Good(e) News For Obama In Virginia

by Stuart Shapiro

President Obama has a solid lead in Virginia over Governor Romney.  So he may not need help from the right wing, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to pitch in.

Further complicating Romney’s efforts in Virginia could be former Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), who may be added to the Virginia ballot as the Constitution Party nominee for president. The conservative lawmaker enjoys high name recognition in the state, and pulls nine percent of the vote if included among the choices for president, increasing Obama’s lead to 14 points over Romney.

“It’s highly unlikely Goode would get 9 percent in the end but he certainly could make a difference if Virginia ended up being more like a 1-2 pt race,” said [PPP polling director Tom] Jensen. “Goode staying off the ballot may be vital to Romney’s prospects there.”

It is very hard to construct an electoral path to victory for Romney without Virginia.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.