‘Nice guy’ Deeds crushed competition

After appearing for months to be running from behind, Creigh Deeds crushed two Democratic rivals Tuesday to garner the Democratic nomination for governor.
The various polls that had Deeds trailing in the weeks approaching the primary also said more than 20 percent of the people surveyed claimed to be undecided. Apparently, at crunch time, those undecided voters were swayed for Deeds, 51, a state senator from rural Bath County, or they didn’t want pollsters to know their choice.
It certainly didn’t hurt that The Washington Post endorsed Deeds on May 24 over both his Democratic rivals, former state Delegate Brian Moran of Fairfax and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean.
Deeds, in a May 25 telephone conversation, acknowledged that the Post endorsement was a huge accomplishment in a crowded race for the party’s nomination, especially because Moran and McAuliffe both live in the region where that newspaper is based.
This newspaper also endorsed Deeds on May 31, citing his longtime service in the General Assembly, his understanding of rural challenges and his commitment to making higher education more accessible. Deeds maintained that the support would continue to grow in his favor.
Tuesday’s primary proved him right.
McAuliffe, who campaigned with former President Bill Clinton and was believed to be the frontrunner, took only six precincts in Virginia. Moran, a former prosecutor, took five.
Deeds trounced both of them by taking about half the 320,000 votes tallied Tuesday.
So after months of focusing on fighting each other, McAuliffe and Moran appeared with Deeds in Richmond on Wednesday. The men were gracious and pledged support for Deeds.
McAuliffe told the crowd his focus now is to “do personally anything Creigh Deeds asks me to do.” They were joined by Gov. Tim Kaine, who now heads the DNC and was there to promise the financial resources of the national party.
Now instead of fighting each other, their focus shifts to Republican Bob McDonnell.
The campaign now becomes Round 2 of the 2005 battle for the attorney general’s seat. McDonnell won that statewide round by 323 votes, but Deeds is fond of saying that Rocky wins the rematch.