MEGHAN MCCAIN: There are many reasons I am excited about last night's barn-burner election results in the Virginia governor's ...
MEGHAN MCCAIN: There are many reasons I am excited about last night's barn-burner election results in the Virginia governor's race. First and foremost it is a clean, direct repudiation of the insanity that has overtaken school boards in Virginia, especially the divisive, toxic and dangerous agenda that is Critical Race Theory.
And it is a devastating kill shot for a Democratic party that has gone so far off track from where normal, rational mainstream Americans currently are. There is truly no way for anyone to spin this any other way (although just a quick glance at Twitter will show that some of the most radical characters on the left are already trying).
It will take weeks to completely unpack the autopsy of this race but as we begin to peel back the onion a little bit on what happened last night one of the most striking factors was the glaring absence of President Trump.
Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin could not be more a different personality to President Trump. He is a congenial, calm-spoken, everyman. A former vestry server at the Holy Trinity Church in McLean, VA who has been married to the same woman since 1995 and has four children. In fact the best thing I can say about him is that he reminds me of the beloved children's television host Mr Rogers.
Yes, he is also a fabulously wealthy and accomplished businessman but quite frankly that barely registered with me while he was running because he focused so clearly on the meat-and-potatoes issues impacting Virginia voters.
He could not be further away from the proudly bloviating, self-aggrandizing, crass, immoral adulterer our former President Trump is.
Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin could not be more a different personality to President Trump. He is a congenial, calm-spoken, everyman. A former vestry server at the Holy Trinity Church in McLean, VA who has been married to the same woman since 1995 and has four children. In fact the best thing I can say about him is that he reminds me of the beloved children's television host Mr Rogers
I was initially skeptical about Glenn Youngkin, as I am with all Republican candidates coming up in this season. I cannot help wondering how Trumpy will they contort themselves into being and how far they will debase their principles at the altar of the Cheeto Jesus. Pictured: Youngkin with his wife Suzanne at an election-night rally at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles
Trump acolytes will never appeal to me and never have my respect. And that not only goes for me, look at what happened in the suburbs in Virginia. One of the reasons Trump lost the general election was because he repelled so many 'soccer moms', the college-educated backbone of our suburbs. Yet yesterday they flipped on the Democrats in droves and swung behind Youngkin
I was initially skeptical about Glenn Youngkin, as I am with all Republican candidates coming up in this season. I cannot help wondering how Trumpy will they contort themselves into being and how far they will debase their principles at the altar of the Cheeto Jesus.
I am a lifelong, hard-core conservative who is only becoming more and more enraged by the sheer insanity of the progressive Left. However I also still believe character, ethics and morality are of baseline importance in American politics. And, as conservatives, we should never have let that go and that we should fight to bring it back into public life.
Trump acolytes will never appeal to me and never have my respect. And that not only goes for me, look at what happened in the suburbs in Virginia. One of the reasons Trump lost the general election was because he repelled so many 'soccer moms', the college-educated backbone of our suburbs.
Yet yesterday they flipped on the Democrats in droves and swung behind Youngkin.
That was why so many liberal journalists were last night doing what they have been doing throughout the campaign and trying to tie Glenn Youngkin to Trump in any way they could. Olivia Nuzzi of New York magazine even compared the way women were dressed at the Youngkin victory party to a Trump victory party - which was not just grasping at straws but horrendously sexist. Can you imagine if a male FoxNews reporter had said that about Democrat women?
In fact Youngkin and his campaign walked a very fine balancing-act in relation to how closely they wanted to be identified with President Trump. And, as even the Washington Post noted today, that balancing act paid off.
President Biden campaigned with Terry McAuliffe, who lost to Glenn Youngkin, a week before the election
Youngkin never publicly campaigned with President Trump and deflected questions about President Trump's more controversial opinions. It is reported that President Trump and Youngkin spoke on the phone throughout the campaign but that's pretty much the extent of the relationship we know about.
Basically the Youngkin tactic was never complain, never explain about Trump. Don't have a scorched-earth approach but never be seen in public or on the stump with him either.
It is actually a pretty brilliant tactic because Youngkin got the best of both worlds. Trump didn't turn his supporters against him and Youngkin didn't get too spattered with fake tan.
Instead Youngkin made it all local, and decided to focus on the actual issues impacting real voters. Who knew that would work?
It proved that as much as the liberal media wants to make everything and anything GOP-related about Trump, the American public have moved on.
Youngkin's election result is a direct repudiation of the insanity that has overtaken school boards in Virginia, especially the divisive, toxic and dangerous agenda that is Critical Race Theory. Pictured: Parents at a fiery Loudoun County School Board meeting on Tuesday called for the superintendent's resignation at a school board meeting. More than 60 irate parents and one student attended the meeting
They see where this conductorless train is headed under Biden and the progressive radicals who have infiltrated our education systems as they try to brainwash our children.
So as Republicans celebrate today, this should be their takeaway. We can win the mid-terms and win 2024 without Trump or one of his spawn.
Glenn Youngkin and his team of strategists and communications experts have just given us the blueprint. All we need to do now is not screw it up.
Trump's fabled base don't need winding up by their master. Their loathing of Biden is all the motive they need to keep chanting 'Let's go Brandon' and showing up at the polls.
Moderate conservatives who cannot stomach Trump no longer have a reason not to vote Republican.
And neither do sensible Democrats who cannot stomach their party's incurable and institutionalised wokery. This is our sweet spot.
Today is the first real optimism I have felt for the re-emergence of a true conservative party without the attachment of the ball and chain that is Trump and his fading brand for years.
Because Virginia proves we can win without him.
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