McDonnell leads Deeds in poll, cash
Bob Brown / Times-Dispatch
Republican Bob McDonnell enters the countdown to the gubernatorial election ahead in the latest poll and flush with cash.
Published: October 27, 2009
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Republican Bob McDonnell enters the countdown to the gubernatorial election comfortably ahead in the latest poll and flush with cash, while Democrat R. Creigh Deeds is looking to a presidential visit today to boost his lagging campaign.
On the eve of President Barack Obama's appearance with Deeds at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, a poll by The Washington Post yesterday showed McDonnell leading by 11 percentage points -- 55 percent to 44 percent.
And McDonnell has nearly twice as much cash to spend in the closing days of the campaign as his Democratic rival.
The Post poll and fresh campaign-finance reports were signs of continuing momentum for Republicans, who are looking to take back the governorship after eight years and perhaps add down-ticket victories and gains in the House of Delegates.
The poll also suggested that Obama may be of little benefit to Deeds. Seven in 10 respondents said the president -- despite a 54 percent approval rating in Virginia, which he carried in the 2008 election -- will not sway their vote next Tuesday.
The Post polled 2,132 adults Thursday through Sunday, including 1,206 likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The latest fundraising reports, covering Oct. 1 through Oct. 21, show McDonnell with $1.832 million on hand, compared with Deeds' $937,772, according to a compilation from the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in Virginia politics.
Deeds raised nearly $3.1 million in the almost three-week reporting period, while McDonnell brought in slightly more than $4 million.
The Democratic National Committee pumped $1.7 million into Deeds' campaign coffers, while McDonnell took in more than $2 million in-kind, including $972,877 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than $1 million from the Republican Party of Virginia.
In-kind contributions are donations of services or goods, rather than money, as when a donor pays for a television ad.
In the contest for lieutenant governor, Republican incumbent Bill Bolling raised $496,033 and had $524,445 on hand as of Oct. 21. Democratic challenger Jody Wagner raised $463,856 during the period and had $237,365 on hand.
Democrat attorney general hopeful Stephen C. Shannon led his rival, raising $532,575 and having $955,436 cash on hand. Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli reported raising $532,113 with $153,863 cash on hand.
Since Oct. 21, statewide candidates have had to report donations greater than $5,000 within 24 hours. As of yesterday evening, McDonnell had brought in nearly $333,000 from those donors, according to VPAP. In the same period, Deeds raised $202,744 in contributions of $5,000 or more.
Those figures include donations reported by the candidates and reported by so-called 527 committees, named for the section of the federal tax code that governs fundraising for activities such as voter mobilization and issue advocacy.
In other developments yesterday:
- The McDonnell campaign released a direct-mail piece invoking former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat who is refusing to support Deeds because he favors higher taxes for transportation.
- Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential contender in Richmond last night to address the annual banquet meeting of The Family Foundation, said McDonnell is ahead because of national issues.
Big spending in Washington and rising national debt have bred "sheer terror" among the electorate, he said.
He said voters are turning not so much to the Republican brand as a desire for more responsibility and accountability.
Huckabee will raise money for McDonnell today at an event in Newport News.
Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or
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Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or .
Staff writer Tyler Whitley contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
tsk, tsk Vacu. YOu are so hung up on misre-presentation that you cant see your own nose. Laos and Vietnam are not Socialist, they are communist. And you are the one comparing them to us? Are you really that far gone that you have jumped over socialism to communism? The new left is now the right? What a load of PC bull hockey.
If Obama has his way unfettered, the only difference - in several years - will be the size of the mistake, not the mistake. he has shown he is confiscating large swatches of private america (unconstitutionally) and the only thing that may stop him in the next year is his own party (not all of them are moon-bats - just the leadership).
He has already screwed Chrysler and GM owners, BofA, AIG, and other wall street firms owners and operators (OBTW - let’s not forget Rick Waggoner, doctors, nurses, health corporations, insurance companies, small companies (did we forget Barney’s idiocy? hmmmm?).
I will offer you a bit of clarification. He has not made America Socialist YET, but that is not for a lack of trying just for a lack of time. He is a socialist in all but self proclamation. But then do you really want crap to dictate to you what you can call it?
