On the lack of statemanship in Virginia politics

R.H. Melton of the Washington Post describes in this item how, in the recent Republican primaries involving three Virginia senators, the incumbents "were accused, variously, of promoting sodomy, abortion, gun restrictions, higher taxes, general knavery and the destruction of the American family as we know it. And that was just the mail campaign. . . . There was a certain low comedy quality to much of the campaigning, as incumbents seemed very put out by defending their records (of all things!) and challengers hurt their own upstart causes with personal attacks that seemed designed more to deflate voter turnout than to actually rally supporters to the polls." Melton concludes, "[A]s a harbinger of the edgy politics to come -- and a nostalgic reminder of a more statesmanlike past -- the primary election season was one for the record books, and not for Republicans only."