Another dirty election: So what else is new?

Is Virginia for Haters? 

By THOMAS B. EDSALL, NYT

This year’s gubernatorial election in Virginia represents politics at its worst. So says Jonathan Chait, New York magazine columnist. He describes the race as the “most depressing election in America,” giving voters a choice between “Republican nutjob Ken Cuccinelli or soulless Democratic hack Terry McAuliffe.”

Not to be outdone, Time magazine headlined its story: “The Dirtiest, Nastiest, Low-Down Campaign In America: Cuccinelli vs. McAuliffe.”

There is however, another way to look at the upcoming Virginia off-year election: as a unique proving ground for two of the most significant developments in contemporary politics — Republican intra-party schism and the critical role of campaign technology.

First, we have the gubernatorial nomination of Cuccinelli, exemplifying the widening rift within the Republican Party. The split pits the hard right wing, which argues that moderation leads to moral collapse, against the establishment wing, which is calling on candidates to mute discussion of social issues.

(More here.)