I’m not totally sold on Markos’s theory. In part, my problem is that I think Terry McAuliffe is a unique case. He’s very unpopular with the progressive base of the party, which makes it more important for him to say and do things that please progressives. He’s been doing that on social issues, which is why he is doing a much better job of attracting Democratic support than Cuccinelli is doing in attracting Republican support. But, if McAuliffe were known as a liberal, his problem would be in attracting people in the middle, and a message aimed at the middle would make more sense.
I understand the concepts behind the theory that the key to winning off-year elections is to fire up your base, and I don’t disagree with it. But I do think you have to look at specific candidates and specific electorates in order to craft an election strategy. In Virginia, with a candidate who turns off progressives, it’s a solid strategy to pander to progressives. I don’t think the same logic would work for a liberal running in Georgia.
