Cuccinelli Becoming More Moderate in Light of Gubernatorial Race

     In the most recent poll regarding the Governor race in Virginia, polls show a tight race. Right now the polls lean toward the Democratic candidate McAuliffe, but not by much. In this link, a piece written on Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli, there is evidence that Cuccinelli is becoming more moderate in order to gain those very important median/moderate votes. Five years ago, he signed on for a bill that would essentially eliminate abortion as an option in Virginia as well as prohibit some kinds of birth control. This is seen as an extreme right view. A few weeks ago, Cuccinelli discussed his policy toward this issue and claimed he never backed the legislation six years ago and that the government should play no role in prohibiting contraception.
    Cuccinelli likely said these things because he recognizes the value of the moderate voters in the upcoming election. With such a strong stance on abortion/contraceptives, he does not appeal to the moderate voters, but only those who are extreme right. His vote maximizing choice to potentially alienate the extreme right in favor of gaining the moderate voters may be a beneficial strategy. It will be interesting to see how the election turns out, and how Cuccinelli responds to future bills on abortion rights if elected. As we also discussed in class, politicians are quick to say things along the campaign trail in order to get them elected, but often revert to policy stances they particularly prefer while in office.