National issues in General Assembly races irk Good Copy

The RTD’s Jeff Schapiro has a new column that attemps to put into perspective what anyone who has been watching Virginia’s General Assembly races already knows: the races bear the heavy tint of national politics. Take it away, Jeff:

Efforts by Republicans and Democrats to tie legislative races to what’s going on in Washington are not unprecedented. From 1971 to 1975, 23 Democratic House incumbents ran for re-election as independents rather than answer for the liberal excesses of their national party. Four decades later, the national-state connection is stronger because of demographic change, redistricting and the electronic distractions of the modern age.

Neither out far, nor in deep — that’s our Jeff. What he doesn’t mention is that during those same four decades, the federal government has wormed its way into all sorts of issues that, once upon a time, were the province of state and local governments. For a political consultant to ignore that presence would border on malpractice.

This irritates Jeff despite the amount of Good Copy such campaigns generate each year in the state:

Because legislative elections generate the least interest in a state in which an election is held every year, candidates need a message that pierces the media clutter of the web and cable TV. It must be catchy, evocative. But increasingly, that means trivial.

Sort of like the RTD, but without the crossword puzzle.

Just to increase Jeff’s discomfort a bit more, check out this ad from Del. Charles Poindexter’s campaign:

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About the author

Norman Leahy

Norm Leahy has written about Virginia and national politics online since 2002, beginning with One Man's Trash (OMT), and continuing through Bacon's Rebellion (both the blog and the e-zine), Sic Semper Tyrannis, NBC12's Decision Virginia, Richmond.com and Tertium Quids. He is the chief blogger at "The Score" and a producer of "The Score" radio show as well as being a Washington Examiner contributor.