Shame on VA

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1126781,00.html?cnn=yes

2 questions:

1) how bad IS this dude's voice? and why would this be a detriment to his campaign - after all, isn’t it the red-staters who want someone "real", someone they'd wanna have a beer with such as one of their own down-home country folk? the Anti-Kennedy? wouldn’t they wrap their arms around someone SO down-homey, or has Virginia just decided to be ashamed of themselves for NOT sounding like the left-coast elitists? I'd be ashamed if I didnt already have so much to be ashamed myself.

2) since when did Baptists take Communion? or does "communion" here mean "handled snakes"?