Bob Moser has a good piece on the Virginia race this week at The Nation.

Looks like if Satan is to lead the way for the GOP to get back in the saddle (on our backs) this Jesus-is-a-hater dude running for guv of Virginny might be their Satan's spawn for 2012...

I suppose it's inevitable that the GOP will eventually win some race somewhere. And if/when this leads to the referendum posturing suggested, wouldn't it be wonderful if the Dem-du-jour is prepared and launches the response layed out in this post!

Being from Texas I can tell you that Cornyn is nothing more that a Rethuglican whore who will say or do anything to advance the GOP fascist agenda. His opinion on anything is irrelevant.

But for John Cornyn, only one of all of these contests -- the one where his favored candidate looks like a strong bet -- will signal public dissatisfaction with what Americans "have seen coming out of Washington these days."

After all these years of Republicans saying whatever gives them a political advantage, whether it's true or not, this surprises you?

And after the Republican wins in Virginia and the corporate-controlled media picks up the same theme and runs with it for weeks, will that surprise you too?

It isn't just Cornyn, it's the interviewer who asked the question. He's clearly looking for that answer, and that's more troubling to me that Cornyn's answer. Cornyn is supposed to serve up Republican talking points; why would Gregory practically request them?

I can remember when David Gregory first came to my attention , his passion and frustration were so poignant .
The cure for such plaintive , pent up passion and frustration , is picking up the useless stick and clobbering the dust motes that are attracted to the "theory" of gravity ?
Where will we be when the useless tree recognizes its passion and frustration ?

What BuddyM said. "Big John" Cornyn hasn't had an original or insightful thought since at least 1978.

More generally, the GOP has worked itself into a chasing-its-tail frenzy, where it's all about hitting the right talking points and "winning" today's news cycle, and the game starts afresh tomorrow. (See also: Steele, Michael.) It's all tactics, no strategy.

I was just walking by the TV when he said that and had the response. too bad David Gregory lacks the stones to ask "only one race is a referendum?"

And a Governor's race no less!

Although I agree with about 90% of your posts, and despise Cornyn, I do believe that the Virginia race will reflect national attitudes toward policies in Washington more than the congressional special elections, NYC mayoral race and the NJ race.

Is Cornyn a puppet? Yes. Are all of this year's races a referendum on recent action in Washington? Probably not. Remember though, in the last 30-some-odd years, the party elected as governor in Virginia has been opposite the president's party, which was elected only a year before.

As I recall, Al Franken losing to Norm Coleman was also supposed to be a referendum on the President.

Cornyn said something biased toward the GOP?

And in other news, the sun rose in the East today.

Cornyn is so thoroughly predictable as a GOP mouthpiece that it was sheer theater for Gregory to have asked the question in the first place. He had to know what the answer would be, and what all of Cornyn's answers would be, which leads to the question, why was Cornyn even on the show? Is there anyone who doesn't know where he stands left anywhere in America?

Wow, nice softball from David Gregory. No scratch that, it wasn't even a pitch. Gregory walked up and placed it on the tee for Cornyn. My toddler could have smacked that one.

"I do believe that the Virginia race will reflect national attitudes toward policies in Washington more than the congressional special elections, NYC mayoral race and the NJ race"

Sure, as VA goes, so goes SC
But outside of the confederacy? not so much

I have a suggestion for a referendum on republicans. Next year there will be midterm elections and there is this one little district in Louisiana, you know, David Vitter's state, that conservative bastion. Well there is this district that covers New Orleans called Lousiana's 2nd Congressional District and a republican by the name of Joseph Cao won that district last year, becoming the first republican in quite some time to run that district. Well if that guy is doing a good job for the folks of Louisiana and the republicans have done an honorable job of representing the people, then the republicans should be able to hold that district next year. If they don't then it is a referendum on the entire republican party, conservatism in general and it will signal that the Democrats are poised to extend their majorities next year and beyond. Whaddya say republicans?

It will also mean a sweeping mandate for President Obama to seek to broaden and liberalize his agenda because that's what the folks of Louisiana's 2nd District will represent, no matter what, Cornyn you prick!

When King George II was on the throne, we used to say John Cornyn was so far up W's ass that W had to install a window in his navel so John could look out.

If Deeds was wrapping himself in Obama's coattails and advocating Obama policies, I would agree that the Va. race was at least partially a referendum. That is not the case. Deeds is a back-woods conservative who happens to be a Democrat but does nothing to excite the Obama voters in Va.

it's obvious why cornyn thinks that: he can see virginia from his backyard.