Mark Levin: The RINOs Want A Terry McAuliffe Victory In Virginia

On the Monday broadcast of his radio program Mark Levin expounded on a Facebook entry he made earlier in the day:

The RINOs want a Terry McAuliffe victory in Virginia.

Many in the GOP establishment, from major fundraisers and consultants, to GOP officeholders such as the GOP Lt. Gov and mayor of Virginia Beach, have either trashed Attorney General Ken Cuccinnelli or endorsed McAuliffe outright. The GOP national machine has done next to nothing for Cuccinnelli. And GOP bag man, Karl Rove, is all over Fox without a word of support for Cuccinnelli, while he schemes and whispers behind the scenes against conservatives nationwide.

Having tried to sabotage Cuccinnelli's candidacy from the start, these GOP actors are hoping for a Cuccinnelli loss and a big Chris Christie win (built on a Huey Long style of politics) to make the case that only big government Republicans can win and limited government, constitutional conservatives, such as Tea Party activists, are too extreme to prevail. They've already written the script.

In fact, the GOP establishment's attacks on the Tea Party, which is an obvious assault on conservatives and conservatism generally, are increasingly difficult to distinguish from Obama and the Left's attacks on the same folks. The ruling class in Washington is clearly united in one respect: to wipe out conservative resistance to their corruption, cronyism, and nation-killing policies.

Keep an eye on RINO columnists like Washington Compost mouthpiece Jennifer Rubin, as well as Rove and other commentators on cable TV, who have and will continue to reveal it all through their myopic ruling class lenses in the days ahead. As I said, their propaganda is written and ready to spread. And they'll be given soap box after soap box to spin away.

Meanwhile, despite it all, including tens of millions of dollars in relentless leftwing smear ads funded by truly extreme groups hoping to beat Cuccinnelli and turn Virginia into Hillary Clinton territory in 2016, much of the big GOP money stays on the sidelines. Better to try to clear the field of conservatives who threaten the ruling class and its preferred nominees. Better to protect the RINO investment in big government than beat Hillary. The conservative grassroots is to be crushed and dispirited.

So, that's the game. Still, recent polls show Cuccinnelli closing fast. This makes the Left and RINOs very nervous. The rest of us are cheering, and hopefully helping, the underdog. We identify with him, not the sleazy McAuliffe, his radical donors, and the ruling class. We won't retreat. We won't give up. We will fight for the last vote. What a sweet victory it would be! But make no mistake, this is one of many, many battles to come, win, lose, or recount. 

Via: Real Clear Politics
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POLLS, HISTORY SUGGEST LOW TURNOUT IN VIRGINIA

On the eve of the Virginia elections, months of campaigning now hinge on voter turnout. Odd-year elections have much lower turnout than presidential years, making it difficult to predict the outcome with precision. UVA's Center for Virginia Politics expects turnout to be higher this year than in 2009, when the Republican candidate won a 17-point landslide. Such a turnout, however, would reverse a nearly 30 year historical trend in the Commonwealth. Nothing in recent poll, moreover, suggests that such an outcome is likely. 

In 6 gubernatorial elections over the past 24 years, voter turnout has always been lower than the previous election. In 1989, over 66% of voters in Virginia turned out that year. Every election since has witnessed a steady drop in voter participation. In the last election, in 2009, just over 40% of Virginia voters went to the polls. Some political observers expect turnout this year in the mid-30s. 

If that is the case, then the race for Governor is a lot more competitive that many observers assume. A senior strategist told Breitbart News that Democrat Terry McAuliffe's campaign is basing its strategy on a turnout of around 45%, the same as 2005 when Democrat Tim Kaine narrowly won office. If turnout is under 40%, however, Cuccinelli's chances of victory increase, as the electorate becomes marginally more conservative. 

A challenge for McAuliffe and Cuccinelli is that both candidates have very high negative ratings. Much of this is a reflection of the overwhelmingly negative attack ads aired by both campaigns. Negative ratings for both candidates are higher than the positive ratings. That makes energizing voters and getting them to the polls a challenge for any campaign. 

While Cuccinelli has made course corrections in his campaign to increase turnout of his voters, there is no obvious reason why soft-Democrats would turn out for McAuliffe.

