If Tim Kaine is selected as Hillary's VP and they win in November...

[heatcharger]

McAullife needs to pick the candidate with the best shot at dispatching Cuccinelli or Comstock, both in 2017 and 2018, and that's either Gerry Connolly or Mark Herring to me.

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Oh god.

[heatcharger]

I guess the republican establishment will (try) to nominate Barbara Comstock is she's reelected?

They will definitely try, because NOVA, woman, etc. But that's why VA-10 is such an important house race because Comstock's political future is on the line.

[heatcharger]

McAuliffe wants to move into the Senate himself

Yeah the Governor → Senator pipeline has been pretty consistent considering George Allen, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine. I bet McDonnell would've tried to run in 2014 before the corruption stuff. If McAullife is to follow the trend, I think he'll appoint someone he knows will step aside in 2018, but I don't think that's a good idea quite honestly.

[heatcharger]

Congratulations, future Senator Dave Brat.

That's probably one person that would not win statewide, even in an off-year.

Perhaps. After Scott Brown, 2010, and 2014 midterms I am deeply cynical about elections after a Democrat wins.

Same, but VA Democrats won't get caught napping like MA Democrats. They are surprisingly competent. Plus, until Republicans find a way to stop bleeding in NOVA, they just won't be winning any statewide elections.

[heatcharger]

Republicans easily win Virginia in off years. Just ask Gov. Cuccinelli and Sen. Gillespie.

Bolling could have beat McAuliffe, Cooch is just too conservative to run statewide (in 2009 he won with McDonnell's coattails, and NOVA has grown since). Gillespie was practically ignored and everyone was shocked to see him overperform polling. People expected Warner to win in a landslide like in 2008, but if the NRSC knew Gillespie was secretly campaigning strong, they could have helped give him the final push.

Yeah a lot of those people were Democrats, who forgot to show up. This says more about the Warner campaign than it does about Gillespie or the relative strength of Republicans in the state.

[heatcharger]

Like how 2002 was a Democratic wave and 1998 was a Republican wave?

1994, 2006, 2010, and pretty much 2014. That's 4 out of the last 6 midterms being waves, so it's fair to think there's a chance 2018 will be a wave. Though I think Republicans have maxed out in the House, and in terms of the Senate, yeah there are some seats they could pick off, but they will be very close, unlike a lot of the seats they picked up in 2010 and 2014.