Let's start with the obvious. Virginia is a battleground state. Although the higher offices have been held by Republicans, the state went to Obama in both 2008 and 2012. Now, common sense would dictate that a Republican candidate with a moderate tone would be best for the next gubernatorial election given the political climate of the state, especially with the scandal that plagued the last Republican governor. However, things started off on the wrong foot right from the beginning.
With the State GOP leadership deciding to go with a convention instead of a primary, they essentially usurped the decision from Virginia's voters. As is noted by current Lt. Governor Bolling (via The Washington Post):
"Bolling blamed his party for holding a nominating convention, which he said boosts ideological candidates who are much less likely to win given Virginia’s diverse electorate."As we know from past presidential elections, with a primary comes a vetting process, often a painful one. Perhaps Cuccinelli may have survived the primary. After all, he has had a long career in politics. However, it is doubtful that his inexperienced running mate, fire-and-brimstone preacher E.W. Jackson would have. That brings us to the next problem: what was the strategy in having E.W. Jackson as Cuccinelli's running mate in the first place? Generally political parties use the two positions to balance each other out, with each candidate trying to attract specific types of voters in an attempt to potentially broaden their overall message and reach.
Cuccinelli's already robust track-record in that regard should have forced the state GOP leaders to find a candidate with a different, even off-setting message than what E.W. Jackson offered. Just to review, Cuccinelli famously defended a Crimes Against Nature law (via The Huffington Post):
"A. If any person carnally knows in any manner any brute animal, or carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth, or voluntarily submits to such carnal knowledge, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, except as provided in subsection B."Despite the state's supreme court declaring the law unconstitutional, Cuccinelli begged for a rehearing. He also used his position as Attorney General to sue a climate scientist at UVA, something the courts eventually tossed out. This is ironic in that a small government proponent used his position in government to try to influence academia in a clear abuse of power. To finish things off, Cuccinelli has also been very outspoken in regards to gay marriage.
With such a strong emphasis on social issues by Cuccinelli, having another social crusader in E.W. Jackson on the ballot was not only not needed, it was essentially doubling-down on crazy. The intense rhetoric fielded by both candidates on social issues seemed to drown out their speech in other important areas such as health care and the economy.
It just seems the Virginia GOP leadership forgot about the outcome of the 2012 election and how the focus on social issues haunted many of the candidates. Let's not forget about Todd Akin and Richard Mourdoch (those two extra Senate seats would be really helpful right now, don't you think?). Quite frankly, running on social issues on a local scale might work, but on the national scale or for a battleground state, it does not. The appeal of the libertarian candidate, gaining 6.5% of the vote, shows that for Virginia. A Republican with a moderate or libertarian-leaning message would have likely undercut any widespread support of a third-party candidate, which would have been the difference in this election.
Republicans in Virginia as well as Republican leaders across the country must now look in the mirror. What is more important? The hypocritical stance of emphasizing small government while supporting legislation against abortion and gay rights or truly focusing on small government such as the deficit, the economy, and the recent health care woes and leaving these social issues to individuals to solve on their own? Even Karl Rove acknowledged things must change. With such a close election against a weak opponent, one can only hope that the Republican Party wants to change. Until then, more wasted opportunities lie ahead.
References:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/polls-open-across-virginia-in-hotly-contested-governors-race/2013/11/04/06c6205c-45d2-11e3-bf0c-cebf37c6f484_story.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/08/libertarian-robert-sarvis-drew-record-high-votes-in-virginia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Virginia,_2008
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/11/star-scientific-ceo-jonnie-williams-resigns-amid-bob-mcdonnell-scandal-96578.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/ralph-northam-wins-race-for-virginia-lieutenant-governor/2013/11/05/3ce6cf02-4257-11e3-a624-41d661b0bb78_story.html
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/10/30/e_w_jackson_lives_the_christian_value_of_lying_like_crazy.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/ken-cuccinelli-sodomy_n_4226708.html
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/04/cuccinelli-wants-rehearing-virginias-anti-sodomy-law
http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2012/03/02/virginia-supreme-court-tosses-out-ag-cuccinelli-inquisition-on-michael-mann/
http://www.wafb.com/story/15255638/slideshow?widgetid=86735
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/us/politics/rep-todd-akin-legitimate-rape-statement-and-reaction.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/richard-mourdock-rape-comment-puts-romney-defense/story?id=17552263
http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/11/07/karl-rove-cuccinelli-virginia-governor-shutdown/3465043/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/us/politics/virginia-gop-asks-why-it-lost-to-rival-deemed-weak.html?_r=0
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