What does GOP sweep mean for 5th District in 2010?
File photo
Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th District
Political pundits looking beyond the state’s GOP sweep warn that Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th District is on shaky ground in 2010 because the district’s constituents are unhappy with national policies.
In 2008, Virginia’s 5th Congressional District supported Democrats Mark Warner for Senate and Perriello while at the same time voting for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
Also last year, the much smaller 14th state House of Delegates district supported President Barack Obama and Warner.
On Tuesday, both districts turned red, voting for the straight Republican ticket, and the 14th District reelected its Republican incumbent, Delegate Danny Marshall. Perriello currently faces seven challengers.
“I’ve seen (the 5th) District described by some folks as trending Democratic,” said Andy Sere, regional spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “I think (Tuesday) night should put a rest to that. This is a conservative district and (Tuesday’s) gubernatorial results proved that ... which I think should be most troubling to Tom Perriello.”
Sere criticized Perriello’s support of national policies, saying he was “out of touch” with the 5th District constituents.
“I think that (Tuesday) night’s results were obviously very welcome news for state Republicans,” Sere said, “but for our perspective, we see (those) results as a premonition of what could very well happen to Tom Perriello next year.”
Fred Hudson, chairman of the 5th District Democratic Committee, expects the key issues of jobs and health care — which he said McDonnell’s campaign ran so heavily on — will not play as large a role come 2010.
“I believe that those will either be moderated or resolved by the time a year goes by and they will have little or no effect or hangover consequences to Tom Perriello’s race,” Hudson said.
Other political experts credit this year’s shift to a lack of Democratic voter turnout rather than a change of heart for Obama and Perriello. Isaac Wood, communications director for the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, described the 5th District as a “microcosm of elections in Virginia” that depends heavily on voter turnout.
“I’m not convinced there was this great mass of Obama voters that switched to McDonnell,” Wood said. “I think they stayed home.”
Wood said “the most shocking shift” from Tuesday’s statewide election was the majority by which McDonnell won the city of Danville — 8 percent — compared to Perriello’s margin of 16 percent.
“That’s a 24-percent swing,” Wood said. “I think that that’s really gonna tell the story of the 2010 election if Perriello can pull some big numbers in Danville — if he will have a shot. If things look like they did in 2009, it’s hard to see where he’s gonna pick up extra votes in the rest of the district.”
Charlottesville-based political blogger and Democratic party activist Waldo Jaquith described the 5th District as a “real centrist district,” where he said Perriello has become a good fit. For Republicans to remain successful, they will have to continue to campaign here as moderates, he said.
“I think the lesson is pretty clear for Virginia Republicans,” Jaquith said. “They win when they campaign around the center.”
Reader Reactions
Talk about not being able to read. I only have a problem with the peace loving muslim terrorists that will do whatever it takes to kill Americans. Can’t help it if you don’t like my description of the evil we are facing. Luckily, we don’t have to rely on your judgment when it comes to protecting the nation. There are plenty of patriots willing to give it all to serve and protect regardless of the lightweights that repeatedly ignore the real danger that is coming our way. Like I said, you just keep those blinders on and continue living in your world of make believe where the US has no enemies. When Mr. Peace-prize allows those peace loving muslim terrorists in Iran to get a nuke, we can all stand back and watch the planet catch on fire.
