Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s recent embrace of the public option for health care reform surprised some and delighted others. The timing is curious. Just maybe, the Nevada Democrat decided the moment—eight days before the off-year elections—was right to back government health insurance before Bob McDonnell lays it to rest for good.

Creigh Deeds likes to remind people that he’s a fast closer. After all, he zoomed from last place back in June to score an easy victory in the Democratic primary for governor, topping two formidable opponents. And four years ago, he was trailing Bob McDonnell in the final weeks of the campaign for attorney general, only to lose to the Republican by a mere 360 votes.

When it comes to political punditry, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Metro Richmond seem to get all the attention. That’s not entirely surprising. It’s where the votes are, after all. But not all the votes. Western Virginia might make the difference in this year’s race for governor—especially the 6th Congressional District, which includes much of the Shenandoah Valley (I-81 runs through the middle of the district like a spine), and the 9th, which encompasses the commonwealth’s entire southwestern panhandle.

• Editor’s Note: Here’s a sample from Political Dispatches, the paper’s weekly e-mail newsletter. To subscribe—and get the inside scoop on the November election—please see the ad on this page.

Editor’s Note: Here’s a sample from Political Dispatches, the paper’s weekly e-mail newsletter. Polls in the gubernatorial race don’t mean much at this stage, other than to confirm that both candidates have a reasonably good chance of winning. Competitive campaigns don’t always stay that way, as demonstrated by Republican Jim Gilmore in 1997, when what began as an even match with Don Beyer turned into a landslide for the GOP. Still, the odds are that we’re in for a close contest in November.

• Editor’s Note: Here’s a sample from Political Dispatches, the paper’s weekly e-mail newsletter. To subscribe, see the ad on this page.

• Editor’s Note: Here’s a sample from Political Dispatches, the paper’s weekly e-mail newsletter. To subscribe, see the ad on this page.

Editor’s Note: Here’s a sample from Political Dispatches, the paper’s weekly e-mail newsletter.  These days, the most-quoted experts on campaigns and elec tions, such as UVa’s Larry Sabato, come from political science departments. One day—perhaps sooner than we think—they might come from neuroscience departments. Recent research has offered fascinating insights into why politically inclined people act the way they do.

Bill Bolling may prove Woody Allen’s axiom: “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.“ As a lieutenant governor running for re-election, Bolling may be in the best position of any of his ticket mates to win in November. That’s because the Republican hasn’t given voters a reason to fire him.

Terry McAuliffe’s coronation as the Democratic nominee for governor may be postponed—if not imperiled. A pair of polls in the past few weeks shows the former Democratic national chairman—and self-professed best friend of Bill Clinton—trailing former Del. Brian Moran by 4 to 5 percentage points. State Sen. Creigh Deeds runs third in both surveys.

A recent item in Political Dispatches—a premium e-mail product of The Times-Dispatch—discussed the literary and scholarly background of Mike Signer, candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Signer is an expert on national security; his Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies has earned strong reviews from reputable critics. Political Dispatches concluded:

Political Dispatches is an e-mail newsletter that offers fresh insights, inside info, and original analysis from The Times-Dispatch’s top political writers each week. Contributors include Times-Dispatch Editorial Board members Todd Culbertson, Bart Hinkle, and Bob Rayner—along with veteran Capitol Square reporter Jeff Schapiro.