Mark Plotkin on Jim Webb and the General Election

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/6/2006 5:50:26 AM

From yesterday's "Metro Politics" chat at the Washington Post, here are WTOP political commentator Mark Plotkin's thoughts on how the Webb vs. Allen race is shaping up.  Note that Plotkin believes Webb will be a stronger candidate in the general election than in the Democratic primary (which Webb won by 7 points).  Also note that Plotkin, who has not exactly been the biggest Webb fan, is optimistic on Webb's chances of winning over "white males, rural voters and small town voters that have some military background."

Washington, D.C.: Webb vs. Allen Question: Do you think that retired and active duty military voters and their families will abandon the conservative George Allen and go with Jim Webb because of his strong military background?

Mark Plotkin: Well, the Jim Webb forces sure think this a distinct possibility. Allen never served in the military. While Webb is a decorated Vietnam war veteran, a Naval Academy graduate and a former secretary of the navy. Those military voters, who are in the majority Republicans didn't participate in the Democratic primary, but Webb thinks that by his biography and personal history, there's a bond with military people and veterans. They have distinct differences on the war in Iraq. And I'm sure these differences, Webb will highlight, as will Allen. Webb is a stronger candidate in the general election than he was in the primary because he feels his appeal will draw unusual voters to his camp. Unusual meaning, in my words, voters who normally can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. As I've said before this group includes white males, rural voters and small town voters that have some military background.


Comments



Nice summation! (Alicia - 7/6/2006 11:16:03 AM)
And I just can't look at the WWII vet without thinking what a tough guy he is.  It was SO hot that day, and he took the time to make the signs, and to be there.  Just touching.  And man, should we all be so lucky to have that strength if we make it to 90.  That couldn't have been an easy thing for him.  You rock, sir!


Unusual Voters (Teddy - 7/6/2006 11:16:21 AM)
Plotkin points up what is, I suspect, a growing concern among the G. Felix Allen forces: that core Republican voters will either stay home on election day out of disgust with the current repub leadership, or actually bestir themselves to vote, gasp! for a Democrat like Jim Webb.

The Felix Forces have already tried one Swiftboating smear tactic against Webb which backfired on them bigtime, so they've changed tactics. Recently a Fredericksburg Vice-Chair of the local repub committee wrote an article in the Fredericksburg paper outlining why he wasn't going to vote for Webb, despite Webb's impressive record of public service, which, he maintained, did not translate into leadership today.  Why? Because Webb is a Democrat and therefore wrong on the important issues like abortion and homosexual marriage.

I'll post my letter to the editor reply as my diary, and I urge others to bombard any media outlet similarly which mimics the Fredericksburg effort at trivializing Webb's record and misrepresenting his stands.