Via: Breitbart

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Ken Cuccinelli helpfully reminds Virginia that Barack Obama & Terry McAuliffe are allies. #obamacare.

 This is, of course, a parody of Barack Obama’s actual remarks about Terry McAuliffe.  You can tell because surely Barack Obama would not be stupid enough to praise Obamacare – and McAuliffe’s intention to actually drag the state further into its clutches – two days before the Virginia gubernatorial election.  There are limits to idiocy.

There have to be.

Anyway, a taste:

I’m here today because Terry has always had my back  — alright maybe not in 2008 — but ever since then. He’s been a vocal supporter for our legislative priorities, especially the Affordable Care Act. Terry even wanted the public option and was just as disappointed as I was when that didn’t work out.

You all know that Republicans like Ken Cuccinelli are doing everything possible to stop the law. They are grossly misleading the public, saying I  wasn’t honest with  you all when I said if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it. Can you believe that? Sure I said that — but you all know what I meant! I meant most of you all! It’s not like I prefaced it with “read my lips” or anything.

There’s more.  And, remember: there is one candidate in this race who is not for expanding Obamacare, and it’s not the ‘Libertarian’ one.  It’s Ken Cuccinelli.

Via: Red State

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How Ted Cruz Won the Shutdown Drama

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his Republican colleagues won the shutdown drama in October.  However, the effects are still gradually rippling through the electorate.  And the full results will depend upon Republicans understanding the strategy (they don't) and continuing to implement conservatives' obvious plan consistently for maximum impact (unlikely).

Approval has dropped five percent for President Barack Obama since the October government shutdown, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal opinion survey.  Obama's disapproval rating has reached a toxic 51 percent -- as even Obama-worshiping NBC News admits.  Over 50 percent of voters disapproving is considered fatal for an incumbent office holder, at least if he were facing re-election.  In a sense he is -- facing the 2014 congressional elections.

Forty-seven percent now think that ObamaCare is a bad idea, up from forty-three percent in this same poll from early October.  The race for governor in Virginia has tightened up to within four percent, although Ken Cuccinelli's Mitt Romney-style campaign probably won't withstand the outrageous, unanswered lies told about him by the Democrat.

Skeptics ask: What was achieved by Ted Cruz with his 21-hour filibuster against ObamaCare on the floor of the U.S. Senate?  What did Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives accomplish by trying to delay or defund ObamaCare?

Via: American Thinker

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ObamaCare’s Old Dominion Disaster

As Obama Campaigns For Terry McAuliffe And Virginia Democrats, ObamaCare Continues To Hurt Virginians

Today, President Obama Is In Virginia To Campaign For Terry McAuliffe And Encourage Democrats To Get Out The Vote. “President Barack Obama will campaign for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe this weekend, giving a late boost to McAuliffe as he seeks to energize core Democratic voters in an off-year governor’s race, Democratic sources told POLITICO.  Obama is set to appear at a Sunday afternoon get-out-the-vote rally in Northern Virginia. It will be the president’s first campaign appearance for McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.” (Alexander Burns, “President Obama To Campaign For Terry McAuliffe,” Politico, 10/28/13)

AS OBAMA ASKS VIRGINIA VOTERS TO SEND HIS TEAM TO RICHMOND, HIS HEALTHCARE LAW IS COSTING THEM THEIR HEALTHCARE

No Virginian Will Be Allowed To Keep An Individual Insurance Plan That Does Not Comply With ObamaCare. “President Obama may have promised Americans that they can keep their insurance if they like it, but that's not the case in at least three states where insurance companies are required to discontinue plans that don't meet Obamacare's new coverage standards.  Virginia, Kentucky and Idaho have told insurance companies that they must scrap insurance plans that don't meet the minimum coverage requirements laid out in the Affordable Care Act.” (Chris Frates, “3 States Tell Insurers To Scrap Plans That Don't Comply With ObamaCare,” CNN, 10/30/13)

According To HHS’s Report On Premiums In The ObamaCare Exchanges, A 27 Year Old In Virginia Will Pay An Average Of $156 A Month For The Lowest Bronze Plan – An Increase Of 310.53 Percent Over Average Premiums Previously Available. (Office Of The Assistant Secretary For Planning And Evaluation, “Health Insurance Marketplace Premiums For 2014,” HHS, 9/13; John E. Dickson, Director Of Health Care For The Government Accountability Office, Letter To Honorable Orrin G. Hatch, 7/23/13)

