George,

I am still wavering, but lean very slightly toward Creigh Deeds, and most emphatically away from Terry McAuliffe, the opportunist. I had thought Brian Moran worthwhile because he supports equal rights for gays, lesbians and transgendered people, an important public matter for me, while Creigh voted for the odious Defense of Marriage Act of a few years ago.

But I read that all three candidates would refuse to allow prisoners from Guantánamo into Virginia, for the most specious reason of "public safety." For Pete's sake! Is it likely the "detainees" -- read, tortured prisoners -- would be incarcerated down the street in some local jail? Far more likely they would be sent to the "super-max" prison in Colorado, where some pretty hard cases have been thrown down a very deep hole? This is demagoguery from and sheer cowardice in all three. I wonder what it bodes -- I hope not an equally fearful electorate -- and may decide not to cast a ballot for the gubernatorial nominee. I would like to be persuaded to do otherwise, and will read closely your site in the next few days.

Mike Signer has begun to look like the more interesting candidate for lieutenant-governor. I liked Jody Wagner and still do, and won't be sorry if she wins; but I rather hope we'll choose Signer. I used to read him when he wrote for the blog Democracy Arsenal, and think his work on national security issues and his study of demagoguery in America would cause him to be much smarter and more sensible than the gubernatorial candidates seem to be right now. He's no fear-monger.

Aren't we tired of being afraid?

I don't know if Signer has spoken about the Guantánamo prisoners.

However, I've read the position paper issued by Third Way, the think tank where he is Senior National Security Policy Fellow (whew!), and would suppose he helped write it. The paper, which can be downloaded here, is clear and convincing, to me at least, in its support of Pres. Obama's decision to close the Cuban prison and try the prisoners in the US, and incarcerate those found guilty in the Colorado maximum security facility.

My point, over all, is that I prefer clear, informed thinking leading to sensible action of the more progressive sort. But we're coming into the silly season again, and I suppose evidence of good sense will be in short supply in most quarters.

Katherine McNamara (Electronic mail, June 5, 2009)