Interesting question – here in the D.C, suburbs of Virginia, I haven’t seen one ad from Mark Warner that mentions he’s a Democrat. It’s all “former Governor” and “Virginia Independence” and “wins support from GOP officials”…

(Judging from his ads, Mark Warner is ashamed to admit he’s a Democrat. That’s my kind of Democrat.)

Anyway, I know Warner spoke at the Democratic convention, and has campaigned with Obama, etc. But I’m wondering why Warner feels it necessary to keep his partisan affiliation at arm’s length, while Obama is taking a different tack in the state. Warner’s ahead by 20 points, has the huge fundraising advantage, and presumably wouldn’t be risking his lead if he identified as a Democrat, right? At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt him in commercials running in the northern Virginia suburbs, right?

Or does Warner know, and Team Obama not know, that “Democrat” or any whiff of liberalism is still a tough sell in a red-leaning state? Has the state not really changed that much from two years ago, when Jim “war hero, former Reagan administration official, I wear combat boots because my son is Iraq” Webb beat George “macaca” Allen by less than 1 percent?

UPDATE: Many readers speculate that Mark Warner wants to win over folks who are used to voting for retiring Republican Senator John Warner.