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Over the last 24 hours two more polls were released, one by Democrat pollsters Public Policy Polling and the other by SurveyUSA for Roanoke television station WDBJ. Neither typically are considered top tier polls — not necessarily in the same league as Mason-Dixon and Rasmussen. But they have shown interesting, sometimes contradictory, results this campaign season. But now both show Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell with commanding double digit leads (14 and 19 points, respectively). Each also has the other two Republican candidates, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and attorney general nominee Senator Ken Cuccinelli (Fairfax), up by healthy double digit margins. Does the fact that these two newer polls to Virginia politics both show the same trend (though different margins) verify a trend?

One who pretty much said so today was U.Va. political soothsayer Larry Sabato. On WRVA radio’s Richmond’s Morning News With Jimmy Barrett, he wouldn’t go that far — yet. But he crept up to to the line, which, for Dr. Sabato, is saying a great deal. He said he would release his Crystal Ball’s predictions next week.

Listen to Larry Sabato’s interview (6:55) with Jimmy Barrett by clicking here.

Here is the analysis (including methodology) and internal numbers from the two polls, including from the polling organizations themselves:

Public Policy Polling 

McDonnell starting to pull away (PublicPolicyPolling.com)

Another Poll Suggests McDonnell Pulling Away From Deeds (CQPolitics Blog)

McDonnell up 12 pts. in new poll (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Both

McDonnell Opens Double-Digit Lead Over Deeds in Virginia (Politics Daily Poll Watch Blog)

SurveyUSA

Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #15927 (SurveyUSA.com)

SurveyUSA Shows McDonnell Clinging to a 59–40 Lead (National Review Online’s The Campaign Spot Blog)

News7 Poll: Republicans hold comfortable leads in statewide contests (WDBJ7.com)

Annotations & Elucidations 

Story Telling Time For Kaine And Shannon

More of the same in state news today, except for one article, so we added lots of commentary and news on national goings on. A great cadre of writers, from Michele Malkin to Walter Williams to Thomas Sowell weigh in on issues of the day. Malkin and Tasha Easterling take on the White House for taking on Fox News in the digital-era of enemies lists. Dick Morris and Eileen McGann look at the Obama weapon of choice — pessimism. Plus, there are several news stories on health care legislation (children are defined as being as old as 27), praise for homosexuality, opposition to praise for the “Obama song,” Bible verse bans and an update on a girl who has accepted Christ and run away from her Muslim parents. 

Now, about that one article on state news: It seems that DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is at it again, using state time and offices to advance political causes — this time, to help Democrat attorney general candidate, Delegate Steve Shannon, re-write recent history. Either way it’s a Kaine boo-boo: If Kaine’s story is true, he’s helping Shannon in a dubious way. If it isn’t true, then Kaine and Shannon have concocted a story to cover up for Shannon’s lack of depth in understanding the impact of the Melendez-Diaz decision on Virginia, and the need for this summer’s special session.

News:

McDonnell up by 7 points in poll (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Poll: McDonnell maintains lead in race for governor (Northern Virginia Daily)

Virginia Governor Election: McDonnell 50%, Deeds 43% (RasmussenReports.com)

Governor acknowledges talks with attorney general candidate (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell says he won’t renew ban on discrimination against gays (Lynchburg News & Advance) 

Deeds and McDonnell Target McDonnell Image (Washington Post)

Mudslinging starts in 51st District race (InsideNoVa.com)

National News:

House bill would require ‘kids’ to be covered to age 27 (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Health care legislation back behind closed doors (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Bible verse ban spawns ‘wave of support for Christ’ (OneNewsNow.com)

State custody step for Rifqa “just a guise’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Parents voice opposition to Obama ‘praise song’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Homosexuality not a ‘civil right’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

Who’s Behind the White House War on Fox News? (Michele Malkin/GOPUSA.com)

White House Goes After Fox News (Tasha Easterling/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Pessimism: Obama’s Political Ally (Dick Morris & Eileen McGann/GOPUSA.com)

Magic Numbers In Politics: Part II (Thomas Sowell/GOPUSA.com)

Academic Dishonesty (Walter Williams/GOPUSA.com)

Lurching toward Sodom  and Gomorrah (Bryan Fischer/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Wealth Redistribution On Steroids (David Limbaugh/GOPUSA.com)

From the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot and Politico.com:

When questioned about the Obama factor and the backdrop in which Deeds is running, a top Democrat shot back: “If I were in their shoes and had a candidate who fumbled the tax question and was stupid enough to write an op-ed saying I’m going to raise your taxes, I’d be complaining about [the political environment], too.”

