Creigh Deeds is, by most measures, fading in the Virginia governor’s race. Two polls show him trailing Republican Bob McDonnell by double digits with two weeks to go. So Deeds is pulling out his trump card. He’s released an ad with Barack Obama, touting Deeds at a campaign event earlier this year. The ad directly connects Obama’s victory in Virginia in 2008 to Deeds’ campaign – the Deeds sign at the end of the ad even has the same font and style as an Obama sign.

Deeds has tried to distance himself from Obama throughout the campaign, making this ad curious. In addition, in last night’s gubernatorial debate, Deeds said that he would consider opting Virginia out of a public option if he had the opportunity (one of the public option compromises includes a state opt-out). That’s not going to endear him to liberals and progressives who he’ll need in large numbers to overcome McDonnell’s clear advantage, regardless of this ad.

UPDATE: Deeds is now trying to backpedal on his support for having Virginia opt out of the public option.

Like President Obama, Creigh Deeds is committed to reducing health care costs and providing coverage for the 1.1 million Virginians without insurance. If the public option proves to be the best way to reach those objectives, he’d support having Virginia participate. He’ll examine all of the proposals on the table and choose the option than provides Virginians with the most affordable and quality coverage.

Creigh’s approach is eminently more responsible that Bob McDonnell’s. Last night, McDonnell put ideology ahead of Virginia’s best interests when he said he’d oppose a public option – which he previously said would cause a “government takeover” of health care — even if it’s proven the best way to control health care costs.

That’s kind of a non-clarification clarification. Deeds doesn’t address the opt out specifically, setting up an if/then and then pivoting to attacking Bob McDonnell.