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During the final debate in the Virginia Governor’s race, Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds opted to share some of his “thinking” with the public:
[Deeds said] he “shared the broad goals” of health care reform, but would “certainly consider opting out” of a public option “if that were available to Virginia.”
“I’m not afraid of going against my fellow Democrats when they’re wrong,” Deeds said. “A public option isn’t required in my view.”
This is stupid on two levels. First, on a policy level, Creigh Deeds said health care reform needs to reduce cost. The CBO has repeatedly concluded that a public option would reduce the cost of insurance for middle class Americans.
The second problem is political. If recent polling data is any indication, a public option is much more popular than Creigh Deeds. Also, in an off year election, turning out your base is critical. Telling progressives that you plan to gut health care reform does not really get them rushing to the polls.
At least Deeds has done progressives one favor. He has shot a giant hole in one of the main arguments for the public option opt-out “compromise.” The argument is that no Republican governor (and/or state legislature) would be stupid enough to deny their constituents a public option that could save them thousands of dollars a year. Here we have a Democrat saying he might opt out a purple state. Then again, Deeds is not yet governor–and if he keeps this up, he never will be.
Update: The Deeds campaign is now trying to backpedal somewhat, but they still claim Deeds might consider opting out Virginia, and so would deny people the choice of a public option if he thought they should not have the choice.
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Man!! Deeds is dumb as a stump. And he’s a Democrat, why? Has he ever been to Wise? He should. That might change his mind. Sadly, the Democratic choices for statewide office IN VA don’t seem all that good. T-Mac was no bargain either. I can see being pro-life in a state like VA, but trying to f-ck over the less fortunate?
Deeds is toast in VA. He just invited all the real dems to stay home on election day.
Dayam. They’ll let anybody call themselves a big-D Democrat these days.
Baby Jeebus on a cracker…
FWDiva
Huh, if you’ve seen some of my posts here, I was already not voting for him. I’m going to write in my owned damned name.
And yes, I’m well aware of just how far right and wingnutty McDonnel is. And I’m fine with it. I’m NOT voting for the lesser of two evils anymore. Deeds was the bluest of the Blue Dogs that ran in the primary (I voted for Moran in the primary), and I knew I’d have a hard time supporting him. I’ve voted for the lesser of two evils too many times in my life and am not doing it anymore.
If the Democrats want my vote, nominate and run a real Democrat.
Good thing is, it’ll put Virginia on the national map. Cause McDonnel really is a wingnut. Probably say and do lots of stoopid shit.
I’m still urging friends and family registered to vote in Virginia to vote for Deeds. Not sure why, but I am.
Why elect a fake dem when they can have a real republic who actually has the balls to call himself one. I hope this fake dem goes down in flames and that is saying alot considering a real whackjob is running against him.
I’m a VA dem. I was iffy on Deeds before. I’m not now.
Man, even Terry McAuliffe would have been better than this asshat.
Sounds like an Obama type Democrat, will say anything and mean nothing.
It’s always been that way, e.g. blue dogs.
Way to go genius, we the public will opt out of electing you. Better yet, quit now and spare us the trouble of voting out yet another unqualified political hack.
Wow, as a VA Dem who was already lukewarm on, but was going to vote for, Deeds, I’m not so sure any more.
You cannot walk that statement back. He either reverses it and says he misspoke or a lot of VA Dems like me will not be voting for Gov.
I just showed another VA Dem coworker that…she wants to stay home on election day now too. What a dope.
Yeah, I’ve been getting a list of names that voted for both Webb and Warner to pledge to vote for whoever the R’s nominate in their re-elect years if no health care bill passes or if one passes without at least a strong public option. I’ve now got 32 names on the list.
I asked them how they were on Deeds, (and this was before this news), and it looked like less than half were going to vote for him. I did get 11 that claimed firmly that they would (7 said they wouldn’t, 8 were unsure, and I got no response from the others), but wonder if that will change after this news??
Thing is, Virginia, as you know, is an “open” primary state, and I wonder if a bunch of Rethugs didn’t vote in the primary for this clown knowing he would kill the base. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
My sh** for brains Congress Critter, John Culberson, is running a poll on the homepage of his website. Vote for or against H.R. 3200. Only about 134 votes so far with the knuckle draggers in the lead by about 70% to 24%.
http://culberson.house.gov
You know what to do!!!
(a) Dont want the Republican to win by a landslide, it sets up all kinds of unfortunate memes in the press
(b) Downticket races like defeating the evil Barbara Comstock in McLean
I’m not even sure if the decision to opt out would be Deeds’ to make even if he were Governor of Virginia. I haven’t seen the specifics of how ‘opt out’ might be structured by Congress, but isn’t it likely that the decision would either be left to the legislature, or to a vote of the citizenry?
This Deeds joker is a Democrat? Then bring on the crazy ass Republican challenger! Better to have a wolf in wolf’s clothes than a wolf in Democrat’s clothes.
Jeeze, if you’re not with the Democrats on this, then why bother tacking that D after your name?
Thank you, Terry McAuliffe, you stupid fuck.
great. A Democratic Pawlenty, Perry or Sanford. Just what we needed. Go Virginia.
Kaine has been awful, McDonnell can’t be any worse. Wise County, VA is 3rd world Appalachia environmentally and in health care.
http://www.wisecountyissues.com
Take a look at Loonie Louie Gohmert’s website and the questionnaire at the bottom of the home page. It’s a classic.
http://gohmert.house.gov/index.html
Holy shit
Yup.
Brian Moran would have McDonnell in such a hole by now he wouldn’t know what hit him.
