Last Saturday, Dick Cranwell, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, swept through Virginia and kicked off the Democratic campaign to win in the November elections. The scheduling of the multiple kick off events on Saturday was no coincidence; it was the same day that Bob McDonnell, likely Republican nominee for Governor, kicked off his own campaign in Virginia Beach. While still over a month away from the Democratic primaries, Cranwell made sure that McDonnell, and the rest of Virginia, knew that the Democrats know what the objective of this election is: beat Bob McDonnell. 

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As you likely know, the primary race for the Democratic nomination between Brian Moran, Creigh Deeds, and Terry McAuliffe has been hot. It’s also been ugly, especially in the blogging community as individuals have waged campaigns to undermine the candidates and the bloggers associated with them. While this does show the passion that these bloggers and activists have for their candidates, which is not of itself a bad thing, we should be weary at causing rifts that will be hard to mend when we, as a party, need to be fully united to beat Bob McDonnell in November. I know this is the same warning that many issues during the primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; but, let’s face it, none of our candidates for the nomination are Barack Obama. We should also be honest with ourselves by acknowledging that those wounds haven’t entirely healed.

Remember, we can not afford a delay in mobilizing for our nominees. Each candidate, to verying degrees, is more progressive and will be more beneificial as Governor to the people of the commonwealth of Virginia than Bob McDonnell. If we don’t hop aboard the nominee’s campaign, we do so at Virginia’s peril.

So let’s come together and focus on each candidates positive qualities that will aid them in beating Bob McDonnell in November. People will respond to the positive more easily than the negative. Let’s generate positive buz in areas that McDonnell can’t. Let’s build up each of our potential nominees so that no matter who wins, a solid foundation for a win in November is built.

Let’s focus on winning.

Related posts:

1. Working toward the primary, and Unity Rally after
2. Deeds can win by dropping out
3. It’s Creigh Deeds
4. An Active Democratic Campaign?
5. Washington Post: Endorsement of Creigh Deeds comes down to transportation, again