[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/13/art.bobmcdonnell.com.jpg caption="Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell will face the winner of the June 9 Democratic primary."]
(CNN) - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele praised Bob McDonnell Saturday for receiving the official party nomination in the state's gubernatorial race, and said he is part of a "Republican renaissance that starts this year in Virginia."
“I would like to congratulate Bob McDonnell for being selected by Virginia Republicans today as their candidate for governor," Steele said in a statement. "It is going to be a tough fight, but we are well positioned for victory in November."
Steele said the RNC is committed to devoting its "full attention and significant resources" to helping McDonnell take back the governor's mansion in November.
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe is now in the final weeks of a tough three-way primary battle for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He has received an enthusiastic endorsement this year by former President Bill Clinton.
. This is the 20th time since elections in November that the republican party is starting over one way or the other. Until they actually start with new ideas and not rehashing the old tired mantra they will keep loosing. But that's fine, because Obama is filling in the void very nicely
It won't be the Republican "renaissance" if I've got anything to say about it.
McAuliffe will not win the Democratic primary in VA, so the race will come down to McDonnell and Deeds.
Republican Renaissance my foot. The Party of No must be kidding. Do they not understand, the dumb b*stard$, that unless they dump their base, they are the same old loser party. Now they are trying to torpedo Judge Sotomayor's ascent to the Supreme Court. Go ahead. I dare you. If you people ever expect to be in power again, outside of the south, you had better get on board the train into the future. There are clearly not enough backwoods haters to keep you a national party. Oh, and dump Butterball Limpballs too!
The Repubs were dead after Watergate. Then along came Jimmy Carter.
The Repubs were dead after Clinton was elected. 2 years later they took over Congress for 1st time in 40 years.
The Repubs were dead after Obama's election. Now we have the bailouts, the stimulus, the omnibus, the budget proposal and the Dems are just getting started (cap & trade, state bailouts...)
At the end of the day, politics is still about good ideas.
By late 2010 no one's going to care about Michele's arms.
i live in a red state, and we eat red meat here. and michael steele means nothing to us out here. he might want to start the GOP again from virginia, but the voters out here, we do our own thing. if we like a democrat, that's how we vote. there's no party loyalty in the northwest anymore.
That's right I'm Bob McDonnell and I'm running for governor here. I promise to take no stimulus money from those racist, socialist Democrats. In fact I just had the N and O keys on my keyboard replaced with heavy duty ones. I've got my teabags right here and will wear them on my head whenever Fox News or Lord Rush tell me to.If you don't elect me then you, and your children will all die. So vote for me or you are not a true Virginian.....or American.
Virginia ... May McDonnell lead the way to the men's room and watch with absolute fascination as the right-wing extremist Repubs are flushed down the drain of history.
Bob McDonnell is the right choice for Virginia. Democrats have screwed over the state in the past few years. It is time for sensible Republican leadership in Richmond.
Virginia has a sizable minority population, I don't think they will be voting for any republican candidate since the Republican Party insists in treating minorities like dirt, working against the nomination of the First Hispanic to the SC and comparing Hispanic civil rights organizations to the KKK
I guess that means that Virginia is where the GOP's so called "real America" is. I'm glad only 21% of Americans are retarded.
I love the Commonwealth of Virginia, it's really beautiful, been there since my Aunt and cousins still live there, but the State of Virginia should remember what was said about them,real Virginia, communist Virginia. I would assume that is why they went Blue!
Most of this state is filled with great people but the Northern mean-spirited taker part is very populated and very socialist.
Oh and by the way congrats to the GOP on having a Republican win the Republican nomination.
Maybe this will work as well as their re-branding and unity efforts in recent months.
Just because Michael Steele says it doesn't make it so. Mr. Steele is no Renaissance Man.
So Steele admits they've been in a "Dark Ages?"
Being from a state that can drill I hope the nominee and the people of Virginia that 1) It will be years before you can pump any oil and that is the years of exploration off your coast. 2) The oil only perpetuates our dependence which in essence makes us slaves to OPEC. 3) Should you pump and have an oil spill into the ocean it will be Viriginia and not the Feds who pay for the clean-up and 4) tourism isn't about looking at oil dereks. That includes not only the dereks but the oil pumping/holding stations on land. Not so pretty. So being from a state that has and can drill it's not all its cracked up to be.
Democratic infighting will doom them, and the people of VA will be the losers. Republicans are set to start back tracking on the progress of the past 2 democratic governors. So sad for VA.
Does anyone else find it ironic that Michael Steele is touting Virginia as a place for a Republican renaissance? This is the home state of the very popular Republican Senator George "Macaca" Allen who used to keep a hanging noose displayed in his law office. That kind of racist behavior used to be acceptable in public politicians when Va. was a red state and now Michael Steele wants to make it a red state again? Wow, just wow.
GOP Rennaissance in Virginia? Not likely. As more and more educated people move into northern Virginia, the rural conservatives are becoming outnumbered. We can only hope the trend continues.
And Michael Steele also predicted a GOP victory in New York's 20th district special election which is a Republican stronghold. That didn't happen. His batting record is pretty dismal so far. However, sooner or later, they will won ONE and then he will really be full of himself.
Just like the NY-20 election?
Steele said that election was supposed to be a referendum on the big government, tax-and-spend disaster that Obama was leading the country into. What happened Mr. Steele?
Keep talking Mr. Steele. And also tell your leader Colonel Rush he is doing a great job (in pushing people away from the GOP).
please let rush limpballs and his crowd help. please
I agree with Steele that there has been a change in the Republican Party, but the change has been for the worse and I don't see how that get candidates elected. It seems to me that if someone wants to run as a Republican in the near future their best line would be to run against the party picks.