WP: White House Gambles That Boosting Kilgore Will Pay Off for Bush

[DeepModem Mom]

White House Gambles That Boosting Kilgore Will Pay Off for Bush
By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 8, 2005; Page A07


In jumping into the Virginia governor's race just 10 hours before polling booths open, President Bush put his credibility on the line last night and ensured that the results will be interpreted as a referendum on his troubled presidency. But the White House is gambling that after weeks of political tribulations, Bush has little more to lose.

Bush's election-eve foray to Richmond to rally behind Republican Jerry W. Kilgore inserted him into the hottest election of the off-year cycle and will test his ability to energize his party's base voters, according to strategists from both parties. Even in a traditionally Republican-leaning state such as Virginia, polls register disenchantment with Bush's leadership, and Kilgore has had trouble running against national headwinds.

Yet White House strategists evidently calculated that a Kilgore defeat would be seen as a defeat for Bush even if the president did not set foot on the southern side of the Potomac. While Bush was in Latin America for a trip that itself was marked by street protests and failed trade talks, the president's advisers last week opted to rearrange yesterday's return to include a stop in the Virginia capital in the hope of helping Kilgore pull out a victory. If the plan works and Kilgore wins, it would offer a well-timed vindication of Bush's clout.

"They're going to own the results either way, so why not land the plane?" asked Scott Reed, a Republican strategist who ran Robert J. Dole's presidential campaign in 1996. "If Kilgore wins, the president's political heart keeps beating." At the same time, given Bush's broader problems, Reed said, "it doesn't change the dynamics."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110701413.html

[rodeodance]

1. lets hope the gamble flops!

[calimary]

33. Well, from what I saw of him on TV last night, stumping for this campaign

(I THINK it was this campaign - it was one of the "Top Three Soundbites" of the day on Olbermann) was utterly astonishing. He sounded COMPLETELY WASTED. REALLY slurred speech. HORRIBLE presentation. Looked like he was seriously drunk. We had to run it back and replay it, 'cause we record "Countdown" every night, just to make sure we heard what we thought we'd heard. Stunning. Utterly GROTESQUE. He was leaning heavily on the podium and trying to make one of those aw-shucks folksy-wolksy jokes about taking laura to exotic places for their anniversary - referencing South America, which erupted in protests while he was there. He was SINGULARLY horrid. A HUGE embarrassment. The people who still insist on buying into him deserve what they get. The only problem with that is they drag us down into it with them - and WE do NOT deserve what they get.

What a DISGRACE.

[necso]

2. Is the fix in? /nt

[DeepModem Mom]

3. That thought crossed my mind --

or they think they have mobilized the churches whose members are "religious" Right in sufficient numbers to defeat Kaine.

[necso]

14. I'm pretty confident

that such "churches" are mobilized. (They're making a real demonstration of strength, and with more than one purpose in mind.)

And we can never, ever afford to be within the "cheat margin".

It just seems somewhat odd for these guys to bet on an outcome (domestic-political outcome) that they are unsure of.

Not generally their style. (Public reports to the contrary notwithstanding.) They like to win.

[journalist3072]

5. I'm quite sure it is

This would be an easy election to steal, because it's such a close one.

Landslide elections are much harder to steal....but I'm sure they already have their hands in the voting machines.

[asjr]

15. Yep. Those machines are primed and ready for

grand theft.

[journalist3072]

16. And I'm sure that in the African-American neighborhoods

There are NOT enough voting machines. And they've probably got "challengers" ready to go to the polls in predominantly Democratic, African-American neighborhoods, to challenge people's right to vote.

Sounds like Ohio 2004 all over again.

[trogdor]

32. Here's one of them.

[RazzleDazzle]

38. They're not known for gambling with this type of thing

I'd say the fix is in.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. That article isn't exactly "upbeat" about our "popular wartime"

pretzeldunce is it?

president's political heart keeps beating
polls register disenchantment with Bush's leadership,
his troubled presidency
Bush has little more to lose
failed trade talks

I hope this kilgore cracker guy gets his ass kicked.

[bluestateguy]

6. Bush's numbers in Virginia

Please do campaign there Mr. President.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=8b6704ab-3cc8-4d3f-aefe-584f2363fbab

[Fenris]

7. I wouldn't hedge my bets on a victory, Mr. President.

[wildwww2]

24. If I was a betting man. I would bet all my money the GOP steals it.

I hope I am wrong and I plan on following the election results on DU. But I just have this feeling that Kaine will win it in reality. But Kilgore and the repuke machines will steal it in the end. Just my feelings on that.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Up2Late]

9. Bush detours to campaign in Virginia governor's race (Reuters)

(He still thinks this will help, and BTW, what's up with the "only one term for the Govenor..." in Virginia?)

Bush detours to campaign in Virginia governor's race

Mon Nov 7, 2005 09:02 PM ET

RICHMOND, Virginia (Reuters) - President George W. Bush took a detour to Virginia on his way back from Latin America on Monday to try to give Republican Jerry Kilgore an election-eve boost in his deadlocked race for governor. Despite his own political woes and declining popularity, Bush hoped to rally Republicans to vote on Tuesday in a contest that polls show is too close to call and in which turnout could be crucial for Kilgore and his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine.

"We're not taking anything for granted. Laura and I are here to ask you to turn out to vote tomorrow for Jerry Kilgore," Bush told a rally in a hangar at Richmond International Airport after a flight from Panama at the end of a Latin America swing that also included Argentina and Brazil. Bush called Kilgore "a man of character and integrity" with a record Virginians can count on. "And equally important, you know he doesn't need to run a poll to tell him what to think," Bush added.

