Obama backers crucial for Deeds, Kaine says

Energizing the wave of Virginia voters who supported Barack Obama in 2008 is a key to R. Creigh Deeds' chances in the governor's race, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said today.

"The way to win is to energize the huge upsurge in Obama '08 voters," Kaine said. "We registered an awful lot of people and got a lot of them to turn out."

Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also disputed a report in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal that quoted unnamed "party strategists" as saying that the White House is "stepping back" from the Virginia race.

"That's inaccurate," he said. The White House is "highly motivated and highly engaged," he said.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is attending a fundraiser for Deeds today in Northern Virginia.

Kaine, speaking in Richmond, said that with Deeds, the White House knows it would have a "very good partner" in Virginia.

He pointed out that McDonnell, a Notre Dame alumnus, had opposed conferring an honorary degree on the president when Obama spoke at the university earlier this year.

Obama has made one campaign appearance with Deeds Aug. 6 in Fairfax County.

Kaine noted that Obama's approval ratings in Virginia are still favorable, even if they are not the "honeymoon" numbers after the Election.

"We've got to have folks who care passionately about the president and who care passionately about Creigh," Kaine said.

In recent days, both Rep. James P. Moran, D-8th and Kaine have said that while Deeds has closed the gap by focusing on McDonnell's 1989 thesis, he must now present a positive message and make the sale to Virginia's voters in the homestretch.

According to Politico, Terry McAuliffe, who lost the nomination to Deeds in the June 9 primary, made a similar point Tuesday night in a forum at Harvard University, saying that Deeds must: "Tell people what you're for."

Kaine, asked whether Deeds has said too much about McDonnell's thesis, said: "It's not thesis vs. issues. It's who best represents who Virginia is."

"Somebody who is against equal pay for women -- I don't think that's just something about a thesis that was written 20 years ago. That was a vote that Bob took in the last couple of years."

But Kaine said Deeds also needs to focus on issues such as education and emphasize college affordability.

In recent polls, McDonnell has led Deeds by anywhere from 4 to 9 percentage points.

"We're all aware that we haven't closed the gap yet. There is a gap and we've got to close it."

But Kaine reminded reporters that in the 2005 race for governor he trailed Republican Jerry W. Kilgore in polls throughout the campaign, until late October.

"I was in the same place," Kaine said.