telephone call interruptions. Tremendously interesting. The part John referenced is sometime after the 16:00 mark, but for full context, it's probably best to hear it all.

[confusedponderer]

They'll buy another Cantor.

[turcopolier]

CP

They will buy another cantor? what does that mean? pl

[turcopolier]

TTG

I wrote a while back that the existing 7th District was a bad fit for Cantor. Whoever gerrymandered the district into its present shape missed the fact that all those yeoman type Virginians living along the Rte 17 corridor NW from Ashland to Warrenton would inevitably start to "smell a rat" in terms of having Cantor as their rep in Washington. All you had to do to learn the truth was to "hang out" in local places like Clark Brothers, "BBQ Country" across the road and all down along the road toward Richmond. Cantor lost because he was perceived to be "not from here." pl

[confusedponderer]

Oh, I am not saying they will bribe anybody - bribery is a crime after all. Bribery isn't necessary, ever since unlimited campaign contributions by corporations and other bodies have become legal (Citizens United is a disaster for America).

Campaign donations are simply a necessity for all candidates.

The importance of campaign contributions was amply demonstrated by the humiliating spectacle of the kneefall before Sheldon Adelson that Republican presidential contenders subjected themselves to.

Unless you're rich and willing to spend your own money you have to go through that if you seek office.

So what an Adelson or AIPAC will do is this: They will try to find another candidate with good or acceptable electoral chances who is willing to do their bidding, or better still for them, is someone who shares their outlook, or is at least a Christian Zionist. That'll be the candidate they will give their money and support to.

And in more or less subtle ways, this money buys something from the candidate.

All that money will not outright determine the race, since the electorate is and remains a factor (as indicated by them giving Cantor the boot), but the reality is that money does often make differences in electoral races.

As for Cantor himself, good riddance. It is a good sign that he was removed from an electorate that found him wanting.

[virginian]

Col Lang,

Virginia is my home. I come back from time to time, but work and live away a lot. I get upset over Va politics far more than any other place I happen to be because I am bound to the place. Every place else my attitude is their state/country, their business. If somebody fins Va congenial more power to them, the state has much to recommend it, but our politics have been toxic. Other places may be worse, but I dont care what those cats do to each other in Chicago.

Speaking of the Valley, the Germans were far less socially differentiated than the English coming across the Blue Ridge. All down the eastern side of the valley you will find surnames linked with eastern va belonging to families that were nit as well off as the Germans or Quakers in many cases forming a cottager class, remaining laborers down to the present. Doing genealogy in the valley you get the feeling the place more resembled Thomas Hardy's Wessex than Faulkner's fictional Ms county. These were the people Richmondhad no problem uprooting enmas to make what they thought was going to be a garish park they could develop, but which Roosevelt turned into an actual nature park. Where was that vaunted Va love of community and tradition when these people got kicked off theur land, I guess the same place when massas loyal hands got sold to Ms or Al. And to add insult to injury, claimed we were the progeny of Hessian deserters or were all squatters, but even in the case of the squatters, youd think the Old Dominion of noblesse oblige would recognize long term residency and ties of loyalty.

This hasnt been well documented and scholars like Wayland ignore them entirely. These families were the products of old Virginia. Demographically, they are just as important as the Germans or Scots Irish. I bring them up to suggest that Eastern Va supplied the Valley with its two extremes of wealth. I disagree with John below on one point. Many of these po whites never went anyplace, but they dont make it into the county histories. Look at the later censuses and the phonebooks.

I ignored the Quakers, which you correctly point out. They probably are one of the main reasons Loudon county was always prosperous. But are they typical of Va. Wouldnt it be better to view them as atypical of the British settlers?

Your breakdown of the Valley is correct, but Rockingham has been more German or English than Scotch Irish, early settlement patterns aside. The Germans, particularly the colonial settlers, when compared to the Anglos of the North and South come off as much more quiet and down to earth. All the various societal improving isms of the 19th century which still plague this country werent started by the Germans settled here. I cant speak to those Hegelian fools in Germany itself. The Pa Germans were a source of annoyance to their Anglo neighbors because they werent so easily caught up in the various 19th century crusades like abolition or temperance.

[virginian]

This is true. Christian Zionism and semitophilism are quite strong, and have grown stronger over the course of the 20th century.