Today’s WashPo is brutal on Deeds after Fairfax Debate

The front page of today’s WashPo, above the fold, has a big picture of Bob McDonnell with Creigh “What’s In Your Wallet?” Deeds and an article about the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce debate.

In an accompanying box to the article, also on front page above the fold –

“Deeds Struggles To Sell His Views — On the issue most important to Northern Virginians, transportation, the candidate comes off as vague and two-faced, writes columnist Robert McCartney B1″

“A Closer Look At the Issues — Deeds walks a wobbly line on raising taxes and tries to take McDonnell to task on jobs and school legislation.  A8″

From the main article:

Later, Deeds opened himself to criticism by saying that he would not raise taxes but that he would come up with new money to pay for road and transit improvements. Pushed by reporters after the debate to explain the seeming contradiction, Deeds amended his answer to say he has no plans to raise taxes that go to the state’s general fund, which pays for schools, public safety and other services. He did not make the same promise for taxes that support the state’s transportation trust fund.

“What that meant is, in the general sense of the term, I’m not going to raise general fund taxes,” Deeds said. “I’m willing to sign a bill that raises new money for transportation. In fact, I intend to sign that bill.”

Then, the WashPo actually reported what may very well be what many are already terming Deeds’ “macaca” moment (although there is no convoluted explanation necessary in order to show that what he said was and was meant as an insult.)

Deeds might have hurt his attempts to appeal to women voters during the same post-debate discussion by making a sharp remark to a female reporter who asked about his plan to pay for road improvements. “I think I made myself clear, young lady,” said Deeds, though he said it with a smile. The exchange was quickly posted on YouTube and sent out by the state Republican party. Deeds later called to apologize to the reporter

Then there is this:

Deeds often raised his voice, and although he was firmer and more concise than in previous appearances with McDonnell, he still struggled at times to articulate his positions. His folksy manner stood in contrast to McDonnell’s precision.

From the McCartney article:

If you’re a candidate for governor coming to debate in Northern Virginia, you’d better be able to say simply and plainly how you’d raise money to repair and improve the roads. Democratic State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (Bath) failed to do that Thursday. In fact, he bungled it pretty badly. He managed to sound both vague and two-faced about the most important issue in the race for the Washington region.

He also brought up Deeds’ “macaca” moment:

Deeds also got a bit testy with a reporter who pressed him about whether he’d be ready to increase the gasoline tax. He’s supported that before — to his great credit, in my view — but he wouldn’t say so Thursday.

“I think I made myself clear, young lady. I don’t know,” Deeds said. The McDonnell campaign immediately began showing the clip to the press corps. Their message: You don’t like what our guy wrote in 1989 about working women? Look at how Deeds treats working women today! Deeds later apologized to the reporter.

McCartney then hit Deeds on not understanding the audience of business executives he was addressing nor the concerns of NOVA voters:

In trying to make the sale, though, Deeds comes up short — especially in the two debates so far. On Thursday, he struggled at times to provide focused answers and occasionally seemed overly excitable. He didn’t offer the kind of poised leadership style that would appeal to his audience of Fairfax business executives.

His campaign hopes that Deeds comes across as warm and authentic, and perhaps that will work in the two final debates in October, both in prime time. For now, however, Deeds doesn’t sound like someone genuinely aware of how overburdened roads regularly paralyze this region. I was reminded of that by the stalled traffic around Tysons Corner that delayed me as I left the debate site in the early afternoon.

All in all, Deeds did himself irreparable harm in yesterday’s debate.