Reflections of America: The Virginia Governor's Race

In my Autumn 2009 op-ed, I mentioned incumbent Democratic Virginia governor Tim Kaine. Well, the 2010 Old Dominion governor's race is already heating up. According to recent news stories and polls, Republican Bob McDonnell is beating Democrat R. Creigh Deeds for Kaine's soon-to-be old job. The naysayers are claiming that the Dems' enthusiasm that propelled President Obama to the White House last fall is now only a lackluster shell of its former self. Virginia voters are likewise allegedly disillusioned with the economy and health-care reform woes, as well as the president's handling of the Afghan situation. This combination, say critics and conservative pundits, will lead McDonnell to victory and return Virginia to its Red State status.
My Big Ole Rebuttal: Okay, I have another one of my out-there theories on this. Here goes: Deeds will win the Virginia gubernatorial election. I say this, because based on what I've read, McDonnell is out of touch with the attitudes of the New South (and America as a whole). For instance, McDonnell has had to defend his 20-year-old grad school thesis in which he condemned working women, various minority groups, and gays. (Memo to grad students aspiring to political careers: What you do in grad school doesn't stay in grad school. LOL!) Anyway, Virginia will remain a Blue State, and there will more than likely be a whole lot more blue below the Mason-Dixon Line on the 2012 electoral map. Besides, the economy is slowly but surely improving, the Afghan War might be winding down soon, a bipartisan (thanks, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)!) health-care bill could very likely pass, and the president's job approval rating numbers are actually up right now. It may seem like I'm reaching a bit here, but we've gotta remember one thing, folks: Prior to the 2008 election, these same naysayers were crowing that a certain freshman U.S. senator would be lucky to win Illinois and Hawaii, didn't have a snowball's chance in Hades of becoming president, and would more than likely fade into obscurity. Y'all just meditate on that!