That really is remarkable, John. The good news for Bob McDonnell this morning is that the White House is already spinning his win. (Don’t get cocky though! Virginians, vote!) And it’s because Creigh Deeds didn’t embrace Obama. More from the Washington Post today:
Senior administration officials have expressed frustration with how Democrat R. Creigh Deeds has handled his campaign for governor, refusing early offers of strategic advice and failing to reach out to several key constituencies that helped Obama win Virginia in 2008, they say.
Democratic strategists said that over the summer, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) offered Deeds advice on winning a statewide election. Among other things, Kaine, who is also chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told Deeds that he should lay out more of his own vision and stop attacking Republican Robert F. McDonnell so ferociously. But Deeds did not embrace the advice, according to a national Democratic strategist.
A senior administration official said Deeds badly erred on several fronts, including not doing a better job of coordinating with the White House. “I understood in the beginning why there was some reluctance to run all around the state with Barack Obama,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly about the race. “You don’t do that in Virginia. But when you consider the African American turnout that they need, and then when you consider as well they’ve got a huge problem with surge voters, younger voters, we were just a natural for them.”
Somewhere right now, some Dem House member is being yelled at by Rahm or one of his cronies, warning the rep that if he doesn’t go all the way with the president — on health care, on everything — the congressman (whoever you are), too, can be done — over, yesterday, finito, loser (the G-rated version) — like Deeds.