once again you have proven your special inability to read and comprehend. two posts ago i said “thats (death) just an occupational risk that the govt should work hard to avoid”. why is that so hard for you to understand? and what people would have said if the ft hood shooter were devout christian… nothing. you sure wouldnt have an arguement here, so thank you for helping me prove my point in my last post. military can teach you to be a cold hearted muslim killing machine but it cant teach you to read huh? and i love how you just ASSume that i could not have been in the military before the 90’s. at least twice you have referenced my service as if you know me. you are clearly someone who is not on my level when it comes to logical discussion therefore i will fall back from this issue with you after this post. i will say nobodys blind but you, you generally speak of muslims as if everyone fits into your category of terrorist, then try to flip the script on me when i say your prejudging a whole religion. sayin i’m trying to be politically correct. i’m just trying my hardest to use my whole brain and not sound stupid. just bc you dont have a problem with that image doesnt mean i dont either. i’m not supporting terrorists just like i wasnt stupid enough to join the military TO DIE. then you talk to me like i’m messed up in the head bc i joined the military with a purpose. open your eyes clown, just as i said before MOST PEOPLE DID with the exception of you i guess. death is solely an occupational risk. people at mcdonalds get burned with grease but thats not why they apply to work there, every job has its risks and i would be a fool to not understand that i may not make it home from my service. anywho, i honestly just think you have a personal problem with muslims and i hope that your dream of a muslimfree world will happen… in your afterlife. i’d love for you to talk this same crap in iraq (ironically where you are). thats probly why youre so vocal with your hate here. matter of fact, i guess me being in the military and not wanting to die for stupid **** is like you being in iraq and hating muslims. looks like i’m not the only loon here. kick rocks ron
The argument still stands, joining the military without thinking about the sacrifices you may have to make for your country is still a little loony. Just wondering when that was anyway, because we have actually been at war with those peace-loving muslim terrorists since about 1990, maybe even longer if you take the Iran hostage crisis into account. Only problem is, too many people like you want to forget who the enemy is or act like they don’t know where they live. I only have a problem with the peace-loving muslim terrorists, you know the ones that like sticking bombs up their backside (actually this is the newest twist in their wickedness) in an attempt to meet their allah. I can’t help that they prove my point on an almost daily basis. It takes a special person believing in a special religion of peace to stick a bomb up there tush just so they can get to a make believe paradise. Lucky for the US, we don’t get to witness their evil first hand that often. If people would quit playing the politically correct game when it comes to these particular nutcases, we could probably negate the peace-loving muslim terrorists from doing us any damage at home. But when you have government officials that want to stick their head in the sand (like you) even when they have a ranting jihadist serving in the Army, I would say we are in a heap of trouble. You keep your blinders on though, not much I can do for people like you that can ignore the proof even when it is slapping them in the face. It takes a special person for that too. I wonder what they all would be saying if Hasan had been a devout Christian?
okay and i’m convinced you just cant read, i said i joined BEFORE the war. i’m not gonna continue to carry this convo with you if you cant respect yourself enough to read my full posts and not look like a fool by making up stuff. i mean, now you are just rambling onto things that have NO significance. and fyi- there are plenty of muslims in the military and plenty of people that have went on warpaths killing comrades… i think this one just came at a good time for you to TRY to argue your point.
you just have a problem with muslims, bottom line
It ONLY means that voters that were eager to vote in the 08 election were not in this one.
There are plenty of things that can be done to limit the success of what those peace-loving terrorists can do to us. You can take away the countries that harbor(Iraq & Afghanistan) them or make it hard for them to survive where they may be hiding (Pakistan). You can take the fight to where they live as opposed to waiting for them to attack us at home again. You can secure our countries borders, which hasn’t happened yet. The US border patrol is catching 10-20 illegal aliens from places other than Latin America each week. How many do you think are actually getting through scot-free and how many are of the peace-loving muslim terrorist variety? I don’t know, but I don’t want to ignore that it is happening either. To me losing to them is not an option, although Mr. Peace-prize has a different opinion and doesn’t like using words like “wining” and “victory.” So we may have a hard time of it in the future. We should probably ask those service people in Afghanistan that have been waiting for reinforcements for the past 2 months. If we can’t fight to “win” we might as well bring them home. You have to ask yourself a question though, is it easier watching buildings fall with innocent civilians in them, or is it easier letting the all volunteer military do what it gets paid to do. I personally signed up to protect and defend when I served, and I think what we have been doing for the past 8 years has been spot on.
