Dark day for Dems in Virginia?

The spin has started. The Democratic pundits and Democratic strategists have begun their march to sophistry with this: Whatever happens in the 2009 elections is really not important.

This is baloney, and even worse, it is very dangerous baloney, because delusion is never a good political strategy, and deception is never a good communications tactic.

If Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia, loses by a significant margin, it should send Democrats to an ice-cold shower.

Virginia has been electing some of the highest-quality Democrats in the nation. Democratic Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner are outstanding by any measure. Virginia has been electing some outstanding Democratic governors. Democratic Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are outstanding by any measure.

In fact, Webb, Warner and Kaine have all earned serious consideration on any list of potential presidents and vice presidents.

In 2008, President Barack Obama won a huge victory in the Old Dominion, and the commonwealth’s electoral votes will play an important role in 2012.

Let’s be clear. If Deeds come back on Tuesday and the race turns out to be closer than the polls suggest, it would not have major national implications. If Deeds loses by, say, 3-4 percent, that would be consistent with Virginia's history of often electing candidates of the opposite party of a new president.

However, if Deeds loses by a considerable margin, it would indeed be a dark day for Democrats in Virginia and Democrats nationally should begin a serious debate about why this happened and what lessons can be drawn.

My purpose in this post is not to engage this debate, at this time. It is to call for clarity and integrity in the post-election discussion. The spin from the Democratic strategists may fill an empty chair on the cable talkies, but it will be believed by nobody, laughed at by most and disregarded by all.

Delusion and deception are not the stuff that future victories are made of. Let’s tell it like it is, let the chips fall where they may and listen to the lessons the voters are teaching to both political parties.