Posted on 11/09/2017 9:22:32 AM PST by Kaslin
In the race to succeed Clinton-era sleazebag Terry McAuliffe as governor of Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam managed to hold serve for his party in a state that has gone blue in the last three presidential elections, boasts two Democratic senators, and, well, has the ignominious distinction of somehow electing Clinton-era sleazebag Terry McAuliffe as governor four years ago.
In other words, Democrats did what they were widely expected to do, and yet this week's news cycle is bound to be full of liberals crowing about how they’re about to sweep Congress in 2018 based on the fact that they managed to win two states, Virginia and New Jersey, that Hillary Clinton won handily in 2016.
*golf clap*
Should we give them a participation trophy?
But seriously, let’s give Democrats a little credit here. They did manage to run a somewhat sane, non-pajama-boy (hellooo Jon Ossoff), reasonably mainstream candidate who was a veteran to boot, even if his war stories strained credulity. And even then, they felt the need to drive minority voters to the polls by lying to them about Gillespie’s “truck-brigade” just revving up for an opportunity to run over some hapless Hispanic kids the day after the election, or something.
As sad as the fact may be, it may have ended up making a difference. Fox News wrote, “Northam won with the support of federal government employees and non-white voters, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis.”
Which, incidentally, almost solely explains Virginia’s historic shift from Red to Blue over the past decade. But such demographic shifts don’t necessarily spell doom for Republicans in all “blue” states. The politically-incorrect key, besides obviously trying to enlighten as many minority voters as possible to the common sense values of conservatism, is winning over a high enough percentage of the “white working-class” to tip the scales.
“However can we possibly do that?” clueless Establishment Republicans ask, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the man their ‘principles’ compel them to oppose at all costs actually did it in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania by espousing trade policies that would actually help these folks.
Predictably, liberals and even conservative sufferers of Trump-Derangement-Syndrome were quick to make this election a referendum on the president. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) tweeted, “Dear @realDonaldTrump: It's morning in South Korea. Wanted to let you know Virginia voters rejected your views & your endorsed candidate in a bigly way. They elected Ralph Northam. Cheers.”
The “conservative” quislings were led by former CIA operative and Goldman Sachs employee, and Trump presidential opponent Evan McMullen, who wants you to believe that allowing Democrats to win elections is a good thing, because Trump!
In an astonishing charge with absolutely zero proof behind it, McMullen tweeted that Gillespie “was one of the good guys, but now he peddles fear and white nationalism. It’s better for VA and America that he not prevail.”
To which Fox News’ Brit Hume responded, “This is what the never-Trump movement is becoming — a cheering section against Republicans.”
Hell, the insanity was even too much for former #NeverTrump leader Erick Erickson, who wrote, “I've wanted to say NeverTrump died with the election, but there really are Republicans now who'd cheer on the devil if Trump said he believed in God.”
So sure, RINO Republicans gonna RINO. It’s a thing, and it’s been going on since long before Trump first announced his candidacy. But we don’t need them to win, as history clearly shows.
Far from embracing Trump, Gillespie did his best to skirt the line between outright alignment with the president and embracing a few of the issues, like sanctuary cities and Confederate statues, that Trump’s base and many other conservatives hold dear. To say Gillespie was full-on Trump is a deceptively false narrative meant to portray Trumpism’s key points - particularly immigration and trade - as losing issues.
Despite the fact that those issues literally won a presidential election and a Congressional sweep just one year ago.
Shortly after the results, Trump himself tweeted, “Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!”
So, does the defeat of two Republicans in two blue states signal the end of Trumpism as an electoral winner? Hardly.
Don’t get me wrong - I would have loved the opportunity to stick it in their faces had Ed Gillespie somehow managed to overcome the massive demographic shifts that allowed Hillary Clinton to win by almost six percentage points just last year.
But alas, it was not to be.
However, the rumors of Trumpism’s demise are greatly, greatly exaggerated.
The biggest problem I foresee for the GOP in the next 1-2 years is an utter lack of enthusiasm by their base and by "Deplorable" voters.
