Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is sure that by now you’ve probably heard about the Virginia Gubernatorial election results. Just in case you haven’t, feel free to clicky on the linky. Tim Kaine, the Democratic Lt. Governor, won in his contest with Jerry Kilgore, the Republican former-Atty General. It was a resounding victory in fact for Governor-Elect Kaine. He appears to have captured about 52% of the vote. Your Maximum Leader would have guessed the race would be a little tighter.

So you may ask, “Is my Maximum Leader disappointed today?” Well, a little, he supposes. It is not like the world will end or anything. Indeed, your Maximum Leader remembers how completely devastated he felt when George H.W. Bush lost to Bill Clinton in 1992. He doesn’t get that worked up over elections like that anymore. He’s learned that we in American don’t like electing transformational leaders. Frankly, we don’t like electing really extraordinary people in general. So, we get incremental change one way or another.

Of course in 1992 your Maximum Leader would have identified himself politically as “Republican.” If you ask him now to identify himself politically he would say “Conservative.” There is a slight difference thee. One that perhaps he shall expound upon in a later post.

Congratulations Governor-Elect Kaine. You fought the good fight and prevailed.

This victory will be viewed by the national press as a blow to President Bush and the National Republicans. Your Maximum Leader thinks that rhetoric is overwrought. Afterall, (very conservative) Republican Bill Bolling was elected Lt. Governor. The Republicans still hold a commanding majority in the House of Delegates. (Even if the Washington Post’s headline reads how the Democrats won a few key races.) And it looks like (pretty conservative) Republican Bob McDonnell will be elected Atty General. That race is too close to call. And if your Maximum Leader may speculate a little bit on the Atty General race… He thinks the reason it is too close to call is the NRA. The NRA endorsed Creigh Deeds (D) over Bob McDonnell (R) and your Maximum Leader thinks that the NRA endorsement has made the race so close. If your Maximum Leader remembers correctly, McDonnell supported a few bills to restrict firearm sales at gun shows. (But he could be wrong on that.)

So, he is a little disappointed in the top of the ticket results, but on the whole he is pretty pleased the rest of the way down.

And in case you were wondering, your Maximum Leader helped oust his incumbent County Supervisor; but the incumbent School Board member was re-elected.

Carry on.