More on John Warner and Jerry Kilgore

By: Matusleo
Published On: 3/21/2005 2:00:00 AM

Much ado has been made of John Warner's support for Jerry Kilgore.  Personally, I do not think that this support should be seen as overly surprising, since even though John Warner does take a few moderate positions, he is still a Republican.  It is only the extreme rightward bent of the modern day GOP that has turned him into a "moderate."

I think that people are forgetting the main reason that John Warner bucked the party in 1994 to support Coleman.  It was because Warner was there when Oliver North lied before the Senate.  Warner did not object to Oliver North's political positions, he objected to the fact that Oliver North had no respect whatsoever for the Senate, and had been duly convicted (although later overturned). 

Jerry Kilgore, on the other hand, has not been convicted of any wrongdoing, even though we may still have questions about his handling of the eavesdropping scandal.  While I think it is clear that John Warner is not Kilgore's biggest fan, he will go through the motions of support because there is no ethical reason as far as he is concerned not to.

All this notwithstanding, I believe that the Kaine campaign should do whatever it can to drive these two men apart.  While Kilgore and Allen are both beloved by the hard core Republicans in the state, it is the moderate voters whose respect that John Warner has earned that Kilgore craves and needs.  We ought to be highlighting the differences in their policy positions, and then point out that Kaine falls more into line with the Virginia Warners (both Mark and John). 

For instance, the fact that John Warner supported last year's tax plan needs to be on flyers and in TV and radio advertisements all over the state.  The Kaine campaign needs to point out that the most respected of Virginia leaders (both Warners) both have stood in favor of fiscal sanity in our state budget, and that Kaine has stood alongside them - while Kilgore and Gilmore have stood in opposition.  Then, the Kaine campaign can highlight the Gilmore record of fiscal recklesness and tie Kilgore right into it.  It would make for an effective campaign strategy, because it accomplishes two things: 1) it links Kaine to respected leadership and Kilgore to failed leadership; and 2) it is easy to see and understand.


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