No endorsement for Deeds from Wilder

In what may be a bomb shell in Virginia politics, former Democrat Governor Doug Wilder announced today that he would not be endorsing either candidate for the gubernatorial contest.

His endorsement of Democrat Creigh Deeds was talked about around office water coolers and probably expected but did not materialize and, indeed, he even disagreed with Mr. Deeds about a couple of issues.

On Bob Holsworth's "Virginia Tomorrow" blog, Mr. Wilder said:

The requests, made of me, have been to endorse Mr. Deeds, the Democratic Candidate, for Governor. I refrain from doing so and will leave that choice to the voters.

He talked issues and made a number of points including this one:

This is not the time in our Commonwealth to talk about any kind of tax increase, especially those that are fundamentally regressive and will hit hardest those who are struggling.

Creigh Deeds has made it clear he will raise taxes in Virginia. Maybe I could get Mr. Wilder to talk with the Augusta County Board of Supervisors about their wild spending spree this year.

Mr. Douglas disagrees with Mr. Deeds about 2nd Amendment rights:

In my conversations with the people across the state, I have not encountered anyone who has listed as their priority the need for them to have more handguns. The present law permits anyone of sufficient age, who is not a felon, to be able to buy one gun a month; twelve a year, twenty four a year for couples etc..

Mr. Deeds thinks that’s not enough and signed a pledge to repeal that law.

Ouch.

So there was no endorsement of the Democrat candidate from the former Democrat governor. I kind of count that as a backhanded endorsement of Bob McDonnell or, at the very least, a nod that Mr. McDonnell would do well as Governor of the Commonwealth.