George Allen, 2017?
To go forward, you must go back. – Quaithe, to Danaerys Targaryen
As Virginia makes the inevitable switch to the battle for the legislature next year, eyes are being cast beyond…to the 2017 gubernatorial election. For the Republican nomination, it appears to be a race more open than any in 24 years – perhaps, including the fellow who won in 1993: George Allen. While many would simply roll their eyes – and more than a few, their tongues – in disgust, I would consider an Allen comeback to be very possible, and more importantly, I think it would also be beneficial. Here’s why.
Allen’s record as Governor: In my 24 years as a Virginian, George Allen has been the most successful governor the Commonwealth has had. He was smart enough to hang on to as much of Doug Wilder’s budget-cutting crew as he could, brought welfare reform to the state, and established the Republicans as the party of low taxes and controlled spending with his 1995 tax cut proposal. He brought the GOP closer to power in the legislature than at any point up to that time (in fact, the Republicans actually won 52% of the House vote and 57% of the State Senate vote in 1995; only the 1991 districts drawn by the Democrats kept the GOP out of power that year). As a testament to his ability in managing both state and party, he remains the last Virginia GOP Governor to hand power over to a fellow Republican (his ticketmate, Jim Gilmore). An Allen 2017 nomination would show voters – and in dramatic fashion – that the Republican Party of Virginia has drawn a line under its tax hiking decade.
Speaking of those tax hikes, Allen is the only leading aspirant not tied to any one them, which means he doesn’t have to twist himself in knots over HB3202 or Plan ’13 From Outer Space (the latter of which likely did more to sink Ken Cuccinelli than anyone will admit, himself included). By contrast, Allen’s only discussion of taxes at the state level was his 1995 attempt to cut them. Again, when the Republicans are the party of lower taxes and limited government spending, they win. When the issue is more clouded, the election becomes clouded.
Finally, and for those concerned about Allen’s federal election performances, state electorates are a different matter entirely. Not only are the voters themselves different, but they look for different things. Issues that might dominate federal elections have no impact at the state level, and vice versa. Voters will not look for the same things in a Governor that they expect in a Senator. When it comes to Allen, it will his enviable record as Governor that matters, not his conventional-yet-uninspiring record as a Senator.
Virginia Republicans need to look to the future without the stains of their recent tax-hiking past. Going further back to its tax-cutting past would accomplish that objective quite well. For that reason alone, George Allen should be considered viable for Governor, again.
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