Virginia Senate races take a few bizarre turns

NORFOLK — What do Elizabeth Taylor, Oliver North and S.R. Sidarth have in common? They are all unlikely characters in the sometimes-bizarre political play that is the campaign for the U.S. Senate in Virginia.

Miss Taylor choked on a chicken bone at a campaign event for then-husband John W. Warner in 1978.

Mr. North, of Iran-Contra notoriety, lost a bid in 1994 for a Virginia seat in a race that inspired a documentary.

And, if it weren’t for Mr. Sidarth, a college student, “macaca” would still be an obscure term.

Those oddball events were only a warm-up act for the circuslike final weeks of this year’s Senate campaign between Sen. George Allen and James H. Webb Jr., a Democrat.

Mr. Allen, a Republican who today will tour the state by airplane, yesterday received the endorsement of more than a dozen black church leaders from Hampton Roads. He also greeted voters with Rep. J. Randy Forbes, Virginia Republican. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani will campaign with the senator Monday.

Mr. Webb, who will spend the weekend with prominent state Democrats stumping for votes in far Southwest Virginia, yesterday attended a college rally with state lawmakers and a “Women for Webb” luncheon with black church members in Norfolk.

In 2000, Mr. Webb, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat, endorsed Mr. Allen. Now, the men are locked in a tight — and bitter — race that could decide control of the Senate Tuesday night.

Sexy novels, accusations of racism and manhandling campaign volunteers are some of the most pressing concerns in this race, despite Mr. Allen and Mr. Webb imploring voters to stay focused on the issues.

The race was strange from the beginning, as Mr. Allen visited early presidential primary states last spring when he enjoyed a more than 30-point lead.

Mr. Webb, a Vietnam War veteran and best-selling author, wasn’t sure he wanted to be a politician, but liberal bloggers pushed to recruit him in hopes that his military background and past Republican credentials would be key to unseating Mr. Allen.

Now, Mr. Allen’s gaffes have helped Mr. Webb take a slight lead in most polls.

Longtime followers of Virginia politics shake their heads at the closeness and strangeness of the race that had been expected to be a breeze for Mr. Allen.

For Mr. Allen, the campaign changed at an event Aug. 11, when he pointed to Mr. Sidarth, an Indian-American, and called him “macaca.”

Mr. Allen said he didn’t mean to use the term known in some cultures as a racial slur. He said he made it up and apologized. But, he kept apologizing, a move that prompted much scrutiny.

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