A Photo Finish In Virginia

In 2004 Republicans relied on the dual themes of family values and fear mongering to maintain their hold on power, and it worked.

They tried to do the same again this year, but weighed down by numerous charges of corruption and questionable sexual practices, the family values thing only made people burst out laughing. And with serious questions about the Iraq war, the fear factor failed to win over voters this time around. As a result, Democrats have comfortably retaken the House of Representatives and appear poised to capture the Senate as well.

One of the key Senate races has been the Virginia contest between incumbent Republican George Allen, who has been one of George W. Bush's most loyal allies, and challenger James Webb. Webb relied on Allen's fierce loyalty to the President, along with serious questions about the Republican's thinking on matters of race, to launch a serious challenge.

In fact, until last spring, very few people in Virginia had a clue who Webb was. Even I had never heard of him until a friend (Yes, you started me on the Webb path, Mike K.) emailed me an article about his likely run for office. And even going into the Democratic primary last June, Webb was considered something of an underdog. The point was moot, however, since Allen was an immensely popular Senator and former Virginia governor, and appeared unbeatable. Some in the national Republican party had even crowned Allen as Bush's heir apparent and were touting him as a presidential candidate in 2008.

Whether Webb has succeeded in pulling off a major upset remains to be seen. Out of over 2.25 million votes cast, the Democrat held a lead of less than 2,000 as of 12:30 A.M. this morning. Whether he is able to maintain that lead remains to be seen, since an estimated 130,000 absentee ballots remain to be counted. Even after those numbers are in, recounts are certain to follow.