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Virginia: The New Swing State

by: midas

Virginia is now officially a swing state. According to that article, the national Republican party is starting to concentrate their efforts (read: money) on 3-4 senate races: Missouri, Tennessee, New Jersey, and, yes, Virginia. This is significant in that it means they are to some degree abandoning Montana, Ohio (the focus of the article), Pennsylvania (home to Santorum, which is kind of a big deal), and Rhode Island. All of these have Republican incumbents and all of them have been leaning more and more to the challenger in the past weeks.

Basically the situation is that the Republicans need to hold on to 50 seats to keep a majority (with Dick Cheney). The only seat they have a real chance of picking up from a Democrat is in New Jersey. If the Democrats can hold onto that seat (which they have for like 30 years or something ridiculous), then they need to win 2 out of the 3 remaining competetive seats, Missouri (statistical tie), Tennessee (statistical tie), and Virginia (statistical tie as of last week or so) to take the Senate. This election is going to be down to the wire (nationally).

I am hugely in favor of having Virginia as a swing state (swing commonwealth?). I feel like it means you are relatively moderate, which is good for its own sake, and also because people pour money into you and do whatever you say if they think they can earn a favourable glance from you in their direction. When was the last time a foreign policy decision was made because of what people in Utah thought? Never. When was the last time a foreign policy decision was made because of what people in Florida thought? Every day since the end of the Cold War (see: Cuba).

So I think this could be a good thing for Virginia (if it is true). It is also a good thing for the voters in Virginia, because it means your vote really might make a difference in November. So make sure you do it.

PS: This site is a good read if you are like me and follow elections the way most people follow sports. It’s updated daily.

Comments.

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  1. Hey, good link. I enjoyed it.

    Don’t most people follow politics the way most people follow sports? As in, our team needs to win big because the other team is evil?

    — RMSzero | @

  2. We need a politician from THE U!!! Then he could just hit his opponent with a helmet until he quits.

    — MaxPower | @

  3. i mean i certainly have an opinion as to who i would hope would win, but the enjoyment of a victory is different and removed from the enjoyment watching it play out and seeing what strats and choices each side uses and makes.

    i feel like most people don’t check electoralvote each day to see the latest poll numbers for congressmen theyve never heard of, but a lot of people get football scores textmessaged to their phone (or so i hear).

    maybe my sports similies are handicapped by my ignorance of the culture? your huoo-mahn ways are strange and unfamiliar to me.

    — midas | @

  4. Heh no i gotcha.

    — RMSzero | @

  5. HUOO-MAHN

    — midas | @

  6. dude. in a discussion about changing the state constitution, you’re state judges ruling under the old constitution isn’t exactly relevant. if you want to “get me”, you’re going to have to go higher… sayyy, US constitution or US supreme court. otherwise, who cares what he said if the constitution is going to ban it anyway.

    plus you have no explanation for all the descrimination we are already doing. i’m already married, but say i want to marry again? it’s my constitutional right, isn’t it?

    and i haven’t even gotten to look at your quote in context. but i see that in practice it is ignored.

    — Wolf | @

  7. That was a supreme court ruling.

    — RMSzero | @

  8. As in, US supreme court.

    — RMSzero | @

  9. Ooo wrong thread.

    — MaxPower | @

  10. haha, my bad

    — Wolf | @

  11. i rant and rave against gay marriage in Every Thread Ever.

    — Wolf | @

  12. Midas and Max,

    Where can I go to find a detailed lay out of how my Virginia candidates feel about different issues? I’d like it to be reliable too. I would also like it to be in an easy to read format.

    I’m mostly concerned with the Senate races. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

    I understand if you are busy (so am I, that’s why I’m using you two as shortcuts!) but this is your chance to reach out and touch a voter! (But not that kind of touching, Midas)

    — BK | @

  13. This looks pretty good — supplied by RVAKid. I mean it is a .org, if you can’t trust a .org who can you trust?

    Actually they are pretty legit, check them out.

    — MaxPower | @

  14. Thanks! I knew you’d come through for me!

    Although after reading the project vote smart page, I have become severely depressed over the political system. Two of the three candidates did not answer the survey, and the one who did answer it I did not like some of his answers… sigh…

    And the candidate official web pages were not much help either! Gail’s is not even Firefox compatible! I can’t vote for someone who does not respect my browser choices!

    — BK | @

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