It's Official: Virginia Has Caught the DEEDS FEVER

"The Man Named Creigh" rockets ahead in polls

We thought there'd never be another poll. We knew that the dynamics of the Virginia Democratic primary race could be changing, but a 10-day drought of new polls delayed confirmation. But today we have two new polls, and all that can be said is...

....DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDS!

NBC Washington has been predicting a surge in the polls from longtime third-place candidate Creigh Deeds for weeks now, for two reasons: (1) He's been coming across as the more mature, prepared candidate ever since the struggle between Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe took sharply negative, snippy turns over the course of the last month, and, more importantly, (2) the Washington Post stunningly endorsed Deeds a week ago last Friday.

And even these days, if an electorate manages to be just apathetic enough, a print newspaper's endorsement can still have a major impact -- especially in northern Virginia, from which the more conservative Deeds expected little-to-no support.

The first of today's polls, from Public Policy Polling, shows Deeds in the lead at 27 percent, McAuliffe in second at 24 percent and Moran in third at 22 percent. Compare that to PPP's previous poll from 10 days earlier, which showed Moran and Deeds with 20 percent each and McAuliffe with 29 percent. (Terry McAuliffe is very rich!)

The second poll comes from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) and pits Deeds at 27 percent, McAuliffe at 26 percent and -- what is this -- BRIAN MORAN at 29 percent? Who cares about that guy! But, again, looking at the change from the last GQR poll one month ago, Deeds rose nine percentage points, McAuliffe fell five and Moran stayed flat.

It's all about the trends, with these polls, and they clearly favor Deeds. But can this country yokel, this Deeds, put together an ENDGAME?

Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.

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