The Fairfax County Water Authority Will Likely Drop Health Care Coverage For Its 400 Employees Due To ObamaCare’s ‘Cadillac Tax’ On Generous Health-Care Plans. “The Fairfax County Water Authority said that it will likely drop insurance coverage for its nearly 400 employees if taxes on generous health-care plans take effect as planned in 2018 under the federal Affordable Care Act.” (Laura Vozzella, “Fairfax Utility: ObamaCare Will Likely Lead To Dropped Coverage,” The Washington Post, 10/2/13)

• The Tax Would Cost The Utility $60,000 In The First Year, And $7 Million Per Year By 2028. “Under the ACA employers that provide relatively expensive coverage will have to pay taxes to the federal government starting in 2018. Those taxes would cost the authority $60,000 in the first year and shoot up to nearly $7 million a year by 2028, the authority said in a letter sent this week to Virginia’s congressional delegation.” (Laura Vozzella, “Fairfax Utility: ObamaCare Will Likely Lead To Dropped Coverage,” The Washington Post, 10/2/13)

ObamaCare Is Projected To Add $7.3 Million To The Cost Of The University Of Virginia’s Health Care Plan In 2014. “Provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act are projected to add $7.3 million to the cost of the University health plan in 2014 alone. Federal health care reform will create new costs related to the “individual mandate” that requires all Americans to have health care coverage (or pay a penalty). (Press Release, “University Employees Will See Significant Changes to Health Plan This Year,” University Of Virginia, 8/21/13)

• Some Working Spouses Of University Of Virginia Employees Will Lose Access To Coverage. “Changes to the plan that affect working spouses of U.Va. employees will take effect Jan. 1. On that date, all spouses of covered employees will no longer be covered by the University plan unless the employee has provided certification of the spouse’s continued eligibility.  Spouses who have access to ‘affordable health care that provides minimum value,’ as defined by the Affordable Care Act, through another employer will no longer be eligible for the U.Va. plan.” (Press Release, “University Employees Will See Significant Changes to Health Plan This Year,” University Of Virginia, 8/21/13)

VIRGINIA WORKERS ARE SEEING THEIR HOURS CUT DUE TO OBAMACARE

Via: GOP.com

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Why Unions Are Pouring Money Into Virginia & Why You Should Care

Union bosses and other out-of-state liberals–from Hollywood to New York–are pouring millions into the Virginia governor’s race.

They are, without a doubt, hell-bent on defeating Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and putting long-timeDemocratic party boss and fund-raiser Terry McAuliffe into the governor’s seat.

More than that, however, the Left (just as they are targeting Texas and other Southern states) may be using the governor’s race to put the final nail in the coffin for Republicans in a state that has swung from reliably red to almost-but-not-quite blue.

While the polls in the seem to be tightening from a McAuliffe shoe-in to a too-close-to-call (were it not for the Libertarian candidate), according to the Washington Post, Democrat McAuliffe has collected $8 million more than Cuccinelli.

In addition to Democrat heavyweights like Bill Clinton ($100,000), Hollywood heavy hitters like the Weinstein Co. ($25,000) and noted author John Grisham ($75,000), Planned Parenthood donated over $1.5 million and many other liberal special interest groups have sent McAuliffe six-digit donations.

Given the amount of big out-of-state money and extraordinary efforts union bosses and their liberal cohorts are putting into the race, one must question how the Left will gain from a McAuliffe win.

Why are union bosses investing so heavily in Right-to-Work Virginia?

Via: Red State

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CUCCINELLI CAMPAIGNS WITH SCOTT WALKER, RON PAUL

In the final weekend of the campaign for Virginia Governor, Republican Ken Cuccinelli has announced rallies with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and former Congressman Ron Paul, among other Republicans. The Cuccinelli campaign has put its hopes for a come-from-behind victory in energizing base Republican and conservative voters. Walker and Paul both have unique appeal with voters Cuccinelli needs on Tuesday. 