Here are two photos that tell a story to which I was a witness. It’s a story about the Richmond City Republican Committee, a small, but aggressive organization, and its Democrat counterpart, a large organization, that runs much of the city’s political machinery. From the get-go of last Saturday’s Que Pasa Festival, Richmond’s largest Hispanic cultural event and party, the Richmond GOP was active putting up and distributing signs (in Spanish and English), handing out stickers and literature, and manning a booth, among other activities. The city Dems, up until 1:00 p.m. (an hour into the event), were pretty much M.I.A. A couple of college student-looking lads showed up around 12:45 and walked around with clipboards and not doing much else. At 1:00 they had a table stocked and somewhat staffed (the photo below was at 12:30).

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and Republican attorney general candidate, Senator Ken Cuccinelli attended the event as well, and worked the crowd which received them warmly as city committee members followed them handing out stickers and information, and pointing out local media. To his credit, Democrat A.G. candidate Delegate Steve Shannon showed up for a while later in the day. But the city Dems (who left an hour early after showing up late), and their standard bearer, who claim to stand for so many minorities, seem to have taken the Richmond Hispanic vote for granted.

The moral of the story: Those who stereotypically report that one party or another writes off certain voters may be correct, but it may not be the one they claim — at the very least, the Richmond city GOP showed they don’t take anyone for granted (and not for the first time). Might the Richmond Dems be doing what they accuse Republicans of doing?

(Admin’s note: The pictures and ”scoop” here was going to be an exclusive, but I waived my claim, and other blogs may have picked this up over the weekend.)

Apoyamos McDonnell, Bolling y Cuccinelli. Ready, willing and able. An underdog Richmond GOP took on its bigger opponent on their own turf.

Excuse me, anyone home? I’m looking for some Deeds material? Perhaps Wagner?

Annotations & Elucidations

The Budget Blues

Upon our communications department’s return today, we offer a lengthy News Stand. Most of the news is dominated by the commonwealth’s budget situation, to wit, too much money was designated to be spent, while not enough of it is actually coming in. Ergo, deficits . . . and more major cuts. The Kaine administration has made a habit of this — optimistically over estimating revenues in order to pay for its grandiose spending, such as the unwanted pre-K program.

The governor says the cuts will be painful. Perhaps so, but so has been witnessing his administration’s budget crafting process. He could have saved everyone a lot of time and pain by being honest from the get-go instead of trying to pull one over on the entire state. Instead, we get deficit after deficit and mid-course budget cuts after mid-course budget cuts — except this time, the cuts are for a budget not even two months old.

News:

Kaine seeks new round of Virginia budget cuts (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Kaine says Virginia should brace for more cuts (Roanoke Times)

Kaine Warns Of ‘Painful’ Cuts In Va. Services (Washington Post)

Kaine warns of still more spending cutbacks (Washington Times)

Kaine calls for cuts of $1.5B from Va. Budget (Northern Virginia Daily)

N.Va. Looking for Reassurance From Deeds (Washington Post)

In Va. Gov.’s Race, No Limits on Gifts or Questions (Washington Post)

In the Race for Governor, Voters Consider the President (Washington Post)

Young Voters Split for the Moment (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

ODU severs ties with Del. Hamilton at teacher center (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Job talks preceded ODU bill (The Daily Press)

Shannon vows toughness on Internet child predators (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Goodlatte Sets Town Hall Meeting At TA (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record)

Boucher touts idea of health care co-ops (Roanoke Times)

National News:

Medical Groups Promoted HPV Vaccine Using Drug Company Money(Washington Post)

Law Requiring Ultrasounds for Abortions Is Struck Down (Washington Post)

Annotations & Elucidations

There’s Only One Story Today

What were you doing at about 4:00 p.m. 40 years ago today? At 10:00? Did you run outside and look at the moon? Has it ever looked the same? God’s magnificent wonders worked through men . . . .

