Virginia Senate Race Getting Tighter

Maybe there's hope for the Democrats this fall as Republicans keep stubbing their toes and Bush refuses to admit he might not be the greatest president of all time. Here's an article from Steven Thomma of the McClatchy Washington Bureau on the race between Allen and Webb; just two months ago Allen was assumed to be a shoo-in:

Republican Sen. George Allen of Virginia has lost his lead in his bid for re-election and is now tied with Democratic challenger James Webb, a new poll for McClatchy Newspapers and MSNBC showed Friday.

The poll found that the two men each have the support of 43 percent of registered voters, with a third-party candidate supported by 2 percent and the other 12 percent undecided.

The tie underscored how quickly prospects have changed for Allen, once thought to be cruising toward a comfortable re-election that he'd use as a springboard to a bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

The race's importance, however, extends far beyond Allen's own political prospects. It's one of a half-dozen Republican seats that are considered vulnerable to Democratic takeovers; Democrats need to gain six seats to take control of the Senate.

As late as July, Allen looked safe. He led Webb by 16 points, 48-to-32 percent, in a survey by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., which also conducted the McClatchy-MSNBC poll. Allen's lead had shrunk to 4 points, 46-to-42 percent, earlier this month, according to another Mason-Dixon survey.

A key reason for the race tightening has been enormous publicity over Allen's stumbling responses to questions about his character, surprising missteps for a polished campaigner up against an often awkward challenger.

Let's hope James Webb wins. He can help the Democrats and the country if he joins Congress.