In a surprising turn of fortune, Virginia Democrats are energized about the prospect of taking on Sen. George Allen this fall. They have a contested primary, there is national interest and the Republicans are clearly getting anxious. At this point, Allen’s seat is not considered at risk, but — contrary to what most political observers thought just six months ago — what was an easy walk away for Allen has now turned into a real campaign.
But the Democrats first need to choose their candidate and that’s a decision that, for many Democrats, is cause for some soul searching.
Democrats, like their GOP counterparts, often look for the person who most closely tracks their own political beliefs. But they also want to win, and they’re motivated by the hope of turning red Virginia into a blue state.
That is, if they can defeat Allen.
Nationally, there is a similar level of interest. A Democratic win in Virginia could signal a change in the party’s fortunes in the South (right now, there are only four Southern Democratic senators).
The persons in charge of leading the Democratic brigade will be left up to Democratic primary voters and their choice is between Harris Miller and Jim Webb. Miller, a long-time Democratic activist, Fairfax County Democratic chairman and advisor to local and state candidates, is running a spirited campaign. Miller is very closely connected with the party’s base, the volunteers and the local officials, and he is counting on those ties to help him win the primary. But he is also connected in the public’s mind to the party’s more traditional liberal image. Even if he wins the primary, that label may prove a liability come November.
Miller’s opponent is former Navy Secretary, Naval Academy graduate and decorated Marine, Jim Webb. Webb was a Republican — although he characterizes himself as a Reagan Democrat — and he says that the administration, and its handling of the war in Iraq, has brought him back to the Democratic Party. After a slow start, his campaign has picked up steam.
National Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, are supporting him and, although Webb’s fundraising was weak at first, it appears that the campaign money is starting to roll in.
If you ask Republicans who they think is the toughest candidate between the two, they will readily say Webb. His appeal to independents and Republicans scares them. But some Democrats also have problems with him. It irks them that, in 2000, he supported Bush and Allen. Webb counters that was then, and the situation has changed.
The question for Virginia Democrats is a tough one: Do they want to win badly enough that they’re willing to take a chance on Webb? Some will say, without hesitation, “no way.” But others, liking the sound of the first Democratic Senate win in Virginia in years, are pausing and may think otherwise.
David Kerr works in the communications office of the JPDO, a joint private and public sector aviation organization based in Washington D.C. He is also a freelance writer and lives in Stafford, Va.
