In Virginia, A Clash Of Styles, Not Ideas

Disparate Democrats Have Similar Views

After two weeks jam-packed with debates, it is becoming increasingly clear that the three Democrats vying to become governor of Virginia do not differ dramatically in what they say. But how they say it is another matter.

Rarely have three political candidates so varied in manner shared the stage in a primary campaign. One is an unpolished country lawyer whose lack of varnish strikes some as admirably authentic and others as a sign that he is ill at ease. One is a fast-talking salesman who thinks big and talks bigger. And one is a Massachusetts-born former prosecutor who is careful with his words and at times forced with a smile.

"In an era of polling, they know what [issues are] going to play," said Jane Hamsher, founder of the Fire Dog Lake political blog, who watched the men up close as one of several debate moderators last week. "They've crafted their political message to conform to that, and there isn't a whole lot of difference. But a lot of the difference comes from personal style."

With a large number of voters undecided, questions of personal style could wind up being a decisive factor in the three-way primary.

For state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, success could hinge on whether his folksy Virginia style will appeal to suburban voters in Northern Virginia. For former Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe, the outcome could turn on his outsize personality and whether it will breed skepticism in the state's rural reaches. And for former delegate Brian Moran, survival could depend on whether he can continue to attack his opponents without turning off the electorate.

Deeds, McAuliffe and Moran will meet in one more debate May 19 before voters decide June 9 who will compete against Republican Robert F. McDonnell in the fall.

Deeds is the only candidate of the three who was born in Virginia, and he sounds it. His voice is marked with the gentle lilt of a childhood spent in rural Bath County -- and his accent is sometimes so thick that it trips up listeners.

"There was a bill that said that one who has a concealed carry permit and has gone through a criminal background check can carry that weapon into the rest'rant and not drink," he said when asked at a Richmond forum whether he supported allowing guns in bars. "I voted for that bill."

"Will you repeat that, please?" the questioner said, confused. "Going into a bar? You said, going to the restroom, what?"

"No," Deeds tried again. "I said, goin' to a rest'rant."

Deeds hunches his shoulders and leans into a microphone. He tugs at his shirt cuffs and sometimes stammers through his words.

But his memory about Virginia politics is long, and he speaks with passion about sometimes-wonky issues. At the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, the party's annual fundraiser in February, the other Democrats made expensive glossy videos to introduce themselves to the crowd. Deeds brought two of his adult children to tell stories about him.