Ouch. Not even a call from the One himself could persuade the nation’s first African-American governor to endorse Deeds:
Pointing to Deeds’ support for gun rights and his willingness to raise taxes, Wilder wrote in an online column that he plans to keep his powder dry.
“The question before me is whether I support the Democratic candidate’s position in addressing these issues,” Wilder wrote on the Web site Virginia Tomorrow. “I have not thus far in the progress of the campaign, and as aforesaid refrain from so doing.”…
Throughout the campaign, Wilder has criticized Deeds for not defining himself or his positions on certain issues.
With enthusiasm for Deeds already lukewarm amongst Democrats as well as the African-American community, the lack of an endorsement by Wilder, well, isn’t helpful. Wilder has nothing to gain really by refusing to back the Democrat candidate, so I suspect at the end of the day he just doesn’t think Deeds will win. His criticisms over the tax issue hurt, and his earlier observations of Deeds as a veritable enigma still ring true.
McDonnell was busy getting the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, apparently, so he had no comment. Nor did his wife, who when last seen was barefoot and pregnant, slaving over a stove (naturally). The Deeds campaign said they respected Wilder’s decision, then asked if anyone had heard about McDonnell’s thesis.