I am beginning to think you are one of those progressive types that like to play dress up and pretend a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that joined the military just for college and income during a time of war. Don’t want to call your intelligence into question, but most people consider the consequences before signing up to go fight peace-loving muslim terrorists during a time of war. I mean it is the military for goodness sakes. Haven’t you ever watched a war movie? People get hurt and die in war you know. I think there are easier ways to come by those things you felt the military owed you without putting your life on the line, but I have heard of crazier things happening in this world. Just yesterday, a peace-loving muslim decided to shoot and kill 13 people and wound another 31. Still a question of whether he was acting as a terrorist or not, but I’m willing to put money on it. All this after the military had paid for his degree in psychiatry. Go figure. Maybe there is some truth to what you have been saying after all. Crazy people do join the military for education benefits during a time of war. I’m sorry I mistrusted you.
The notion that any nation could ever “win” a war on terror is foolish.
Look up the defintion of terrorist.
The only way to win would be to kill everyone.
If you will check the facts, Bush/Cheney originally sold the Iraq war as a mission to get the WMD’s. There were none.
One more thing Bigron: of course the surge worked, but Bush already bankrupted the country with his war and we as a nation, financially could not sustain troop levels that the surge required and no other countries were willing to help. (Thank you for your service though, and I seriously mean that).
You cannot win a war on terrorism, because anyone can potentially be a terrorist.
tea party guy i see… nuff said. that would explain why you care not to pay close enough attention to what i say OR ask questions about what you dont know. i joined for lack of an alternative. no money for school, and not much promise in danville. instead of just asking, you would just chose to pick a few “key” comments and run with them. i too served proudly and enjoyed my time served to the fullest… and i mean fullest. i dont care about your service man bc thats childish, what do you want? a seniority battle with me? any time served is commendable. but i see that you feel as tho you are better than me because you served longer (which youre guessing). anywho knowing that i was putting my life on the line i had given myself over to my government for the sake of my own future (alive that is), just the same as many other have. service before self after you are in but its self before service coming in the door. pardon my priorities, i know this may come as a shock to you but most people did and do join for college and reliable income and not to die. look at the economy and most families lack of income and i’ll bet you can come up with an answer on why we have record enlistments and re-enlistments. i saw that first hand while gwb was in office. so just like you probly got lured to do contract work in iraq for a promise of 100,000+ dollars a year, other people chase money as well. all im saying is people need money and need help and go to the military seeking it not seeking death. thats just an occupational risk that the govt should work hard to avoid. i didnt go to “seek out terror” by form of muslim on foreign land, nope, just securing my future. but i doubt this conversation will ever get anywhere with you so enjoy the heat out there ron, continue to formulate your strategy bc i’m sure 20+ years served helped you come up with a great one. matter of fact, on your off time, find a iraqi walmart or home depot parking lot and have your own tea party over there. maybe someone there will care more than people do here.
My, aren’t we a little long winded. Shame your military career was so dreadful. Makes one wonder why you would make the choice knowing your life was going to be on the line and everything. Since you still haven’t figured it out, the enemy is those peace-loving muslim terrorists and I label them as accurately as I can for the short-sighted among us that still can’t figure out who the enemy is after two decades. If you think all will be fine once we remove every troop from Afghanistan and Iraq, you didn’t learn very much when you were serving. And you’re right, it is easy to speak of the military when you are at home after how many tours in the war zone, 1 or 2? I spent 20 plus years in the service and was proud to serve and I’m currently working as a government contractor in Iraq. Don’t care if you believe that or not, but do believe I fully support our men and women in the military and what they are doing day in and day out as they put it all on the line for our country. I would think the “majority” serving feels the same way about those peace-loving muslim terrorists and the war, but I could be wrong. We have only had record reenlistments and enlistments over the past few years. Not much of a “majority” getting out and going to college from what I’ve seen. Anywho, I’ll be home in a few weeks if you want to get together over a cold beer and discuss what those peace-loving muslim terrorists have been up to in this neck of the woods. Or maybe we could meet up at the next tea party. I’ve missed so much fun over the last 7 months.
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