Democrat Creigh Deeds came into the fourth and final debate of his run for Virginia governor needing a game changer. But in arguments on transportation, education and his Republican opponent’s record on social issues, Deeds stuck to well-worn themes.
With two weeks until Virginia voters head to the polls, Deeds is searching for a way to reverse the course of the race. Tuesday night’s exchange at Roanoke College represented perhaps his last, best platform to launch a comeback against GOP nominee Bob McDonnell.
While Deeds appeared somewhat less flustered than in his last debate, he broke little new ground. The Bath County state senator pressed an attack on McDonnell’s 20-year-old master’s thesis criticizing gays and working women, even expanding the argument to explain McDonnell’s entire legislative career.
“The thesis is relevant, because it puts into context Bob’s record,” Deeds said. “It helps explain why he never wrote a bill to create a job, he never wrote a bill to create an educational opportunity. It helps explain why he is singularly focused on a social agenda during his years of public service.”
McDonnell suggested Deeds’ focus on the 1989 academic paper was evidence of a campaign lacking ideas.
“I think he’s made the conscious choice that he has got to go over and attack me on an old college paper,” McDonnell said. “In fact, most of his campaign’s been backward looking.”
Poll numbers reinforce Deeds’ need for a game changer, and he entered the debate with more discouraging news. Since his last public meeting with McDonnell in Richmond a week ago, polls have continued to show him lagging the Republican, in some cases by double digits.
McDonnell, too, repeated long-standing attacks against his opponent, focusing especially on taxes. Deeds has signaled that he would, as governor, sign a bill that increased taxes to pay for transportation. Said Deeds at the debate: “Anything that has a nexus to transportation is on the table,” though he offered no specifics.
As throughout the campaign, McDonnell looked to tie Deeds to controversial proposals from national Democrats, on issues including health care and global warming.
McDonnell said, if elected, he would seek to exempt Virginia from a government-run health insurance option favored by President Obama. Deeds, responded that while he favored Obama’s goals overall, he might also seek to block the plan in Virginia if it passed.
“I don’t think the public option is necessary in any plan,” Deeds said.