Let the Rats think they’ve got Trump now.
They always overplay their hand.
Does Trump win everywhere? No, but in some instances, there is not even a ballot with his name on it in contention.In New Jersey, neither Trump nor Christie were on the ballot, but that is who the Democrat was running against. The mention of the actual Re;publican candidate was almost an afterthought.
In Virginia, Ed Gillespie started almost too late getting his head into the game, all the while running AWAY from Donald Trump, for whatever good that did for him. Now, Trump or any other Republican is not going to make much of a dent on the Northern Virginia counties, given that they house a goodly number of the various denizens of the Deep State, and many have been genuinely fearful of loss of their jobs or worse, should a stronger Republican presence make itself felt. Clearly, they were voting an almost pure self-interest.
Trumps enemies are not Democrats, The Democrat Party is imploding, to political death caused by self inflicted wounds. Trumps problems are McConnell, McCain, Corker, Flake, etc.
Ed Gillespie caused his own defeat by rebuffing Trump support. Bringing in G. W. Bush and Mitch McConnell was his political death knell, since 700,000 voters that cast ballots supporting Trump in 2016....sat on their hands, stayed home and did not vote for Gillespie or, they cast their votes for the Democrat, Ralph Northam.
Northam is an accomplished candidate though.
No. They signal the end of the RINOs!
As soon as I heard that Ed Gillespie had won the GOP nomination in Virginia I figured that race was a lost cause. I mean — can you think of anyone who generates less enthusiasm than a guy like that who has been a political figure for his entire life? Running that guy is like dragging Walter Mondale out for another run in Minnesota. LOL.
After reading FR posts on this issue, there was high voter turnout in northern Virginia where a considerable number of left-supporting government and media people who work in D.C. live. So the election results are probably no surprise to people familiar with Virginia.
Corrections, insights welcome.
The RINO Christie had already sold the GOP brand down the river in NJ and tainted it so much that the Dim governor candidate never really had any competition.
In Virginia Gillespie was no “Trumpian” candidate and instead not being one he did not energize the GOP base enough, while the Dims got away with playing the race card against him with their usual stack of race card lies.
Is the decline in the number of votes due to low voter turnout overall? Historically off year elections have lower turnout than presidential years.
Well that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
I agree.
My liberal friends are not as excited by it as you would think. They are actually saying the same thing that is here.
If I am reading these results correctly they lost because they were ESTABLICHMENT RINO’S who did NOT embrace Trump.
“the defeat of two Republicans in two blue states”
That really says it all. Neither state went red in 2016. Why would they now? But the Dems aren’t missing an opportunity.
And the illegal voters.
I saw first-hand how that is accomplished.
A group of illegals come in the polling place. One guy, white guy, has a stack of letters and such.
The illegals are all wearing worn-out clothes and can’t speak a word of English. Not. A. Word.
When one of their names is called, the white guy speaks spanish to a guy, hands him a letter with his name on it and having a local address, and the guy has another piece of paper handed to him with the names of the “approved” candidates.
Illegal votes and then waits for the others to vote.
Illegal voters, spanish-speaking only (and to be a US citizen you MUST speak English, unless you are old when you emigrate).
Virginia will never vote in a republican as long as illegals vote.
Convicted felons voted, government employees voted, illegals voted, immigrants voted....the left stacked the deck. And the Bushs made certain Trump would be seen as a cad. Not that Ed would have been a man on his feet (too long under the bush to learn to stand)
Immigrants! Don’t Vote for What You Fled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10uX2EhSflA
George Washington’s hair would turn white in knowing what his namesake has become.
Great post! Except for the last sentence: “Clearly, they were voting an almost pure self-interest.” Doesn’t everybody do that? I know I do.
As a “good Republican” ... would you get out of your comfortable chair and go vote for John McCain ... because he is a Republican? No, we’re all tired of the RINOS and frankly people aren’t going to vote ... what difference would it make. You get a Democrat, you’re screwed. You get a Rino republican, you’re screwed. Pass the popcorn and turn on Nexflix ... and that’s what’s happening!
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