In Virginia Democratic Nominee Terry McAuliffe Joins Fellows Republicans Ken Cuccinelli and E. W. Jackson as One of the Worst Nominees For a Critical Election

Can’t Either Party Nominate an Honest, Experienced, Decent Candidate?

The Virginia election this fall is extremely important because it will be the first indication of whether or not swing states will move towards radical extreme conservatism or solidify themselves as moderate pragmatic mainstream governments.  On the Republican side is the candidate for Governor, Ken Cuccinelli who wants to jail people who commit adultery, and the candidate for Lt. Governor, E. W. Jackson who is so extreme that even Mr. Cuccinelli is trying to distance himself from him.

For Democrats the nominee is Terry McAuliffe, a wealthy Democratic Party fundraiser who has never held public office, seems to have no passion for the issues and who couldn’t even win the nomination last time around against a state senator who went on to lose in a landslide.  Mr. McAuliffe is now being investigated by the government.

An electric-car company co-founded by Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission over its conduct in soliciting foreign investors, according to law enforcement documents and company officials.

In May, the SEC subpoenaed documents from GreenTech Automotive and bank records from a sister company, Gulf Coast Funds Management of McLean. The investigation is focused, at least in part, on alleged claims that the company “guarantees returns” to the investors, according to government documents.

And yes, there is a whole bunch of other stuff relating to the company and Mr. McAuliffe.  The details are not as important as the story that Virginia Democrats have so little bench strength that there only viable candidate for Governor has to use the “I am not a crook” defense. 

And how’s this for political acumen (or lack thereof).

The new issues surrounding GreenTech are likely to create fresh political problems for McAuliffe, who launched the company after his failed 2009 bid for governor in part to burnish his credentials as a businessman and job creator.

McAuliffe initially pledged to build a factory “right in the heart of Virginia,” but the company instead set up shop in Mississippi after getting generous incentives from that state and local governments. 

If Mr. McAuliffe loses, and he may well it will be what he deserves.  But Virginians and the nation will be getting a radical social conservative who wants to use government to control private behavior and substitute his standards for yours.  And that is not what anyone deserves.