Rebellion in Virginia

Eric Cantor is the US House Majority Leader, one of the most powerful Republicans in office. And he just got smoked by 11% in the GOP primary for his district (VA 7th, basically everything between Richmond and Northern VA) by an unknown professor with Tea Party backing. Obligatory Nelson here.

So David Brat gets to run against the Democrat Jack Trammel, another unknown professor, in the general election in November, with Cantor only able to be a write-in on the ballot. Brat will probably win, the 7th is conservative by design. So Virginia loses some influence in the House, but also rid itself of a ginormous tool. Cantor wasn't even in his district the day of the primary election, he was so sure of victory he was in DC talking to lobbyists. Having another Tea Party nutjob (I'm assuming, I know next to nothing about Brat, not my district) in Congress isn't really a good thing, but he'll get marginalized and maybe the door will hit Cantor in the rear on his way out, resulting in an amusing pratfall. A hearty "Well Done" to my fellow Commonwealth citizens to the south. :applause:

Good to see the Commonwealth is headed for more fun this November. And the winners are: The political consultants and voice-over talent who will make the multitudes of ads that will plague you from this point forward.

Seriously, VA is headed into the Dem camp for a long time. The pop centers of the Northern six counties have trended liberal for a while and the Richmond and Norfolk burgs are a lock. With the economic downturn putting MORE folks into the urban centers over the last 5 years or so, the swing left is likely to stick for some time to come -- not quite the lead pipe cinch MD or DC are, but much more in line with their Northern neighbors.

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

Good to see the Commonwealth is headed for more fun this November. And the winners are: The political consultants and voice-over talent who will make the multitudes of ads that will plague you from this point forward.

Seriously, VA is headed into the Dem camp for a long time. The pop centers of the Northern six counties have trended liberal for a while and the Richmond and Norfolk burgs are a lock. With the economic downturn putting MORE folks into the urban centers over the last 5 years or so, the swing left is likely to stick for some time to come -- not quite the lead pipe cinch MD or DC are, but much more in line with their Northern neighbors.

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With Virginia rejecting the Republicans and declaring for the Democrats, will we see the state fragmenting further? Perhaps not-quite-so-west Virginia, east-but-not-including-that-bit-Virginia? Will the Virginians be banking on British intervention to save their cause?

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

Good to see the Commonwealth is headed for more fun this November. And the winners are: The political consultants and voice-over talent who will make the multitudes of ads that will plague you from this point forward.

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Nothing new, at least not up here in NoVa. The calls and ads have been quite obnoxious over the past few election cycles.

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

Seriously, VA is headed into the Dem camp for a long time. The pop centers of the Northern six counties have trended liberal for a while and the Richmond and Norfolk burgs are a lock. With the economic downturn putting MORE folks into the urban centers over the last 5 years or so, the swing left is likely to stick for some time to come -- not quite the lead pipe cinch MD or DC are, but much more in line with their Northern neighbors.

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I don't think the Commonwealth has shifted much politically one way or another, Virginia is and has been "functionally conservative". The GOP has gotten away from the "functional" part of that, at the state level the party has completely lost it's mind. Cantor being an arrogant, self-serving twat, McDonnell's tendency to take money under the table, the Cuccinelli convention fiasco, etc. The Democrats have been smart, nominate moderate, non-bat-:daisy: crazy candidates and let the Republicans self-destruct. If/when the sane Republicans reclaim the party, I'm pretty sure the state will go back to electing them.

The idealist in me hopes that the Republicans will realize that the far right cannot be placated and hopefully move back to the center.

I predict disintegration and open war by the end of the month.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

The idealist in me hopes that the Republicans will realize that the far right cannot be placated and hopefully move back to the center.

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That's gonna take a while. That far right are still a needed voting block for the Republicans, even if the more sane Republicans know that they're toxic.

The idealist in me hopes that you won't end up with a terrorist group from it. That chase after the proper purist that will never be a traitor and compromise sounds a lot like cultists searching for a cult leader.
The "good" news in that scenario is that it would probably kill off the extreme rethoric through association.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

I predict disintegration and open war by the end of the month.

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That district includes both Chancellorsville and Marye's Heights......you can hear the rebel yells if you listen closely enough to the winds.

Hrm, cantor was evicted supposedly for being too liberal, doesnt bode well for his replacement.

Join us next week on why the american political system scares me. with your host Grey "why-do-I-bother" Blades