Republicans like winning for the sake of power, not policy. They are strategically brilliant about making promises their audiences are hungry to hear, without any intention of keeping those promises. Part of theIr strategy is to repeat a slogan over and over again creating an aura of truth to distract from the falsehoods they are spreading. Youngkin used this strategy when talking about ” critical race theory” being taught in schools. The Daily Beast in an article today described Youngkin as;
“a Carlyle Group private-equity guy worth an estimated $440 million, made a name for himself by opposing mask and vaccine mandates, questioning the 2020 presidential election results in calling for an audit of Virginia voting machines, opposing abortion, supporting transphobia, and misrepresenting the presence of critical race theory in Virginia schools. Youngkin also managed to attract more moderates by distancing himself a bit from former President Donald Trump optically, even though the two are almost completely aligned politically.”
Democrats need to get their act together before they squander the power they narrowly hold in all three branches of government. During one of the Virginia debates, Terry McAuliffe made a stupid statement about parents “not being able to tell schools what to teach.” It is true that credentialed educators and administrators qualified to develop the curriculum taught in schools. In reality, parents having input will not usurp the final decisions of educators in positions of authority. Parent demands to have age-appropriate, factual courses or books stricken from state curriculum because of their biases, preferences, fears, or religious beliefs will not super cede the majority opinion of professionals. However, parents should be allowed to have a voice in the discussion regarding curriculum content. Educational professionals will make the final decisions. McAuliffe should have said, ” We welcome every parent to share their opinions and concerns regarding the education of their children.”
Despite Youngkin’s win, Democrats must keep an eye on him and his alliance with the racist, insurrection-promoting Donald Trump. Those MAGA hats are intoxicating and Democrats must continue to tie candidates like Youngkin to Trump’s love of trying to overthrow the government and to reinstall himself as an unelected dictator. He lost big in both the electoral college and the popular vote and yet he is still able to rally millions of Americans to support the destruction of the foundation of democracy; the sanctity of the vote of the people.
It is short-sighted for Democrats to believe that reminding people of how dangerous, phony, and vile Trump is enough to defeat him. Trump’s sociopathic-like skill at lying and projecting his flaws and crimes onto others has served him well in politics so far. However, there are ongoing investigations into Trump for illegal business practices, attempts to illegally overturn the 2020 election, and inciting the Capitol insurrection that could destroy his political career or get him imprisoned. In a way, the DOJ and the courts remain our hope for a rescue from a man and a political party that is converting our democracy into a corruption Bolsanaro-Putin- like a dictatorship. If the move towards fascism continues, those who supported it will be the biggest losers of all.
