Op-ed

Take The Money And Run (Away From Bush)

by Corbin Blackford

If former Virginia Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore wants to be elected governor of Virginia on November 8, his connection to major fundraiser President George W. Bush should be limited to the middle initial they share.

This past summer, Republican candidate Kilgore gained $2 million from a fundraiser featuring President Bush, $750,000 from a fundraiser with Vice President Dick Cheney, and $750,000 from a fundraiser featuring Laura Bush. But the cost to Kilgore’s public image might make future Bush-sponsored events unprofitable on November 8. Kilgore must take the money and run (away from Bush).

In last year’s presidential election, 54% of Virginia’s voters chose Bush. But since last October, his job-approval rating in Virginia has slipped below the half-way mark, according to a September Mason-Dixon poll of registered voters. Only 42% of respondents approve. Political scandals, the dragged-out Iraq War, increased gas prices, increased oil prices, and a poor reaction to Hurricane Katrina have lowered Bush’s rating nationally and in Virginia, reported Robert Barnes of the Washington Post.

Negative coattail effects could hurt Kilgore’s chances of winning the governorship in his race against Democratic candidate Timothy M. Kaine and independent candidate Russell H. Potts. Though numbers differ greatly, two September polls show that Bush’s backing can deter voters from selecting Kilgore. Beltway politics do not necessarily affect local election outcomes, but all possible factors must be taken into account because Virginia’s race is tight, suggested Michael D. Shear and Robert Barnes of The Washington Post. Kilgore has 44% of the vote while Kaine has 42%, according to last week’s Mason-Dixon poll, but the 4% margin of error makes the difference negligible. Indeed, Bush’s blunders may result in enough votes for Kaine to win, according to Steve Jarding, a Democratic political consultant.

So Kilgore must cut public ties with Bush now. He appears to be doing so.

On October 15, Bush adviser Karl Rove, who was supposed to headline a Fairfax County fundraiser with Kilgore, did not attend. This past Friday, Kilgore attended an NAACP lunch instead of Bush’s speech on terrorism in Norfolk. While Kilgore still claims that having Bush’s backing is beneficial, saying otherwise would be political suicide amongst staunch Republicans, suggests Jarding. Instead, Kilgore is lining up fundraisers with middle-of-the-road Republicans—past New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain. By choosing Giuliani and McCain, Kilgore is not only subtly avoiding Bush. He is also appealing to Republicans who may have been swayed by Kaine’s more mainstream positions, reported Jeff E. Schapiro in the Times-Dispatch.

To win on November 8, Kilgore must continue to avoid Bush. Kilgore might even want to consider a new middle initial.

Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.

Lead supervisor:      Prof. Claudette Artwick

Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming

Editing supervisor:  Prof. Pamela Luecke

Technical supervisor:  Michael Todd