Fallout?

And so the battle for the hearts and minds of the 28th Virginia Senate district is over, and decidedly in Chichester’s favor.

So what does this mean, particularly for “conservative Christians” that were the target of the Free Lance-Star editorial last week? As expected, the GOP moderates will capitalize on the victory as more than a repudiation of “negative politics” and extend it to a defeat of the conservative movement altogether.

Don’t think that will occur? Take this gem of a line for instance:

With 61 of 63 precincts reporting, John Chichester has kicked some ass and forgotten names in his primary romp over ‘challenger’ Mike Rothfeld. Damn right. I’m sorry, Rothfeld fights dirty and Chichester is a good guy. Oh, drats, he doesn’t toe the conservative line 100% of the time. You know what? GOOD! I want someone who actually thinks for himself and understands that there’s a real world outside of ideals. emphasis added

Go, Chichester.

This is the problem.

Chichester’s absence on parental notification is not going to be one more instance of a politician going MIA when the cards are down, but as statesmanship. Voting to make RU-486 a legal contraceptive is no longer antithecal to pro-life values, it’s compassion. Rejecting the Republican promise to rollback the car tax while state expenditures rise 50% over five years is no longer irresponsible, it’s construed as “fiscal responsibility.”

That’s not leadership. That’s dodging issues that are important to Virginians.

Yes yes, the election is over, and any gripes about Chichester’s voting record have been settled by the sword so to speak. But this election had nothing to do with a rejection of conservative values. People were turning out to reject negative campaigning and support their old friend.

Truth be told, Rothfeld actually ran a very clean campaign. The PACs that were involved certainly didn’t, and one can always raise an eyebrow. But the reality is that a canidate has a very limited amount of influence he can exert on independent PACs and what they print. Unfortunately it all gets rolled together. Mike Rothfeld is a good guy and I am proud to support him.

The moderates are going to take from this election whatever they choose to take, and since it will be the wrong lessons conservatives can take hope. “Conservative Christians” did not lose yesterday. It was Chichester’s entrenchment and the stigma of negative campaigning that won. If anything can be learned, it is the potency of negative politics in both how they are used and how it can be turned against you.

Rothfeld’s challenge to Chichester was perfectly legitimate. The reasons were clear, our values remained strong. Criticize the style if you wish, but the substance of the argument remains.