With a Republican sweep of the all three statewide offices and the House of Delegates looking extremely likely on Election Day, Virginia Republicans must start looking to the future and how to sustain the progress made this year and take back the Virginia Senate in 2011.
The two main issues over the next term will undoubtedly be jump starting the economy and fixing transportation:
With McDonnell in the Governor’s mansion, the emphasis will (obviously and as his campaign has repeatedly stated) be on limiting rates of business and individual taxation in order to stimulate the economy, get people spending again, and creating new industry and jobs in the Commonwealth. While most confidence needs to be regained at the national level, I think that McDonnell (being a businessman, among many other things) can instill the confidence in business to bring many a company to Virginia over the next four years…at least, much moreso than Deeds could. This recession won’t last forever and as long as McDonnell keeps Virginia on the leading edge of industry, cuts the budget, doesn’t drive us deeper into debt like the two previous Democratic Governor’s have, then voter will most definitely have more confidence to vote R in 2011 and on.
The other key to Republican victory is fixing transportation. Since Kaine gutted HB3202 way back when and then SCOVA ruled it partly unconstitutional, no one has delved to create a driving coalition that fixes the state’s transportation needs. I don’t see a re-hash of 3202 coming around any time soon, since that would merely create more government to get in the way and only add to the problem. The solution is obviously going to be a stable, equal basis of revenue with proportional allotments and perhaps locally based revenue sources (like ports and airports) going to fund the excess and much-needed projects in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. But the key won’t really be in what we do to fix it, but how we do it.
The main thing, at least for a continued Republican victory, will be in the strategy they encompass to solve the problem. McDonnell has experience with bipartisan support (again…much more so than Deeds has) and will be able to potentially garner a few votes for a plan to pass in the Senate. Bolling could help the Republicans out there as well if a tie vote should happen. However, mere compromise won’t regain a GOP Senate majority. The House GOP and Governor McDonnell will need to propose a plan to solve transportation right off the bat that is very Republican-principled in nature…in other words, one that will be tough for a D to sign their name to and then go back home after the legislative session. After that, either Democrats will get on board for fear of voter backlash in 2011 or not sign on and, quite frankly, be doomed in their next race.
With that said, hopes are high that:
1) government will spend far, far less
2) transportation will become a top priority
3) redistricting will sway some seats towards the R persuasion
and 4) the Virginia GOP will grab a few more seats the next go ’round.