Thanks, Terry, you’ve always done so well for Democrats!
If you don’t win, you’re frozen out in the cold.
“Would consider opting out” is not the same as opting out.
Politesse.
Oh crap, I think i am going to move . . . both these guys, Deeds and McDonnell, are unbelievable.
Who’s running his campaign. Did all the losers from Kerry and Hillary Clinton find their way to Virginia? He’s running the same old campaign that lost Dems big time until 2006. Live and learn. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. On top of which the Gooper is a fundie!
I nominate Deeds for Dumbass of Election ’09. Congratulations, sir.
A repugnodem, a demogop, a candemo, ……. a potential loser. Virginia must be wacky if a klan dragon is running on the “rape em” ticket and is ahead.
Spin it right and nobody would want to “opt out”. Medicare for the uninsured could be more popular than any given politician… on the fence on otherwise.
You want progressive. You want professional.
You want ProCare!
Welcome South brother.
I would love to see some good discussion and suggestions as to best course for liberal/progressives in the South.
We are stuck with that media and also RhamObama notion that the old southern money/power conservative Democrats are the only ones with a chance to win elections in the South. I don’t agree. But even if so today, nominating some articulate progressives will help to build a constituency for the future.
That is why I am not a Yellow Dog..
In the south it will be one person at a time – talking quietly, not arguing or pushing. They don’t like to be talked down to as if they are stupid. And they aren’t stupid but they are sadly under-informed. They can be reasoned with and badly need some good leaders who will tell them the truth about what is going on.
Because you’re afraid of McD?
I live in Virginia. Terry McAuliffe, like the good Clintonite he is really ruined things for us. If Brian Moran, the liberal candidate hadn’t split the modern Democratic vote, Deeds never would have won in the primary.
Now we’re stuck with somebody we can’t even hold our nose and vote for.
I think it is important to appear deliberative, and keeping the door open for a potential opt-out is just that.
Under most scenarios, I would assume that the state legislature would need to buy off on any opt-out, so it is not just the governor who would hold that power. Since the Republican would opt-out for sure, then this is not relevant to anything but morale of the base.
Since it is Virginia, I’d not want to hazard a guess as to whether deliberative pragmatism will attract more moderate/liberal voters than keeping the door open on opt-out would alienate on the liberal/progressive side.
This is not my ideal inclination typing here, rather my real analysis. If you’re going to play the winner take all electoral game, then you’ve got to play that game, not another fantasy game.
why is the democrats will take every opportunity to miss an opportunity. while i want a democrat to win in virginia, let’s face it, deeds is not a great candidate.
i do hope though democrats will come out and vote, not stay at home; any democrat is better than the alternative. one can only hope will be a better leader than a candidate.
Perhaps the best we can hope for in these odd-year elections is that the GOP wins big. Maybe that’ll shake the Obamacons’ world.
If Deeds thinks that this is the way to win in Virginia, why doesn’t he just f&*king say that he likes Republicans so much that he’s willing to think like one?
Some Democrats just seem to want to step on whatever momentum they started to build last year, Obama taking the lead as the Deflator-in-Chief.
Deeds now has me hoping that he’ll lose, and so indirectly hoping that McDonnell will win.
In either event, I hope this effectively ends any aspirations that Deeds may have had to run on a national level.
Wow! he,Deeds has to be a major league a-hole.He is the kind of Dem we have seen too much of,insult your base-supporters to curry favor with your opponent.
Hey Virginia Dems ,jackass Deeds won’t fight for ya,why the heck would ya vote for him.
Deeds sucks!
Deeds is about to learn Allan Grayson’s axiom of politics: When Democrats try to act like Republicans, they lose.
Thanks so much for your response.Twain.
I can agree that we southerners are very prideful and quick to detect or imagine an air of condescension. Your point about personal interaction is well taken. I love it when folks are surprised to discover I am a liberal. But of course that involves my unashamed acknowledgement of my politics. I know a lot of liberals in. their hearts who are reluctant to do so. That of coursr presents a problem of visibility and also how information is presented.
But I have to say that going along and simply voting the party label has been going on for a hundred and more years and we have managed to remain pretty retro ante-Bellum in our outlooks on social and economic issues.
Though personal frustration is there.I actually am glad to at least have this problem of the Blue Dogs become more visible and present the opportunity to enlist examination by those who would simply lump all under the party label.
it just kills me that every jackass that says they’re against a robust public option gets away with never having to explain why not having a public option is better than having one. Why exactly would the average American be better off without the choice of a government run insurance program? Make them explain it.
Thanks Marcos. Yes your analysis is admirably pragmatic. I certainly don’t diverge for the short term. But for all of my many many adult years in the deep south. have been hearing similar short term but little of long term vision from the faithful votes of liberal Democrats The average voter changes in many ways but the options presented to him have not.
I guess I am just daydreaming that with the visibility of the role of Southern and now Western Democrats will offer som opportunity to empower liberal ideas.
Latest tally: hehe
For 73% (304 votes)
Against 26% (107 votes)
Indifferent 1% (4 votes)
Total Votes: 415
I admit to not following this race that closely. Now, having seen this clip, I have to wonder who thought this stuttering idiot could win an election?
And why would they want him to? His loss, framed properly, might do some good for the party as a whole, unless some genius comes up with the idea that Deeds lost because he was too liberal. Who would be stupid enough to think that?
Rahm? Oh, never mind.
Question, if a state “Opts Out” of a Public Option can an individual citizen have a vehicle to opt-in and not be denied access when other citizens in other states have access? Wouldn’t an “equity” issue arise in the “Opt Out”?