Jim Webb’s head just showed up on my TV screen, during the Rachel Maddow Show. “Finally,” I thought,”He’s going to come out swinging for Obama!”. Umm, no. He was there to defend retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel, in the way of his comments about Palin’s incompetence. And while that’s a completely honorable thing to do, I still have to wonder – where’s Jim Webb? He’s the one who was hailed at the great white hope for Democrats in Virginia. So why is it that it’s Terry Freakin’ McAuliffe that’s going on a tour of Virginia (ostensibly in support of Obama, but mostly to find out that the idea of him running for governor is a complete joke)? I know Virginia’s Democrats have a tradition of identifying themselves as anything *but* Democrats, but this is getting ridiculous . . .
Catzmaw
I watched the same interview and took notes. Webb started out defending Hagel, describing him as a friend of 35 years, a tremendously respected member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and longtime friend of John McCain, then said he agreed with him.
He asked people to consider the possibility of completely inexperienced Palin stepping into the Presidency.
He then said that we are in the worst financial crisis since before World War II, and “we need someone of the intellect and background to move this country forward and I believe that person is Barack Obama”. He touted the combined experience of Obama and Biden.
Maddow then asked about McCain’s hawkishness. Webb waded right in there and said the incidents reflected poorly on McCain’s judgment whereas the manner in which Obama has handled attacks reflects favorably on his judgment.
McCauliffe’s a political animal who doesn’t have a real job right now. What does he have to lose by going on the road in Virginia? Meanwhile, Webb has worked hard, with hardly any notice from the media, to secure a hearing for Virginia’s native tribes’ request for federal recognition, to oppose a construction delay in the defense authorization bill, and to oppose the Bush Administration’s attempts to force long-term military commitments with Iraq through in violation of the Constitution’s requirement that treaties be approved by Congress. He feels very strongly about this last issue.
I think we’re going to see a much more visible Webb campaigning for Obama after this session ends, but he’ll do it not because he loves campaigning – which McCauliffe lives for and Webb finds a burdensome necessity – but to fulfill his obligation to support the party’s candidate. Right now we have plenty of other people stumping for Obama in this state, but who else is paying attention to the things on which Webb is focusing his time and efforts?
MB
First, I’m not sure that McAuliffe is really the best ambassador for Obama in Virginia. Maybe. But all of my prior experience with him would say otherwise.
On the matter of Webb, though – from the chatter on VA blogs this summer, you would have thought he was the Second Coming, and only he would be the one to deliver Virginia to Obama. If Webb would be able to live up to even half of the hype, he should be out there every other day (it’ll be a lot easier to get his legislation into law under Obama than McCain). And even putting the VA issue aside, I think Webb hitting McCain on his lies and hiding behind being a POW would be far more effective than if it came from most of the other surrogates out there.
(And you are quite right to say that Webb’s not been getting enough credit for some of his recent work.)