veritas
14th November 2005, 11:30
The following is an explanation from the VA-based Family Policy Network, a national pro-family organization, as to why Kilgore lost in VA last week. It really hits the nail on the head. Scott, maybe you can post it on the website...
The pundits are spinning the demise of Jerry Kilgore as a defeat for conservatism and a victory for the “moderate” middle of the road. Such conclusions are based on the idea that successful campaigns appeal to so-called “swing voters” who support “reasonable” candidates from either party on a given day.
The poll numbers from Tuesday’s election tell us something entirely different, since two unapologetically pro-life, anti-tax conservative candidates fared much better than the moderated version of Jerry Kilgore. What’s interesting is that most voters didn’t know about Kilgore’s leftward drift, but that didn’t keep it from shooting him in the foot. It all started very soon after he won his first statewide race, when he began to compromise in a futile attempt to win the second.
Four years ago, Jerry Kilgore ran for Attorney General as a conservative prosecutor from Southwest Virginia, making no bones about his traditional values. Much was made of his conservative roots and hometown values, and he carried the state with sixty percent of the vote.
Unfortunately, that was then. This is now. And a whole lot has changed in just four years.
The rest of this article is located at http://va.familypolicy.net/index.php?p=37
The pundits are spinning the demise of Jerry Kilgore as a defeat for conservatism and a victory for the “moderate” middle of the road. Such conclusions are based on the idea that successful campaigns appeal to so-called “swing voters” who support “reasonable” candidates from either party on a given day.
The poll numbers from Tuesday’s election tell us something entirely different, since two unapologetically pro-life, anti-tax conservative candidates fared much better than the moderated version of Jerry Kilgore. What’s interesting is that most voters didn’t know about Kilgore’s leftward drift, but that didn’t keep it from shooting him in the foot. It all started very soon after he won his first statewide race, when he began to compromise in a futile attempt to win the second.
Four years ago, Jerry Kilgore ran for Attorney General as a conservative prosecutor from Southwest Virginia, making no bones about his traditional values. Much was made of his conservative roots and hometown values, and he carried the state with sixty percent of the vote.
Unfortunately, that was then. This is now. And a whole lot has changed in just four years.
The rest of this article is located at http://va.familypolicy.net/index.php?p=37