Libertarian Robert Sarvis, center, could pull votes away from Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, which could help Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right. <\/p>\n
STORY HIGHLIGHTS <\/p>\n
Washington (CNN) -- The Virginia governor's race has often been looked to as an off-year barometer of national political sentiment. <\/p>\n
This year's grind-it-out race, an acrimonious spitball contest between two candidates only slightly more likeable than Walter White, is anything but. <\/p>\n
In a lesser-of-two-evils campaign, Terry McAuliffe, the longtime Democratic fundraiser and confidante to former President Bill Clinton, is clinging to a modest but sturdy lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the state's attorney general. <\/p>\n
Republicans have pilloried McAuliffe as a sleazy political operator and failed businessman who exploited his Washington connections to help his sputtering car company, GreenTech Automotive. Cuccinelli has been targeted as a far-right social crusader who would curb abortion rights and access to contraception. Democrats on Twitter are fond of calling him #creepyken. <\/p>\n
McAuliffe is leading Cuccinelli among likely voters by an eight-point margin, 47% to 39%, according to a Washington Post poll out this week. <\/p>\n
McAuliffe is hardly bulletproof: A federal investigation into GreenTech has sullied his reputation, and only two-thirds of Democrats -- his own party -- consider him \"honest and trustworthy.\" <\/p>\n
But Cuccinelli is on much shakier ground. While Republicans are slightly more fired up about voting for him than Democrats are for McAuliffe, Cuccinelli's favorable ratings are next-to-toxic: More than half of likely voters view him unfavorably. <\/p>\n
Enter Robert Sarvis. <\/p>\n
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Libertarian threatens to spoil GOP hopes in Virginia<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Libertarian Robert Sarvis, center, could pull votes away from Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, which could help Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Washington (CNN) -- The Virginia governor's race has often been looked to as an off-year barometer of national political sentiment Continue reading