Kaine and Kilgore, a former state attorney general, were battling to succeed incumbent governor and potential 2008 Democratic presidential contender, Mark Warner, in the Republican-leaning southern state. Warner is barred by state law from seeking a second term.

With Bush's poll numbers plummeting and beset by problems like the war in Iraq, the bungled federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the indictment of a senior White House aide in the CIA leak probe, Democrats hoped the president's 11th-hour appearance for Kilgore would instead motivate their own supporters. Some political analysts have suggested that even Republicans might try to distance themselves from Bush now that his job approval rating is at an all-time low.

<http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=10192334&src=rss/topNews>
(more at link above)

[rodeodance]

10. umm.. first a WPost story on this -now a Reuters story.

[Up2Late]

12. Oh drats, beaten by 7 minutes

Oh well, I knew I shouldn't get to fancy with the html links. :shrug: :blush:

[rodeodance]

11. um.. Jr has his ace card--Laura with him. drats

"We're not taking anything for granted. Laura and I are here to ask you to turn out to vote tomorrow for Jerry Kilgore," Bush told

[adigal]

27. Why isn't Laura helping with Hurricane Carrina??

She was so concerned, you know??

[aquart]

13. It ain't clout, it's hacking.

[Carolab]

17. This article doesn't even mention KAINE!

What is up with that?

Notice Warner backs Kaine, too. And Warner has been discussed as a leading contender for '08.

The Kilgore "campaign" is nothing more than smears--as per usual.

Watch them steal this election.

[fearnobush]

18. 10hrs - thats not much public opinion time, But to BBV tabulator rigging,

its an eternity.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. What are Bill Bennett's odds on the race?

[bluedeminredstate]

20. I'll be voting tomorrow

on the dreaded punch card! Kilgore has been nasty, nasty and even nastier during this campaign. He's flooded the TV with cheap shots about the Kaine and the death penalty starring victims' family members recounting the horrible murders their loved ones suffered. It didn't help him. He's a total weenie.

:eyes:

[Cha]

21. Bullshit logic...not a surprise coming

from these jackals.

If kilgore "wins" then the voting machines in Virginia need to be verified with a paper trail.

[sofa king]

22. Adding his seal of disrepute.

It's close enough to steal, dammit. I just hope someone bags 'em red handed this time.

[clydefrand]

23. Voting this morning in Virginia

Last year our precinct had a 'sample' voting machine that is to be used this year. It DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY!!! If the machines aren't working correctly at the real election this year, who is the proper authority to call before we leave the precint? Do I call the Sheriff, the State Police?

[MaineDem]

28. Here's one number to call

I got this email yesterday from the Verified Voting Foundation. I can't vouch for them personally...

Voters in many states will be deciding important issues by voting Tuesday, November 8, 2005. No matter where you stand on any of the issues or candidates, all eligible voters should have the chance to cast their ballots effectively.

If you experience any problem casting your ballot -- finding the polling place, voter intimidation, accessibility issues, voting machine problems, provisional ballot issues, etc. -- or you witness anyone having voting problems, please immediately call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report the problem. Please let others know too... the same number works nationwide.

Verified Voting Foundation volunteers and staff have developed a new version of the "Election Incident Reporting System" (EIRS) to record all problems reported to 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Since 2004, hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals in the United States have used EIRS to help protect our right to vote and assure that every vote is counted as cast. If you'd like to know more about EIRS, please visit VerifiedVotingFoundation.org and Voteprotect.org

Remember: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

[Up2Late]

37. I Volunteered for them in November 2004, it a very good bunch...

...of people. Unfortunately, nothing we did helped here in Georgia, they still stole the count without even breaking a sweat.

I still haven't gotten up the nerve to wear the T-shirts they gave us, it's a bitter reminder of what we've lost.

T-shirt say:

Front -- YOU have the right to VOTE

Back --

Election Protection
1-866-687-8683
Know Your Rights

[lanlady]

25. geez, you're all scaring me

with this talk of voting fraud. Cheer up people. Kaine is going to win and win decisively. In No. VA he'll cream Kilgore.

[Moloch]

26. In Hampton Roads, too....

that only leaves the sparsely-populated southwestern part of the state.

Kilgore's gonna lose.

[Buns_of_Fire]

34. That southwestern part of the state is Kilgore's base

He's from Gate City, which is about as "southwest Virginia" as you can get and still be in Virginia. It seems everybody I've talked to around here knows Jer as one of the local good ol' boys. So I'm afraid there won't be much help from this part of the state...

[underpants]

35. Well the Dems at least have been working hard to get some foothold there

I know that Warner did well out there. Well you have to put in the time maybe this will pay off in years to come. I do think that Dems will pick up SOMETHING from all the face time Kaine has put in out there.

[alcibiades_mystery]

29. Notice that Bush is NOT going to New Jersey...

Should tell you something about that race, and this one.

[bunkerbuster1]

30. What, that NJ's still in play for the Reeps, but VA is a write-off?

heh, j/k.

[bunkerbuster1]

31. What, that NJ's still in play for the Reeps, but VA is a write-off?

heh, j/k.

[underpants]

36. Last minute-half assed- not very effective IMHO

W only came here to cover for Kilgore not going to Norfolk last week.

[hippiegranny]

39. what gamble?

they know they're going to screw with the voting machines. works like a charm! eat live babies on the teevee, still win elections - the DIEBOLD way!