TOMORROW IN VIRGINIA'S SENATE PRIMARY, WEBB VS MILLER... OY

Four states have primaries tomorrow-- Maine, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia-- and there is only one race that anyone is paying any attention to at all, the Virginia Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by right-wing extremist George Allen. I hate this race. I hate everything about it. Except for the fact that either one of these guys would make a better senator than George Allen, who has already proven himself incompetent and unfit to hold office, I would wish they both lose!

Back in February when Jim Webb announced he would run I was optimistic enough to have done a positive story-- and to have even asked Adam to dress him up as some kind of superhero. As Webb's campaign against Harris Miller started unfolding it got so ugly so fast that I couldn't even look at it. I also started worrying that Webb might be harboring an inner Zell Miller than could come popping out at the most inopportune time-- like on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

I decided to take look at Miller, since several Democrats I know in the state were telling me what a great senator he would make. I participated in a conference call which was so dull and so boring and so devoid of anything remotely inspirational that I decided that our brethren in Virginia will have to be on their own on this one. Not that I haven't read-- and believed-- a plethora of really good things about each one of these men. It's just that the negativity has been so much louder and more shrill and insistent than anything positive that it just makes you wish the whole thing would just disappear. I just IM-ed my friend Brian in Alexandria and asked him who he's voting for. He's a die-hard Democrat. Here's the convo:

Howie: Who you voting for tomorrow?
Brian: There is nothing to vote for tomorrow here
Howie: Senate
Brian: Not here
Howie: Webb vs Miller... to find a Democratic challenger to George Allen
Brian: oh hmm
Howie: You didn't know that there's a senate race tomorrow?
Brian: No; its not in the papers or on the news

But the problem online is that the partisans of these two characters are EVERYWHERE, and loudly. Every morning when I check out Leftyblogs, there is more hysterical vituperation from Virginians towards either Webb or Miller than there is towards anyone else in all the states combined-- including Republicans! A few weeks ago I looked at a Virginia candidate running for the House and I had to look through the Virginia blogs again. Sickening! These were a few of the stand -out headlines I chanced upon: "Is Harris Miller the Anti- Christ? (from Virginia Centrist), "Miller to Wave the White Flag" (The Richmond Democrat), "Did Harris Miller Dodge the Draft?" (Raising Kaine), "Harris Miller, 'A Worm With Hair'" and "Harris MIller is a Lobbyist" and "Harris Miller is Conceited" (The Virginia Progressive), "Harris Miller Admits Crime On The Air" (Not Larry Sabato). And a couple days ago I read this one by a Miller supporter about Webb that was as sickening.

The negative advertising war started by some spoiled billionaire in California-- and then answered by eventual victor Phil Angelides-- was so horrible that California turn-out was severely depressed. In fact, some think that the miserable Democratic turn-out caused by the negative tone of the gubernatorial primary was the actual reason why Francine Busby lost her congressional race in San Diego. If the internet negativity war is indicative of a mass media war going on in Virginia now, it wouldn't surprise me if no one turns up at the polls tomorrow. If they do, I can't imagine who they're going to vote for.