The conventions are over. Labor Day has come and gone. And football is in full swing.
Therefore campaign 2012 has finally arrived, right!
Just kidding.
We all know that it seems campaign 2012 has been going on forever.
Perhaps it’s because the two names at the top of the ticket – Mitt Romney and Barack Obama – have been around since before 2008. Or, perhaps, it’s because starting with the Ames Straw Poll in the summer of 2011, which Michele Bachmann won – yeah, how’s that for a predictor – we’ve had almost non-stop presidential coverage since.
However, if you’re looking for relief, don’t count on it. It’s not going to get better. Especially here in Virginia. As a “swing state”, we will have plenty of presidential campaign visits, campaign commercials, and surrogates on the stump – not to mention coverage here on Bearing Drift.
But while the presidency is important, we cannot forget that there are some pretty important additional federal races ongoing too.
First, for the U.S. Senate, Republicans are looking to pick up a seat in Virginia with George Allen. The current makeup of the 112th Congress is 51 Democrats plus two independents that caucus with the Democrats. Of the 47 Republicans, some of those seats are in jeopardy of changing hands, so if the GOP wants to have any hope of recapturing the majority, an Allen win is a must.
Second, in the House, Freshman incumbents face, in all likelihood, the greatest challenge of losing. Two Republicans here in Virginia, Robert Hurt and Scott Rigell square off against Democrats John Douglass and Paul Hirschbiel respectively. Democrat Gerry Connolly is trying to fend off Republican Chris Perkins. Now While Republicans would love to add to their 242-193 advantage, UVA political scientist and national pundit Larry Sabato doesn’t see much change with the current make-up of the US House. That might seem counter-intuitive when congressional popularity is in the teens. But Americans tend to think negatively about Congress at-large, not their guy. So they generally send them back.
Or at least that’s what the conventional wisdom says. Democrats Rick Boucher, Tom Perriello and Glenn Nye might see things differently. They all lost their re-election bids in 2010, thanks to voters who were energized and informed.
And there’s plenty of time left between now and election day for you to get involved and informed. Seek out the congressional candidates in your district. Take the time to learn what they stand for and what they hope to achieve. Tell your friends, family, neighbors — everyone — that the power to change Washington is in their hands…and their vote.
The bottom-line is that a President Romney cannot create jobs, cut the deficit, grow the economy, repeal ObamaCare and promote energy independence without a willing Congress; so, it’s time we learn more about these candidates – And finish the job we conservatives started in 2010.
