Red October

October 5, 2009 12:36 am

BOB McDONNELL, the GOP can- didate for governor, seems to have weathered the flurry of negative ads unleashed on him in late September by Democrat Creigh Deeds over the former's ultra-traditional 1989 college thesis. Mr. McDonnell is off the ropes and back up to the double-digit lead he enjoyed before his mouldy scholarship stirred up such interest with the press and Democratic operatives.

A new Rasmussen poll puts Mr. McDonnell up nine points (51-42), while SurveyUSA now has the McDonnell edge at 55-41. SurveyUSA finds similar leads for the other Republicans in statewide races, Lieutenant Gov. Bill Bolling, who's running for re-election, and state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, who wants to be the next attorney general.

Mr. McDonnell has two brand-new TV spots himself--one featuring women testifying to his thoroughly modern views on gender, the other of Mr. Deeds trying to explain his position on taxes, seemingly in the Unknown Tongue.

A few months ago many folks were pronouncing the GOP dead. There's plenty of time left, but it's looking more and more like a Republican year.