Research Briefing

If Obama Believes Deeds Can’t Win, Why Is He Making A Trip To Campaign In Virginia On Taxpayer’s Dime?

OBAMA’S TEAM SEES “ALMOST NO WAY FOR DEEDS TO WIN”

Administration Officials See “Almost No Way For Deeds To Win.” “But privately, administration officials said they see almost no way for Deeds to win on Nov. 3.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

SO WHY IS OBAMA GOING TO VIRGINIA TODAY?

Obama Will Campaign For Deeds On Tuesday. “Obama will campaign with Deeds in Hampton Roads on Tuesday…” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

DEMS ARE BEGINNING TO BLAME POTENTIAL LOSS ON DEEDS

National Democrats Are Laying The Groundwork To Blame A Loss On Deeds. “Sensing that victory in the race for Virginia governor is slipping away, Democrats at the national level are laying the groundwork to blame a loss in a key swing state on a weak candidate who ran a poor campaign that failed to fully embrace President Obama until days before the election.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

• Criticism Of Deeds Could Be An Attempt To Shield Obama From Any Blame For A Loss In Virginia. “But the unusual preelection criticism could be an attempt to shield Obama from that narrative by ensuring that Deeds is blamed personally for the loss, particularly given the state's three-decade pattern of backing candidates from the party out of power in the White House.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

OBAMA’S TEAM IS FRUSTRATED WITH DEEDS

Senior Obama Administration Officials Have Expressed Frustration With Deeds’ Refusal To Embrace Obama And His Team’s Advice. “Senior administration officials have expressed frustration with how Democrat R. Creigh Deeds has handled his campaign for governor, refusing early offers of strategic advice and failing to reach out to several key constituencies that helped Obama win Virginia in 2008, they say.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

• Deeds Has Distanced Himself From National Democrats And Declined An Opportunity To Call Himself An “Obama Democrat.” “Although Deeds often praises the president on the campaign trail, he has distanced himself from Obama and Democratic policy priorities at times. At a debate in September, he declined the opportunity to label himself an ‘Obama Democrat.’ And just this week, he said he did not believe that a public health insurance option is necessary and that as governor he might consider opting out of one if Congress extends that right to states.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

A Senior Administration Official Said Deeds Should Have Done A Better Job Coordinating With The White House. “A senior administration official said Deeds badly erred on several fronts, including not doing a better job of coordinating with the White House. ‘I understood in the beginning why there was some reluctance to run all around the state with Barack Obama,’ said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly about the race. ‘You don't do that in Virginia. But when you consider the African American turnout that they need, and then when you consider as well they've got a huge problem with surge voters, younger voters, we were just a natural for them.’” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

According To An Administration Official, “Obama, Kaine And Others Had Drawn A Road Map To Victory In Virginia. Deeds Chose Another Path.” “A second administration official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said: ‘Obama, Kaine and others had drawn a road map to victory in Virginia. Deeds chose another path.’” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

Kaine Advised Deeds To Run A Positive Rather Than A Negative Campaign, “But Deeds Did Not Embrace The Advice.” “Among other things, Kaine, who is also chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told Deeds that he should lay out more of his own vision and stop attacking Republican Robert F. McDonnell so ferociously. But Deeds did not embrace the advice, according to a national Democratic strategist.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

DEMS ARE JUST BITTER ABOUT THEIR WASTED TIME AND MONEY

Today Is Obama’s Second Trip To Virginia To Campaign For Deeds. “Obama will make a second trip to Virginia next week to boost Deeds, who polls show behind Republican Robert McDonnell by an average of 10 points ahead of election day on November 3.” (Stephen Collinson, “Obama Aims To Rescue Reeling Democrats,” Agence France Presse, 10/25/09)

Earlier This Month, Biden Hosted A Fundraiser For Deeds. “The Democratic vice president will help R. Creigh Deeds at a private fundraiser in Alexandria tomorrow.” (Tyler Whitley, “Biden To Campaign For Deeds, And McCain For McDonnell,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 10/7/09)

• Biden Also Attended A Fundraiser For Deeds In July. “The last stop on Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s trip to Virginia came along Henrico County's affluent River Road corridor, where he attended a private fundraiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds.” (Jim Nolan, “Biden Attends Fundraiser For Deeds In Henrico,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/17/09)

Obama And His Political Team Spent A Considerable Amount Of Time Trying To Persuade Wilder To Endorse Deeds. “The White House also became deeply involved. Obama political director Patrick Gaspard spent two hours with Wilder in July trying to persuade him. Obama made a phone call. Last month, Wilder announced that he would not endorse either candidate in the race, issuing a lengthy statement largely critical of Deeds.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

Obama’s Political Organizing Group Sent An E-Mail To Tens Of Thousands Of Virginians And The White House Signed Off On Using Obama In A Deeds Ad. “Obama will campaign with Deeds in Hampton Roads on Tuesday, and his political organizing group this week sent an e-mail signed by Obama to tens of thousands of Virginia supporters asking that they volunteer for Deeds to keep ‘the promise of change alive’ in the commonwealth. The White House also signed off on a Deeds television commercial released Thursday in which Obama praises him.” (Rosalind S. Helderman and Anne E. Kornblut, “Deeds Ignored Advice, White House Says,” The Washington Post, 10/23/09)

DNC Has Spent At Least $6 Million In Virginia. “The Democratic National Committee is sending an additional $1 million to aid Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds’s campaign, POLITICO has learned. The money comes on top of $5 million the party committee has already committed to the Virginia race, one of two governors’ races in the country this fall.” (Jonathan Martin, “DNC, Tim Kaine Boost Creigh Deeds's Coffers,” Politico, 10/4/09)