News:

Pro-choice advocates pick Deeds (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

2005 McDonnell-Deeds recount led to legislation, new safeguards (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Out-of-state groups pump $6 million into Va. gubernatorial race (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

GOP delegate candidates flush with cash (Washington Times) 

GOP Leads Money Race (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record)

Peninsula partisans battle for cash (The Daily Press)

Republican delegate Chris Saxman drops re-election bid (The Daily Press)

Crowd gives state input on struggle with poverty (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

Health plans draw ire (Roanoke Times)

Video:

Apollo 11: The 40th Anniversary Of Man’s First Lunar Exploration(YouTube.com/AP)

This November, Virginians will be one of only two states in the nation with statewide elections. There is much anticipation nationally, as well as in the Commonwealth, as both parties will make Virginia a battleground to prove or disprove President Barack Obama’s popularity and build momentum for the national mid-term Congressional elections in 2010.

What will our voting say about the approval or disapproval of President Obama’s policy agenda? Having voted for the first time in decades for a Democrat president, will Virginia remain blue? Do the traditional values most Virginians share matter in elections anymore?

Two weeks ago, Republicans chose their nominees for statewide office (McDonnell, Bolling, Cuccinelli) and, on Tuesday, Democrats chose their ticket (Deeds, Wagner, Shannon). But it’s not just the offices of Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General that will chart the course of our Commonwealth. All 100 House of Delegates seats are up for election in November and, at this point, it appears that up to two-thirds of those may be contested. 

With such high stakes, and perhaps a historic level of national interest in an off-off-year election, many have inquired as to the involvement of The Family Foundation to ensure that our values and our pro-family agenda is endorsed through representative candidates in November.

Someone actually asked if we were we were engaging in an ”ACORN-esque” program for the upcoming election. Since we intentionally do not follow ACORN’s illegal and unethical activities — nor partake in the “stimulus” gifts it receives — the individual referred to ensuring that citizens who agree with Virginia values are legally identified, registered, educated on candidates and mobilized to vote. 

With that in mind, today, we formally announced “Winning Matters” — a 2009 election project of The Family Foundation and The Family Foundation Action. Winning Matters is a four-step action plan encompassing: 

1. Identifying more Virginians who share our values;

2. Turning concerned citizens into values voting Virginians by registering them to vote.

3. Educating newly and previously registered voters on the differences between candidates on matters of life, marriage, parental authority, religious liberty and constitutional government.

4. Motivating and mobilizing these informed voters to make a wise choice and to vote on election day.

This voter identification and mobilization plan is the largest in our history — potentially larger than the 2006 Marriage Amendment campaign. In the weeks to come, we will tell you more about this project and how you can, and must, be a part of the work we are doing with (and for) pro-family Virginians for the future of our Commonwealth.

In a case of the left hand ignoring not knowing what the, umm, left hand is doing, we want to make sure that the folks at Americans United For Separation of Church and State, and our friends at People for the American Way, are made aware of a horrible violation of the separation of church and state that may cause the very foundations of our society to collapse. (These “watchdogs” monitor our blog and post on their Web sites some of our material as a warning to “separatists” since we are threatening to the very existence of Amerika as a civilization.)

According to yesterday’s Washington Post, all Democrat candidates for governor made appearances in, gulp, churches this Sunday! What is worse, if you can imagine, one of the pastors apparently endorsed a candidate right in the pulpit!:

Moran visited Fifth Street Baptist Church in the Highland Park neighborhood on the north side of Richmond, where Deeds appeared two months ago. He came at the invitation of Evelyn Morris-Harris, leader of the Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia, and the Rev. Todd F. Gray, the church’s pastor.

Gray encouraged the parishioners to vote tomorrow and told them that he will be casting a ballot for Moran.

“Brian is right on guns. He’s right on affirmative action. He’s right on taxes. He’s right on jobs,” Gray said. “I’m not telling you who to vote for. I’m just telling you who I’m voting for. I’m voting for Brian Moran.”

Of course, the Post reported these clear violations of all it is to be an Amerikan without so much as a whisper of impropriety. I’m sure, however, the our friends at Americans United and PFAW will be issuing press releases and sending notes to the Department of Homeland Security demanding immediate investigations.

Oh, and don’t forget the IRS . . . they must be tired of only investigating churches where Republicans visit.