Virginia Centrist has some thoughts about Jason’s and my comments on why Miller is objectively a stronger candidate than Webb.
He lists five of our collective arguments, but in the end he cites the trump card:
What throws Kenney brothers off is that they’re not tied into the Democratic party like us Democratic activists are.
Miller is a better candidate because:
(1) Miller can beat Allen.
(2) Webb + Tailhook = Scandal.
(3) Miller raised more money than Webb.
(4) Miller has more money than Webb.
(5) Miller has the unqualified support of African-Americans.
(6) Webb is a turncoat Republican. Miller is a tried-and-true Democrat.
Now no, I am not a Democrat. My opinions are my own, and I’m not suggesting to anyone that either candidate is an “easier” candidate. That’s politically foolish, and those with a modicum of experience in politics know that much.
Miller is a stronger opponent than Webb. It doesn’t take a prerequisite of “true believer” to deduce this, nor does it take some special kind of inner knowledge endowed by virtue of being a Democrat.
What it does take is an ability to separate emotion from reason, and during campaign season Deaniacs could never see the writing on the wall — for precisely that problem. Will Webb ’06 endure the same lesson?
This problem of not being able to separate emotion from reason isn’t an entirely Democratic or “leftie” problem (though Republicans might smirk and offer the “thinkers vs. feelers” distinction). But it does offer shades of what went wrong in 2004, and how that is trickling down to Democratic campaigns in Virginia.
That’s all.