Michael Barone: "Deeds' focus on abortion is a desperation move"

Michael Barone's past experience as a pollster has him wondering about Creigh Deeds' latest campaign move in the Virginia gubernatorial campaign ... and he thinks Deeds is making a mistake.

Writing in today's Washington Examiner, Mr. Barone comments:

The main thing is that 2009 is a year of economic distress, and voters’ minds are mostly on economic issues. McDonnell has been campaigning on jobs and economic growth, and in the process has emphasized his opposition to national Democrats’ position on the unions’ card check bill and the various Democratic health care plans.

This has evidently been working. The most recent polls show McDonnell leading Deeds by 50%-40% in the realclearpolitics.com average. The same metric showed the race tied after Deeds’s impressive come-from-behind victory in the June primary.

Why, then, has Creigh Deeds decided to raise abortion as his most important campaign issue considering the sour economy looms large on voters' horizons? Desperation? Mr. Barone thinks so. He concludes:

Deeds is not the only Democrat to make this desperation move. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has an ad ticking off his and his opponent Chris Christie’s positions on abortion, gun control, global warming and renewable energy. It hasn’t helped much yet; he’s down 51%-38% in the realclearpolitics.com average of recent polls.

Bob McDonnell for Governor 2009