Deeds Keeps Distance from Obama.. Well Sometimes

It depends on his audience, but Democrat Creigh Deeds is keeping his distance from the unpopular, at least in Virginia, Obama.

Deeds refused to wrap his arms around Barack Obama in the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate Thursday, even as his campaign had featured the president in radio advertisements. In the latest installment in an ongoing series of direct contradictions, Deeds is seeking to appeal to Obama supporters as he simultaneously appeals to those who are dissatisfied with the president.

“Passing up the opportunity to embrace the president, Deeds hesitated before addressing questions from moderator David Gregory, host of NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ on whether he would identify himself as an ‘Obama Democrat,’ reported Politico. “After initially trying to explain that he has tried to avoid such labels, Deeds said, ‘I like Barack Obama personally. He’s a smart guy, he’s an innovative guy.’

“But asked again if he would label himself an ‘Obama Democrat,’ Deeds paused and then offered, ‘I’m a Creigh Deeds Democrat.’”

However, following an early August rally and fundraising event headlined by Obama, Deeds clipped portions of the president’s speech for use in a radio advertisement.

In the spot, Obama says that he and Deeds are “cut from the same cloth” and describes the candidate as “somebody who has that same vision for the Commonwealth.”

“It must be very difficult to be Creigh Deeds right now and figure out which character he is supposed to be playing each day,” said Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins. “One day he supports Cap-and-Trade, but the next day he doesn’t. On another day he supports collective bargaining for law enforcement officers, but the next day he doesn’t. Now he’s even schizophrenic on whether or not he likes the president from his own political party. You really have to stay on top of things to figure out where he is on any given issue – moment to moment.”