Cuccinelli Picks Up Endorsement of Democrat Strategist

The Roanoke Times via the Richmond Times Dispatch reports this morning that Attorney General and GOP Nominee for Governor Ken Cuccinelli has picked up the endorsement of "smash-mouth Democratic strategist" Dave "Mudcat" Saunders.  Sanders was credited with helping then Democrat candidate for Governor Mark Warner burnish his rural "sportsmen" creds even though he is a Conneticutt yankee, on the way to winning the 2001 election.  Unlike GOP stratigist Boyd Marcus, who has signed on to the McAuliffe campaign for money, Saunders is not taking a paid position with the Cuccinelli campaign.

“I’m not on the payroll,” Saunders said. “No, I’m not Boyd Marcus. I’m a Democrat.”

Saunders does not like McAuliffe's "corporatist" background.

“What these corporatists have done to us in rural America and in urban America," Saunders said in a telephone interview. “I can’t support a corporatist. I just can’t. This guy is not my kind of Democrat.”

It could also be Saunders does not like McAuliffe's stated support for gun control, something that he worked very hard to get Warner to avoid.

Will this get Cuccinelli a lot of votes?  Probably as many as the Marcus endorsement is going to get McAuliffe.  But it does provide them with something to throw back when people start talking about Republicans endorsing McAuliffe.