The vitriol coming from Democrats (and the Washington Post) towards Ken Cuccinelli was certainly not unexpected. With a clear and likely path to the governor’s mansion and with the best candidate they could find was an out of the mainstream rich white man who whored the Lincoln Bedroom out for money, Democrats are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Ken to stop what’s likely to be considerable momentum once the general election starts in September.
Or are they?
There is something missing from Democrats’ attacks on Ken, a line of attack that Mark Herring has tried using (without success) on the Attorney General’s race. In fact, it was Herring’s reference that got me thinking on this very thing.
Where are the Democratic attacks on Attorney General Cuccinelli?
I get that the other side thinks Ken Cuccinelli is their worst fears realized. Young, energetic, excites the base, the tea party, old voters and new. He’s focused like a laser on issues and relates well to most groups. Got all that. Democrats are terrified. But…they’re not attacking the Attorney General, they’re attacking Ken Cuccinelli.
There’s a distinction.
Could is be because Cuccinelli has done *gasp* a GOOD job as Virginia Attorney General?
The best (and I use this term lightly) arguments against Cuccinelli were his opinions on the Dillion rule re: LGBT discrimination at public universities and his announcement on the Board of Health not validating state law. Yet the problem with both arguments was that Cuccinelli was, well, doing his job. As Attorney General he’s required to defend the state from potential lawsuits, to head them off and ensure the state is in compliance legally.
It’s pretty simple to understand. So why aren’t the Democrats attacking his performance?
None of the (insanely) frequent emails from T-Mac and State/National Democrats include anything on Cuccinelli’s performance as Attorney General. They talk about Ken Cuccinelli’s personal opinions/viewpoints on a variety of issues, yet with nearly four years of material to harvest as a talking point, they can’t find one?
This doesn’t bode well for the Democratic chances at taking back the governor’s mansion in November (not that they’re that good to begin with). Some of Cuccinelli’s votes in the Senate may come up, yet they likely will fall flat. Virginia voters have approved of his performance as Attorney General pretty consistently throughout his tenure, which could be the reason for their silence on his job performance.
But in this case the silence speaks louder than anything else. If Dems aren’t able to use his tenure as Attorney General against him, resorting to personal attacks will turn off many voters (see: Bob McDonnell thesis).
With poll after poll showing that Virginians approve of the job that the Attorney General has done, Cuccinelli’s most real-world experience is virtually off the table for attacks. That means trouble for Democrats.
