David āMudcatā Saunders, a veteran Democratic Party strategist, said Monday that he is backing Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) in theĀ Virginia governorās raceĀ over Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe because of economic justice issues.
Saunders said he disagrees with Cuccinelliās stance on social issues but prefers him over McAuliffe because McAuliffe is too much a product of big business and politics.
āIām a friend of Ken Cuccinelliās and I hope he wins,ā Saunders said. āIām a Democrat, and not a corporatist. I donāt support corporatist candidates.ā
Saunders laughed off a question about whether he would make a formal endorsement of Cuccinelli ā āI donāt think anybody cares who I endorseā ā and said they argue about Cuccinelliās views on abortion and gay rights.
But Saunders, who has specialized in helping Democrats reach independent and moderate voters in rural and suburban areas, said he hoped Cuccinelli wins because of his views of economic fairness.
āPeople want to know why all these big business people are jumping behind McAuliffe. Itās not because of social issues, itās because of economic fairness,ā Saunders said in a telephone interview.
Saunders, who often referred to Cuccinelli by his nickname, āCooch,ā also said he believes CuccinelliāsĀ ethical recordĀ is stronger than McAuliffeās.
