Reply #8: I agree with JohnKleeb [View All]

[beachmom]

Please, all of you out-of-staters, brace yourself for Allen to be in the SFRC meetings in 2007. If the Dem wins, it'll downright be a miracle.

I googled Miller a little, and indeed the AFL/CIO has come out against him (this time from the WP). This was the one hope I had that he could defeat Webb with a GOTV effort.

Here is the way I see it:

Webb, on paper, looks better poised to win, but (even without the anti-Kerry stuff which let's just put aside for a moment) he is a pure amateur. He doesn't know how to campaign or run a campaign. He comes across as unpolished and sometimes even a little embarassing. He does have the advantage of being against the Iraq War, and will talk a lot about it, but on everything else, he is such a non-politico, he'll probably get clobbered. Oh yeah, and he doesn't have barely any money (only $260,000).

Miller, on paper, seems awful because he has been connected to outsourcing AND lobbying. I think, though, that this is more hurtful to him in the primary than the general. I guess that will have to do with what Allen has done in the Senate (if some shady corrupt-like stuff can come out). But as a campaigner and organizer, he is MUCH better than Webb. They have a really funny ad out already, talking about how nobody can find Allen because he's always out of state (and how he said he would rather have been born in Iowa). He has twice as much money as Webb (over $500,000), and I think he can spend his own money.

But, guys, Allen is the encumbent and has MILLIONS to spend if he has to (because of the whole presidential thing). He is still popular here (why, I do not know). I think he's an idiot (of course), but he must have some political talents (not sure what), if the Republicans are seriously considering him for '08.

I think Miller is the better of the two candidates, not just because of the Kerry stuff, but just because he has experience in politics and has shown himself already to do rapid fire attacks mostly on Allen, but sometimes on Webb. But it will be an uphill battle all the way. If he defeats Webb in the primaries (which will definitely be ugly), that will show his ability to fight back. If Webb wins the primary, we're going to lose BIG TIME. He'll end up coming across like Perot's VP, who was downright embarrassing during the vice presidential debates.