my reaction to Virginia election results: meh

First my Anaheim Angels lost the ALCS.  Then my Hokies lost two games in a row.  THEN my Trojans lost to Oregon in the most embarrassing game I've ever witnessed.  By the time Creigh Deeds (D) lost the election for Virginia Governor my reaction was meh*.

Unlike the mass hysteria that infected conservatives when Obama was elected a year ago (OMG Virginia is now blue therefore a communist state, OMG we've just elected a Muslim terrorist, OMG we have a baby killer as president), I will gracefully admit defeat.  The Dems lost fair and square.  There's no conspiracy, no right wing effort to keep the poor from voting, no excuse. 

Yesterday, I had to convince my boyfriend to vote.  Why did he not want to vote?  Well, he was sure Bob McDonnell (R and women-hater) would win.  I was all ready to drag him to the polls, but fortunately I was able to convince him that Deeds was not the only Dem who needed our support.  But it bothered me that he didn't really care. 

Not that I blame him.  I didn't feel very personally invested in Deeds' candidacy. 

As much as I enjoy the voting process, the decision to vote for Deeds was--again--kinda meh.  Deeds was not my pick in the primaries; Brian Moran was.  I phone-banked for the guy because I really wanted him to win the nomination.  Sure, he was a long shot, but I supported Moran out of principal--he was the only candidate of the three that vocally opposed the marriage amendment that defined marriage in VA as an arrangement only between a man and a woman.  When Deeds came out of nowhere to win the primary, I was less than enthusiastic.  However, as a loyal Dem, I knew I was going to vote for him (especially, considering the opposition). 

I thought about volunteering for Deeds a couple of times but I wasn't really inspired by him to do anything.  I've been hearing since the campaigning began that the VA and NJ governor's races would be an indication of the public's feelings about Obama thus far.  I didn't so much as THINK about Obama whenever I thought of Deeds and I don't think Deeds loss has anything to do with the President.  Deeds lost because he failed to connect with voters.  He didn't connect with independents and he definitely didn't connect with the base.  I visited a liberal VA blogger's open election day thread yesterday where everyone was posting whom they had voted for.  I was SHOCKED by how many libs didn't even vote for governor.  Sure, they voted for the other candidates but they left the governor slot blank.  Wow.  That's how disconnected we were.

Why the disconnect?  Well, Deeds didn't always represent my interests.  In the second debate, Deeds actually said he would consider "opting out" of any public option for health insurance, even though polls in Virginia showed that the majority of Democrats and Independents want a public option.  Who was Deeds representing with that statement?  The GOP?  As the Dem candidate?  It's statements like that (or the one where he told a reporter that he was going to do good in Richmond because people like him there) that caused a disconnect with the base. 

Still, I voted for Deeds but my vote was not so much FOR HIM as it was AGAINST MCDONNELL.  The man makes my feminist blood boil.

I hate to be selfish but I'm so grateful to live in the liberal enclave that is Arlington (sorry, rest of Virginia).  It's going to be a long 4 years but I hope that McDonnell doesn't f*ck up the state too badly (if he is as great a governor as Schwarzenegger then Virginia is doomed). 

Oh and good luck trying to widen 66 inside the beltway, McDonnell.  It's a 10-year-old battle but I'll to be happy to join the protest against your initiative.  

*Meh--"The verbal equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders." (definition courtesy of Urban Dictionary)