Walker will attend two rallies for Cuccinelli on Saturday, appearing in Spotslyvania and Woodbridge, two Northern Virginia suburbs were the Republican needs a strong vote. Ron Paul will attend an evening rally on Monday, the eve of the election in Richmond. 

Libertarian candidate Richard Sarvis has unexpectedly polled strongly in the race, attracting around 10% of voters. According to polls, Sarvis is drawing more support away from Cuccinelli than Democrat McAuliffe. Ron Paul has a very strong following among Sarvis supporters and his appearance with Cuccinelli is meant to stem the tide of defections from the Republican. 

For most of the campaign, Cuccinelli ran a very conventional race. He downplayed his conservative positions and focused on more narrow Virginia-specific issues. After an exceptionally negative campaign, both he and McAuliffe have high negative ratings with voters. With turnout expected to be low, Cuccinelli is returning to conservative themes to energize grass roots turnout. 

On a conference call with reporters on Friday, Cuccinelli, at least twice, mentioned he was the "pro-liberty" candidate. He reiterated his early opposition to ObamaCare. He stressed that Obama's campaigning this weekend for McAuliffe made the election a "referendum" on ObamaCare. Cuccinelli is, at last, trying to nationalize the election. 

Via: Breitbart

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As Ken Cuccinelli rebounds, Terry McAuliffe warns he could lose

As the polls tighten in the Virginia gubernatorial race, Democrat Terry McAuliffe is dropping his front-runner swagger and warning that he could lose.

In an email to supporters meant to inspire them to vote, he said simply: “Ignore the polls.”

Some polls show that the race is getting close, with Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli getting to as close as three points in one poll, though most still show McAuliffe with a significant lead.

But the former Democratic Party chairman is worried about turnout in a year when voters are turned off by both candidates and there is no other headline-grabbing election dragging voters to the polls.

“No matter what pollsters are reporting, newspapers are writing, and your friends might be telling you — we're facing two hard truths,” said McAuliffe’s email.

“In off-year elections like this one, Tea Party voters turn out more reliably than Democrats. For 45 years, the political party that controls the White House has lost our governor's race the next year. In 2009, fewer than 40 percent of Virginia voters cast a ballot for governor, despite the fact that nearly 70 percent voted in the presidential election the year before,” he explained.

“That's why we absolutely CANNOT afford to fall short of our $250,000 Get Out the Vote Fund Goal at tonight's midnight deadline — right now we're $48,345 away,” he said in his latest push for more money.

Campaign officials said that McAuliffe is focused on get out the vote initiatives, even bringing in former President Clinton and President Obama this week to urge voters to show up on Tuesday.

“If we allow ourselves to be complacent for any part of the next five days, Election Day will not be pretty,” he said.

Via: Washington Examiner

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CUCCINELLI: MCAULIFFE REPRESENTS DC POLITICS, DETROIT FINANCES, HOLLYWOOD VALUES

On Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125, Virginia attorney general and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli slammed Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe as a liar who represents the worst of Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Hollywood.

"If you like Washington, D.C. politics, Detroit finances, and Hollywood values, Terry McAuliffe is your man," Cuccinelli said. "He brings it all. He's the whole package on that front."

Cuccinelli also emphasized that there is "not one plan" McAuliffe "has laid out for Virginia that he has explained." He said McAuliffe "lies like he's taking a drink of water" and added that he has never seen a campaign "so disconnected from the truth."

Cuccinelli emphasized to host and Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon that the race should be a referendum on Obamacare and mentioned that he was the first attorney general in the nation to fight the law and win the "right of the states to make their own decisions" like whether they would participate in the Medicaid expansion. He said that would be the single largest budgetary decision before the next governor. 

"A no vote on Obamacare is a yes vote for Ken Cuccinelli," he said. 

Via: Breitbart

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[VIDEO] Dem. Senator: 'Nobody Should Be Forced to Buy a Policy that Costs More than What They Had and Is Inferior'

Democratic senator Joe Manchin said that, under Obamacare, "nobody should be forced to buy a policy that cost more than what they had and is inferior to what they had":

"Senator manchin, you get the last word," said the ABC host this morning. "Are you seeing any indication from anyone in the administration that they are willing to go along with some sort of a delay?"

