Now, longtime followers of the House of Representatives remember Virgil Goode as a Democrat who turned far-right Republican and then got swept out of the House
He's back. The Virginia State Board of Elections ruled this morning that Goode will be on the ballot competing with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for Virginians' presidential votes.
The Republican Party tried frantically to disqualify Goode, to no avail:
“Congressman Goode is on the ballot and his name was drawn to occupy the third position on the presidential ballot,” said Virginia SBE spokeswoman Nikki Sheridan. “The allegations of petition fraud against the Constitution Party have been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for investigation.”
Is this a reason to be happy? Disenchanted conservatives might pick Goode over Romney. Probably not more than to give Goode single-digits in the final tally, but possibly enough to make the distance between Romney and President Obama insurmountable.
A possible downside is Goode might get conservatives who'd otherwise stay home to vote. That could have consequences in the Kaine-Allen senate race, though it is possible committed conservatives would be coming out for Allen anyway.
Virginia just got another step closer to voting Democratic in two consecutive presidential elections. Now the challenge is to get the vote out.