Bill Clinton stumps for McAuliffe in Va. campaign push

Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday that Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) could be hurt by conservative ideologues in the Nov. 5 election. 

“Just remember, the people who aren’t here today, who go to the other fella’s rally, they will be there on Election Day,” Clinton said, according to the Associated Press. “I’ve dealt with it all my life.”

A week after Clinton’s wife, the former first lady, stumped for McAuliffe in Virginia, the former president kicked off a four-day series of campaign events with McAuliffe on Sunday in Dale City, Va. 

McAuliffe and Republican challenger Ken Cuccinelli have a little more than a week remaining before Election Day.

Recent polls suggest McAuliffe could defeat Cuccinelli, Virginia’s attorney general. Turnout, however, is expected to be low that Tuesday. 

If McAuliffe wins, he would replace outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), and would be the first Democratic governor in Virginia since now-Sen. Tim Kaine (D) left the governor’s mansion in 2010. 

The former Democratic National Committee chairman has close ties to the Clintons. McAuliffe co-chaired the former president’s successful 1996 reelection bid, and ran Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign. 

At the event Sunday, Bill Clinton was somewhat optimistic about McAuliffe’s chances, arguing the recent behavior of right-wing Republicans could help. 

“Political extremism does have one political virtue,” Clinton said. “Once you get people all torn up and upset, steam coming out of their ears, people will show up and vote.”