"I'm not sure," said Manchin. "I haven't spoken in detail with them. But I can tell you: if we have a bipartisan group, which we've had before ... George, nobody should be forced to buy a policy that costs more than what they had and is inferior to what they had. Those things have to be worked out."

Via: Weekly Standard

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EXCLUSIVE--POLL: VA GOV RACE A TOSS UP

A new poll, provided exclusively to Breitbart News, finds the Virginia Governor's race a virtual dead-heat, with Democrat Terry McAuliffe leading Republican Ken Cuccinelli 41%-40%. Libertarian Robert Sarvis garners 10% and 9% of likely voters remain undecided. With less than two weeks to go, the race is a toss-up that will likely be decided by turnout, a critical factor in an off-year election.

The poll comes from Wenzel Strategies, which accurately predicted closing momentum for Sens. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Deb Fischer, among others. The slight edge McAuliffe holds is due mostly to stronger support within his partisan base. 81% of Democrats support McAuliffe, against just 68% of Republicans who support Cuccinelli. 

Cuccinelli's support seems be building, however, as public attention moves away from the recent government shutdown to the failing implementation of ObamaCare. Cuccinelli was a leading national figure suing to overturn the health care law. 

The closeness of the race is apparent in the millions spent by left-wing groups to support McAuliffe in the closing days. In addition, Hillary and Bill Clinton, close allies of McAuliffe, have made themselves permanent fixtures in the Commonwealth, campaigning on his behalf. 

“There’s a reason the Clintons have been called in to spend a week campaigning for McAuliffe and that Bloomberg is pouring in millions with 2 weeks to go,” Brian Baker, President of Ending Spending Action Fund, which commissioned the poll, told Breitbart News. “Their internals must be showing what our poll indicates -- that his unfavorables are high and they must try to suppress Cuccinelli turnout to prevail.  All indications are that the numbers are closing, especially post shutdown. The focus will be where the undecideds go and what will Sarvis draw? With the race this close, the poll indicates a vote for Sarvis is a vote for McAuliffe.”

History also is on Cuccinelli's side. Since the 1980s, the winner of the Virginia Governor's race has always been from the opposite party of that occupying the White House. 

Via: Breitbart

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Rasmussen Poll: McAuliffe 50, Cuccinelli 33

Terry McAuliffe has a 17-point lead over Ken Cuccinelli in the Virginia governor's race, according to a new poll from Rasmussen. McAuliffe, the Democrat, enjoys his largest lead yet in the race with 50 percent of the vote, while Republican Cuccinelli has 33 percent. The Libertarian candidate, Robert Sarvis, has eight percent support.

KATE WELLINGHAM/GAGE SKIDMORE

The Rasmussen survey of 1,000 likely Virginia voters is the latest to show a significant lead for McAuliffe and comes after the end of the federal government shutdown. The McAuliffe campaign has run ads in Northern Virginia, the populous area of the state surrounding the nation's capital and home to thousands of federal workers, linking Cuccinelli to Republicans like Ted Cruz who helped bring about the shutdown. And at an event in Northern Virginia Monday afternoon, Cuccinelli didn't answer how he would have voted on the legislative deal that ended the stalemate if he were in Congress.

"I don't know whether I would have voted for it," he said.

The Virginia state elections are in two weeks.

Via: Weekly Standard

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Shutdown over, Obama hits the links - Game #147

President Obama returned to the golf course on Sunday for his first round since before the government shutdown began.

The golf outing at Virginia's Fort Belvoir is the first since a Sept. 28 outing on the same course. That round was his 35th of the year — a new annual record according to White House Dossier.

The president played just 19 rounds of golf in 2012, an election year. He golfed 34 times in 2011, 30 times in 2010, and 28 times in 2009. Sunday's round will be the 147th golf outing of his presidency.

Obama on Sunday golfed with White House chef Sam Kass and aides Mike Brush and Marvin Nicholson, according to the White House.

During the government shutdown, the Obamas curtailed their travel away from the White House compound. The president was forced to scrap a planned eight-day trip to a trade summit in Asia. And on the couple's 21st wedding anniversary, they did not make their traditional outing to a Washington-area restaurant.

Via: The Hill

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