The state of the Allen campiagn

The Washington Post has a decent article up about Allen’s effort to rally support among minorities after ‘macaca’. The article stresses the changing demographics in the Commonwealth and Allen’s minority outreach at a recent ‘ethnic event’ (the Post’s words, not mine). First off, having something called an ethnic event speaks volumes. I guess those private fundraisers held at country clubs are ‘white events’. Anyway, our boy George is on an image repair crusade but the affable bumpkin on horseback shtick is starting to wear thin; even for Republicans. From the Post:

Last week, as he has for years, Allen put on a cowboy hat and saddled up a horse -- this time named Bubba -- to ride in Buena Vista's annual Labor Day parade. Allen, who was born and raised in California, rode down the parade route greeting the Shenandoah Valley crowd by saying, "Howdy! How y'all doing? Good to see y'all."

When the image was broadcast, one longtime Allen supporter said he cringed. "Seeing him with a horse called Bubba wearing cowboy boots, that doesn't resonate with us," said Terone Green, a Republican activist from Richmond who is black.

Green added: "He needs to revamp his whole operation. . . . I have never seen it this bad. I have friends who are just so anti-[Allen] now."

Green’s point is dead on. After using a racial slur, the cowboy thing now comes across as cracker in cowboy boots rather than likable country boy. The polls are starting to reflect that.

But the larger point is that Allen is fast running out of campaign themes. The cowboy persona will help reinforce redneck image. Webb’s ad is stealing a bit of the ‘heir to Reagan’ storyline that Allen’s people like to propagate. His record is securely tied to support of Bush and the war, neither of which will help in this electoral environment. Webb has closed a 16 point gap two months ago to a statistical tie now. Allen’s only option from here on out is go negative in a big way. This campaign is about to get nasty…

UPDATE: I forgot to add that Allen and Webb are going to debate on Meet The Press this Sunday. Should be interesting.