The Wilder Kabuki Begins for ’09
From The Politico:
On what [former Gov. Doug Wilder] called “bread-and-butter issues,” he said of Deeds: “Tell me what the man has done? I haven’t heard it.”
Asked if he thought Deeds may have a problem this fall with African-American voters, Wilder said flatly: “I do.”
He said black voters have no reason at the moment to vote for the nominee and referred to the decision this week of BET co-founder and Democratic donor Sheila Johnson to support GOP nominee Bob McDonnell.
“Many people feel taken for granted and I think that was built into the decision Mrs. Johnson made,” Wilder said.
The former governor could have also been talking about himself.
He pointedly noted that he had not yet met with Deeds – though he is scheduled to – while McDonnell has come to court many times.
“I’ve talked to him a lot,” Wilder said of the Republican. “He’s called a lot. We’ve had lunch, we’ve met. He’s not slow.”
From what I can tell, Wilder has only refused to endorse two statewide Democrats in the last 20 years – and both lost. One of them was Creigh Deeds in 2005.
