Do we throw the word 'impeachment' around too much?

The word of the day around the Virginia blogosphere is "impeachment." As in, "Attorney General Mark Herring isn't doing his job in upholding the Virginia Constitution so he should be impeached."

Currently there's an effort underfoot to impeach the President of the United States. In everything from local offices to state and federal, the word "impeach" seems to come up more and more often. So are we throwing it around too much to the point that it loses its effectiveness? Should it be used as a threat when a political party loses an election? If a candidate cannot reach beyond his echo chamber and win, his party has no seat at the table.

Elections matter.

Special Election: Another loss for Virginia GOP

Democrat Jennifer Wexton won Tuesday's special election for the 33rd State Senate seat vacated when Democrat Mark Herring became attorney general. This could potentially turn control of the state senate over to Democrats if they retain the lead after a recount of the Hampton Roads area seat formerly held by now-Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam.

This is the latest in a string of losses for the Republican Party of Virginia which has left all statewide offices in the hands of Democrats -- governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and both U.S. senators -- plus tonight's loss. Is it time to redraw the play book?

Déjà vu in Virginia attorney general drama

Eight years ago my phone rang bright and early the day after the 2005 election. I was still sleeping after a hard-fought campaign that saw Bill Bolling elected as lieutenant governor, Jerry Kilgore lose as governor, and Bob McDonnell in a tight down-to-the-wire race for attorney general. I was needed at the Augusta County Government Center to witness the vote canvas, the beginning of a process that eventually led to my participation in a mid-December recount that saw McDonnell prevail with a mere 360 votes over his Democratic challenger, Creigh Deeds.

Fast forward to last week's election that saw Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam winning the governor and lieutenant governor spots. The end of the day, however, showed a tighter-than-a-tick contest between Republican Mark Obenshain and Democrat Mark Herring that fluctuated back and forth as a variety of events took place over the next seven days. When all votes were finally tallied, Herring was ahead by 163 votes in a contest that was probably headed to recount.

However, as happened in the 2005 race, recounts rarely change the final numbers by much. If Herring prevails, Virginia Democrats will have swept the top three offices that were won in landslide victories four years earlier by Republicans McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli.

NBC 12 has a report on the final count.