Thanks to Billy Boy, words no longer have meaning to democrats. They are just conveniences that can be discarded when the opportunity arises.
wpanak. “As DandyAndy stated earlier, McDonnell has no control over the economy—he will either take credit for economic recovery that is outside of his control, or blame Obama if the economy is slow. It is one of the few things on which DandyAndy has been correct—interesting that he predicts that McDonnell will do the same thing that he criticizes Obama of doing, namely blaming his predecessor from the other political policy.“
Actually I was being facetious. Sigh, do I have to explain everything to you? Besides, McDonnell would never blame his predecessor. Only democrats do that. They have to do this constantly in order to divert attention away from their own incompentences.
Anytime jerry78linda…. Now if you can ONLY get Queen Pelosi and Reid to keep their mouths shut with the name calling. As a Veteran of Vietnam, even though I know we disagree… what makes me really angry is when I hear the names be called from the Lawmakers. IE: The Tea Party, Pelosi called the supporters “UnAmerican”.
To say the least, you can see my anger and those who support her and others. I do not like the name calling from either side, as I feel it is counter productive, but in today’s political climate… much is being said with passion on both sides.
Believe it or not… most of my friends are Democrats and some Liberals. However, for us to have this friendship… we do so without the name calling and understanding of a good discussion can be done without the anger. Otherwise, many of us would be without friends.
Enjoy!
Yes bholl I saw that on the news this morning. I vaguely remember them saying this group will not send out these mailers after all. But they pointed out, what they have is already a matter of public record. I get enough junk in my mail already, I don’t need to know how many people voted in my neighborhood. I am a devoted voter anyway so it wouldn’t matter to me.
Check this out:
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/your-voting-history-could-end-neighbors-mailbox
Organization is sending individual voter turnout information out in 527 mailers.
Must be Acorn again..or maybe not.
Welcome McDonnell’s world, folks.
MrCobray thanks for your posting to me, you are as I am, full of opinions and eager to share. It’s a pleasure to exchange our differences this way. We do have one common ground, we are Americans in the end regardless of beliefs and politics. Thanks for sharing.
godfather are you arguing that the obama admin. is going to control around 7 trillion dollars of the u.s. economy? I’m not sure even rush limbaugh would agree with that. Also I still want to know do you really see no difference between the U.S. form of government/obama admin. and the governments of Laos or Vietnam?
Vacu is funny - and perhaps ADHD. Hey clown (notice I dont have to name you after the mascot for your party), the companies I listed amount to well over 1%. The federal spending on top of that is another 20% and with the forced publization of the Health care industry, that is another 17%. So when this administration is through ruining the country, they will control over 50% of the country’s economy. In ANY book that is a controlling interest.
Grow up and start thinking for yourself instead of spouting talking points. And remember Niemoeller.
You are correct 12step, as I remember I did call you some names. However, I remember several months ago, you said something in regards to my post which totally set me off and of course as you know we both paid for it. The RTD step in as you very well know.
However, I do have my points of view and I am set in my ways as you probably already can tell. However, I have come see that you also have changed and I felt if 12step could take the step so could I, even though I may not agree with you. I would like to think you and I could agree to disagree…
I realize that you and others may not like my posts, and this is fine, however I would agree that the name calling is unfounded and I will only do it towards the politicians for now on. I know it will be hard, but for those like yourself with whom I have seen on here now for weeks, I come to respect your viewpoint even though I may not agree.
Anon and I are total opposites, however I reached the same level with Anon because he too is a veteran and as you know, I am a very strong supporter of our troops and veterans.
So since you have reached out with a hand… I will extend mine to you as well 12step and let’s go forward in a more postive direction…. When I was growing up, Dems and Republicans could talk to each other in a manner which you did not dislike each other even if you disagreed.
Thank you…
Cobray, Thanks for your kind words, but let’s be honest… at numerous times since you showed up around these pages you’ve decried me as a godless communist, brainless Obama follower, America hating coward… I could go on. I don’t know what exactly I did to garner your respect, and though I’m glad, I don’t believe it was anything I did differently. None the less, I read your posts calling the same people the same things that you used to call me and wonder why. I think you could be contribute something valuable to these discussions by talking about the pertinent issues and your opinions of said issues instead of crafting posts based on assumptions of the personal attributes of other posters (or the groups which you perceive them as belonging to).
I can only speak for myself, but I find it it deeply offensive to be called unamerican or to have people try to speak for me as to what I do or do not believe. I imagine that others feel the same. Leave the personal stuff and the cliched jargon behind and let’s strive for a higher level of political discourse. Lord knows I have to remind myself to do the same. What do you say?
Quite sincerely,
12Step
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