Witness today’s Opinion Journal piece by Fred Barnes:
[Senator George] Allen’s campaign has seemed unprepared for the way that presidential races, with their high visibility, draw out personal information. His two previous statewide races (for governor in 1993 and the Senate in 2000) were largely uneventful and revealed little besides that he’s a likeable conservative with a libertarian streak and without the slightest hint of racism. The perils, I suppose, of a possibly premature coronation.
I am, of course, referring to his “libertarian” streak, but you could also point to the idea that he is likeable.
On a side note:
Virginia no longer votes like a Southern state, but it’s still more conservative than not.
No one told the General Assembly when it passed the “voter demanded” amendment attacking gays. So maybe we should wait until we have the proposed amendment’s final tally on November 7th to decide whether or not Virginia “no longer votes like a Southern state.” Of course, if Sen. Allen has a libertarian streak, it’s possible that Virginia’s progressive conservatism could include inserting bigotry into the Virginia Bill of Rights.