VA-SEN: Allen Deliberating Whether To Request Recount
Will GOP Senator George Allen, who's currently trailing Dem Jim Webb by about 7,000 votes, request a recount, thus dragging out the question of who will control the Senate for at least another month? It seems that will depend on what kind of numbers come in for Allen after the official canvas is complete. Today's Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:
A senior advisor to George Allen's Senate campaign said Allen would wait until after the vote is official later this month to decide whether to seek a recount.Ed Gillespie said Jim Webb was leading Allen by about 7,000 votes this morning, or about .3 percent of the total votes cast. He said that could change during the official canvas that is starting today in localities around the state. He said it is likely some vote totals will change as mistakes in tabulating totals are discovered....
"We'll want to see how the canvassing turns out" before deciding on whether to ask for a recount, he said.
It seems likely that the Allen camp has come to terms with the fact that a recount would almost certainly fail to overturn Webb's current 7,000-vote lead, and Allen probably won't ask for one unless the numbers shift substantially in Allen's favor. In other words, game's almost over -- Dems look like they're about to take the Senate, too. Or, as Webb put it late yesterday, "the votes are in, and we won."
Looking Forward: In 2008, the Republicans have to defend 21 seats, the Democrats only 12. Considering likely retirements and state politics, I estimate at least 9 of the R seats are contestable and only 2 of the Dems. If the Dems play their cards right, they can build a filibuster-proof majority.
November 8, 2006 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad the Senate didn't invoke the nuclear option a couple of years ago... I bet the republicans are glad that the cooler heads in their party prevailed on that one.
November 8, 2006 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would Ole'Noose'Em dare after all his dirty tricks? Better to let sleeping dogs lie--but then he's not the brightest bulb, even for the GOP, is he?
Hopefuly this guy Gillespie has some perspective...
November 8, 2006 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
As DH quoted by Josh pointed out, if this does drag on, there is a major silver lining: lots of good reasons to expose the electoral dirty tricks the GOP used in Virginia (and elsewhere). Normally, that gets drowned out post-election, but while there's talk of a recount it's quite fair game. Heavy coverage in the blogosphere can reverberate in the MSM and help cement the verity that Republicans don't fight fair.
November 8, 2006 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, probably a big factor.
I wouldn't want to be in Allen's shoes. He must be getting a lot of pressure from the WH to go all the way to the bitter end and the Supreme Court. And on the same, he knows he would risk to loose a lot more than the election if he takes that route.
No, you can't have your own facts!
November 8, 2006 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
In a way I do hope the Allen people drag this out. Will piss off many DEM IND & GOP voters in the state since it will give the FBI, press, etc., time to look into/report on/go after the TelephoneIDs, etc., of those making the robocalls,etc., from around the country to VA and other voter suppression efforts here in VA. Not sure Allen will have support from the party for an in-depth investigation in the next month. If he concedes soon, they avoid a difficult examination in the
state. He may just concede if it gets too hot by the fire for others connected to his campaign. It may be that out of state interests put pressure on the GOP to back off on the recount if it is not really producing and the voter intimidation efforts get looked into in the mean time. Either way it does not help Allen. So Webb can just sit back (obviously watch the GOP like a Hawk) and watch them implode.
And don't forget...there is a chance the GOP will lose more seats (in both houses) in the near future due to corruption/ and/or "moral" related issues.
November 8, 2006 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
True, they were "governing" like there was no tomorrow. Turns out, tomorrow came!
November 8, 2006 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice, but what about 2012? Assuming Webb in Virginia, it will be 24 Ds and 9 Rs. Oy!!
November 8, 2006 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I fully expect Allen to call for a recount. When someone has a history of doing anything to win, they just can't help themselves. He will go out the classless, vile jerk he has been.
November 8, 2006 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. We know that there are at least 2 or 3 senators in cahoots with Abramoff. May be those are part of the departing, but who knows? And the bird is singing. He's singing like nightingale.
Actually, he's singing so much his FBI team gave him a desk at their office (seriously).
No, you can't have your own facts!
November 8, 2006 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
How many legit contestable seats (MO, MT, OH, PA, VA, we can contest ME, IN, TN)?
At least they will be incumbents, and I think President Obama's approval ratings will likely stay pretty high throughout his presidency and make the halfway election look like 1984.
November 8, 2006 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to think that Allen is capable of understanding his position. I also think he still has ambitions. Making a show of a pathetic and humiliating gesture of a recount that he will lose will be pointless. He probably is thinking he may come back and run again, as governor or senator.
November 8, 2006 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink