Quick observation about Creigh Deeds, the Democrat who lost the governor’s race in Virginia yesterday. Earlier this year, he was perceived not as a weak candidate, but as the very best candidate the Democrats could put forward in 2009. He won a competitive primary against Clintonite Terry McAuliffe and Northern Virginia officeholder Brian Moran. The Washington Post endorsed him during the primary largely on the basis of his electability. It’s possible to believe that McAuliffe would have run a little better because he would have spent huge personal sums, but the consensus opinion several months ago was that Deeds stood the best chance of victory. Did he run a great campaign? Not really. But was he a foreordained landslide loser? Hardly.