McAuliffe gets scant support from Obama’s backers in Va.

Democratic officials in Virginia who endorsed Barack Obama in his epic 2008 primary battle with Hillary Rodham Clinton have given scant support to Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial bid.

A survey by The Hill shows that McAuliffe has not attracted many officials who lead the Democratic political infrastructure in Virginia, despite his four years at the helm of the Democratic National Committee. There is an especially strong trend away from McAuliffe among political insiders who backed Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary.

{mosads}The survey of Democratic mayors, party officials, state delegates, senators and county board members who backed Obama show an overwhelming preference for Brian Moran.

The trend raises the question of whether McAuliffe is suffering political repercussions for his diehard support for Clinton in the contentious primary, which dragged on until June of last year.

The Hill found that 44 state officials who backed Obama in 2008 are now in Moran’s camp. Only 19 state officials who backed Obama over Clinton now favor McAuliffe.

Moran has done everything to capitalize on whatever resentments may still simmer among Obama supporters.

The candidate has sent out a new campaign brochure highlighting an appearance McAuliffe made on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” last June in which he proclaimed: “Kiss my a–, Barack.”

Moran also has run a radio ad over the last several weeks reminding voters of the awkward moment in comedy.

Pixie Bell, secretary of the Virginia Democratic Party, said that McAuliffe’s unyielding support for Clinton is one of several complaints about him among Democrats who sided early with Obama.

“They sort of took their own sweet time in dropping out, when anyone who could count could see that he [Obama] had the votes,” she said of the Clinton campaign.

Bell, who endorsed Obama over Clinton and has endorsed Moran, said that McAuliffe has salved some of those bruised feelings by hiring many of Obama’s old campaign workers. Hiring Obama field people “has obviously been to his benefit,” she said.

McAuliffe’s campaign did not return requests for comment.

Political experts in Virginia say that Obama supporters no doubt remember McAuliffe’s role in the 2008 primary but debate how much of an impact it will have among voters.

“McAuliffe was the most adamant Hillary Clinton supporter in the country,” said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “Of course, some of the most devoted Obama supporters remember that and resent it.”

Peter Rousselot, the Arlington Democratic Committee Chairman, who pressed for Clinton to concede her race against Obama, said that resentment lingers, though he questioned whether it would have much impact on the race for governor.

{mosads}“I think that there might be some people who feel that way, but I have no way to measure if that’s a significant factor,” he said.

Rousselot, who backs Moran, said that public officials may be have been slow to endorse McAuliffe because he is seen as an outsider who focused his career on federal politics in Washington.

“I think the chatter has been more along the lines of the fact that the other two candidates besides McAuliffe have spent a long time in Virginia politics, active in politics,” he said.

Twelve state officials who backed Obama last year now support state Sen. Creigh Deeds, who is leading McAuliffe and Moran in the polls.

Political experts said it is not very surprising that Deeds trails Moran badly in endorsements by officials who backed Obama in ’08. Deeds represents rural central Virginia, while Moran hails from Northern Virginia, the Democratic hub made up of Washington’s sub- and exurbs.

Moran, a former state delegate, also used to serve as the chairman of the Democratic caucus in Virginia’s State House.

But McAuliffe, who served as Democratic Party chairman from 2001 to 2005, likewise had close proximity to Northern Virginia’s political establishment. He also had the opportunity to support party-building efforts in the state.

But Michael McDonald, a political science professor at George Mason University, noted that Moran and Deeds have had years to concentrate on building relationships with state party officials.

“First of all, McAuliffe is an outsider who will not generate as many endorsements as Moran and Deeds,” said McDonald. “They built up relationships with elected officials over a long period of time.”

He also noted that Moran comes from Northern Virginia, where most state Democrats live.

But he added that McAuliffe’s association with Clinton probably doesn’t help him with Obama’s staunchest supporters.