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Wilder Card

Politico has the not terribly surprising news that Doug Wilder has decided to stay out of Virginia's governors race--which is an implicit rebuke of the Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds. I say this isn't terribly surprising because Wilder has a history of doing this sort of thing to his fellow Virginia Democrats.

In 1994 he made things uncomfortable for Virginia Senator Chuck Robb by running against him as an independent (before ultimately dropping out shortly before the election). And in 1997 he refused to endorse Don Beyer in the governor's race, which helped put Republican Jim Gilmore in office. Even when Wilder does endorse Virginia Democrats, he tends to make them sweat while they wait for his approval, as he did with Tim Kaine four years ago.

As Wilder has demonstrated many times over his long career, he revels in his irascibility--not to mention the headlines that tend to result from it. I'm sure he's enjoying himself right now.