Senate Primary Could Be a Watershed Day for Virginia Democratc and Progressive Bloggers

After a 3-month long primary battle between technology lobbyist Harris Miller and former Reagan Navy Secretary and novelist Jim Webb, Virginia Democrats (and others) head to the polls to pick the man they want to face off with Sen. George Allen in November. With the Commonwealth’s “open primary” and lack of party registration, turnout is hard to predict, though some pundits and observers have settled on a 5% figure. During the 2005 statewide election season, voter turnout for the 4-way Democratic Lt. Gov primary (the only competitive Democratic race) was just 2.62%, compared to near 4% for the Republican races.

This race has been notable for its viciousness with each side hurling insults and charges that have reverberated through the normally genteel intra-party politics of Virginia Democrats. However, with the first seriously competitive Senate nomination race in ten years, a new factor has emerged - the so-called “netroots” - that threatens to shake things up for that party’s future. Powered by bloggers and tech-savvy volunteers, the Webb campaign has adopted a populist stance, fighting in what it claims is the spirit of Andrew Jackson and garnering the support of prominent national Democratic figures such as Sens. Chuck Schumer and John Kerry. His opponent Harris Miller, by no means a stranger to technology after a long-time stint as head of the Information Technology Association of America, has run a more traditional campaign relying on connections to state party officials, paid staff, and heavy self-financing. Miller is running on a platform of continuing in the vein of popular former Gov. Mark Warner and current officeholder Gov. Tim Kaine.

In light of the recent attention that Democratic and progressive bloggers have garnered with the YearlyKos event in Las Vegas, a Webb victory could signal a change in the guard of Virginia’s politics and signal a coming sea change throughout the Southeast as the politics of moonlight and magnolias gives way to Macs and microchips. Given the anti-establishment stridency of the pro-Webb cadre, a Miller victory could close the door to many of the more vocal and creative bloggers who fought for Webb. Regardless of the outcome, Democrats and progressives can ill afford to ignore the prominence of blogging as a medium of political discourse and information.

In the absence of strong talk radio, the blogosphere is the one arena in which the “blue” voices can counteract the rise in the Right. With the midterm elections about to kick into high gear, Democrats and progressives region-wide should take a look at what happens in Virginia to quickly discern lessons learned as the Congressional races head into summer. What they find may surprise them.