In the News: Two Virginia Papers on Deeds’ Relentlessly Negative Campaign
Today two papers continued to question Creigh Deeds’ negative campaign. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Lynchburg News & Advance both noted the overwhelmingly negative campaign run by Creigh Deeds.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch, “Going Positive”:
“Gov. Tim Kaine, Rep. Jim Moran, former DNC head Terry McAuliffe, Doug Wilder—and no doubt many other influential Democrats—have a message for Creigh Deeds: Tell Virginia what you’re for, not just what you’re against. A Washington Post poll shows Deeds trailing badly.u> If he is to win, something must change. It may be too late. Deeds’ negativism may have been the campaign’s crucial hinge.
.... To compound the matter, Deeds has displayed a puzzling reluctance to debate McDonnell, or even to appear solo in the kind of unscripted public forums that are a staple of political campaigns. His campaign ads are mostly about . . . McDonnell. He has avoided TV appearances on FOX and CNBC. We haven’t seen a candidate so reluctant to engage the public since Benjamin Harrison’s front-porch campaign of 1888.
There’s a huge difference between the sentiments, “Vote for me” and “Don’t vote for him.” Deeds has offered the public numerous arguments for the latter. He’s offered precious few for the former—which leaves one wondering if he has any.”
The Lynchburg News & Advance, “Going Negative Always Wins, Right? Maybe Not”:
“....Ah, thank the good lord, we’re not New Jersey, you’re probably thinking right.
Well ... wrong!
Deeds, the upset winner of the Democrats’ June primary, has been struggling ever since, lagging in every single poll taken during the race.
He’s refused to flesh out any of his positions on any of the major issues in the race: transportation, education, economic development. His prefered approach has been to sell his folksy style and, since August, trash his GOP opponent at every chance.
From McDonnell’s infamous 20-year-old grad school thesis to the outright lies and distortions in TV ads blaming the Republican for higher electricity bills, Deeds and his hired campaign staff, arguably, have reached new lows for campaign negativity in Virginia.
His campaign has all been about scaring voters into supporting his candidacy, while giving them few substantive reasons upon which to base that support. It’s all been about fear.
For a couple of weeks, the fear strategy appeared to be working, as polls showed Deeds narrowing the gap with McDonnell. In the latest poll by The Washington Post, however, that appears to be ancient history now.
According to the Post last week, McDonnell has expanded his lead over Deeds, with 53 percent of likely voters expressing support for him versus 44 percent for Deeds. Surprisingly, the greatest movement in the poll numbers is coming in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, the very area Deeds has been targetting with his character-smearing ads of McDonnell.
Could it be that voters are finally sick enough of negative, non-issue-based campaigning to punish the transgressor on Election Day? Come Nov. 3, we’ll find out if the electorate truly wants clean campaigns or if, as in the past, negativity ultimately works.”