What I'll Remember Most About the 2011 Virginia Elections

This morning, Virginia Democrats do not hold a single Virginia executive office, they're a small minority in the House of Delegates, and now they have (barring recount) lost control of the State Senate. Former Arlington County Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot has written a devastating postmortem at Blue Virginia that I can't recommend enough and encourage you to read in full.

As for me, what I'll remember most about the 2011 election cycle is this ad from House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong trashing everything Democrats believe in. The leader of House Democrats - as chosen by his fellow House Democrats - distances himself from President Obama, a woman's right to choose, reasonable gun safety regulations, and limits on air pollution - all in one ad.

I understand the need to emphasize different issues and rely on different messaging in different parts of the state. But if you try to run away from the leader of your party and everything your party believes in, not only are you hurting your own team, voters don't buy it.

That's right - Ward Armstrong lost anyway. Just as former Rep. Glenn Nye did last year, Armstrong managed to not just lose, but hurt the party he was supposed to be leading in the process, making Democrats look like a bunch of gutless phonies who'd throw a friend under the bus in a second if a consultant told them it might help their chances of getting re-elected.

Rep. Perriello Evokes Dr. King

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one it is right."
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

That was today's quote in my Living Green Page-a-Day calendar. Funny coincidence since it reminded me of something I'd just read this morning. It was Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) talking about his vote in favor of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act:

“If I have to choose between national security and reelection, for me that’s easy. It’s national security,” he told POLITICO. “I can deal with losing reelection. I can’t deal with being a coward.”

So if Virginia Congressmen like Glenn Nye, Rob Wittman and Frank Wolf weren't voting conscience when they voted against ACES, you have to ask -- were they voting cowardice or expediency?

Thelma Drake on Global Warming: Ignorant or Lying?

At what point do we accuse global warming deniers of deliberately lying to mislead the public about the reality of climate change? I mean, it's been nearly two years since the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared definitively that the climate is warming and that man-made emissions are to blame. Is ignorance still an acceptable excuse?

Which brings us to this voter guide for Virginia's 2nd Congressional district:

GLOBAL WARMING
Where do you stand on global warming and climate change?

Drake: There is tremendous disagreement about whether climate change is caused by human behavior or other natural forces. What I support are clean air and clean water laws for a healthy environment. We must lead the world in good environmental policy and encourage other nations to follow suit.

Nye: I believe that global warming is an issue of dire consequence to our nation and world. I support moving America towards a position of global leadership on alternative energy solutions that will help combat global warming and build good jobs in America.

This is all you need to know about about the broad, deep scientific agreement on climate change: Even the Bush administration agrees global warming his happening and we're to blame. To Thelma Drake, apparently President Bush is too liberal on this issue.

If you have any doubts or questions on climate, please check out Grist's How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic guide. After reviewing the dozens of scientific organizations and agencies from around the world that agree on the cause of global warming, Grist concludes, "If this is not scientific consensus, what in the world would a consensus look like?"

Let's elect candidates who have a solid grip on science and reality. I just gave $20 each on ActBlue to Glenn Nye, Tom Perriello, and Judy Feder. Will you do the same for three Virginia House candidates of your choice right now?

Cross-posted from RK