Kilgore Kaput

By David Holman
The American Spectator

Virginia rejected Jerry Kilgore and his brand of politics last night. While President Bush took responsibility for the race Monday, for better or for worse, this failure is the Kilgore campaign's alone. Sure, Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine ran a tight, on-message, nearly mistake-free campaign. But Kilgore is the one who entered the race up by as many as 10 points in the spring and summer; it was his to lose. Straying from articulating a strong, positive conservatism made Kilgore's candidacy one that a presidential visit and an unprecedented Get Out the Vote effort could not salvage.