Posted on 11/04/2017 7:51:19 AM PDT by markomalley
Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) surprise decision Wednesday to say that he'd sign a bill outlawing sanctuary cities has triggered outrage from some Democrats, who fear Northam is fumbling Tuesday’s must-win race.
Democracy for America (DFA) announced that it’s pulling “direct aid” for Northam following his sanctuary city comments, although the group never officially endorsed his campaign. The progressive group called his campaign “racist,” accusing Northam’s camp of prioritizing swing voters over the party base.
Sanctuary cities don’t exist in Virginia, but they’ve been a dominant theme in the governor’s race thanks to attacks from Republican Ed Gillespie.
Republicans seized on Northam’s latest comments on sanctuary cities, characterizing them as a flip-flop. Northam voted against a similar bill in the state legislature, but he’s called that bill a “political game” and argued that he hasn’t changed his position on sanctuary cities and has been clear about his opposition. Northam said in a recent interview that he'd sign a bill banning sanctuary cities "if that bill comes to my desk."
In a tight off-year election where turnout is unpredictable, some Democrats vented frustration about the progressive group’s decision to go public five days before the critical race. Northam, who has accused Gillespie of a “fear mongering” campaign, once had a larger edge in a state that President Trump lost by 5 points in 2016. Now Democrats are worried about their prospects in what has become the only competitive statewide race of the year.
DFA defended its decision, saying the group had already ceased collecting data on Northam after news broke that his running mate, Justin Fairfax, was left off of campaign literature by the request of a union that hadn’t endorsed him.
“The reason why we’re standing up now is because we’ve been seeing this pattern of strategy by the Northam campaign to alienate the base, while trying to go over these mythological, swing-able Republican voters,” Charles Chamberlain, DFA’s executive director, told The Hill, in a Friday interview.
“We specifically spoke up because we’re worried about the outcome of this race. We are very afraid that he’s going to lose and that’s exactly why we spoke out because they have five days to course correct.”
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D), the founder of DFA who left the organization last November, broke with his former group, tweeting that it was a “destructive and foolish statement.”
And Northam’s campaign released a statement from state Del. Alfonso Lopez, who touted the lieutenant governor’s record on other immigration issues — a statement that DFA’s Chamberlain praised, telling The Hill that he should instead run on those positions in the race’s closing days.
“He knows the difference between real legislation and ‘dog whistle’ policies crafted only to instill fear and create division,” Lopez said in the statement about Northam. “He hasn’t changed his positions — he has always been consistent. And he has always been a consistent friend to the Latino and New American communities.”
The fallout from Northam’s sanctuary cities remark comes on the heels of a Democratic outside group pulling its controversial ad that earned heavy criticism. Northam’s campaign said it didn’t coordinate with Latino Victory Fund, but it took some heat for never disavowing the ad that featured minority children running away from a truck sporting a Confederate flag and Gillespie campaign bumper sticker chasing them down the street.
Latino Victory Fund pulled the ad a day after the truck terrorist attack in New York City, but still defended the spot. "We held a mirror up to the Republican Party, and they don’t like what they see,” LVF president Cristobal Alex said in a statement.
While the recent events are a blow to Northam’s momentum, some Democrats argue that most voters — particularly those who are undecided — are likely not paying attention to these developments in the race and are more aware of more prominent events, like the charges of three former Trump campaign aides in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“I think we can all quickly overplay the impact of this because we see it a lot in our email inbox but it’s not what voters are seeing and caring about, especially the undecided voters,” said a Democratic strategist with ties to Virginia.
“These are low information voters and the biggest deciding factor in their vote is going to be the approval of the president and the latest piece of information they got was the [former campaign chairman Paul] Manafort indictment.”
Did I read somewhere his poll numbers are tanking, most likely because of that repulsive ad is offending VA voters?
Endorse stupid ads, lose great prizes.
“Progressives”? What “progressives”? I don’t see no stinkin’ “progressives”! I see a lot of Leftist would-be tyrants trying to pull us into the REGRESSION of third-world dictatorship .
The “progressive” fumes are dying out, soon to be replaced by the restoration of America’s Free Constitutional Republic. “Progressives” can REGRESS back into their caves like their Islamic jihadist buddies.
We should all write him a letter of gratitude for the Redneck Rebel Kid Killer video.
That thing was an epic fail.
The most recent bit is because of a quirk in VA law, the offensive ad has been tracked back to his campaign, which by law, it *must* be approved of by the candidate.
So it is the gift that keeps on giving, on top of the huge outcry because of the ad.
And within the last week, the Gillespie campaign noted their donations have *tripled*.
To say that this ad was a Northam “fumble” is an understatement. Oh, and to appeal to swing voters, he said he supported the anti-sanctuary cities law. Which has enraged his base.
So they were stereotyping white males a terrorists.... nice dumb anti-white (male) democrat campaign slogans.... About the only people buying into those adds are the illegal and recently admitted illegal voters.
At the end of the day, the libs in Northern Virginia, most who are sucking on the fed teat, will vote for the lefty dem they always do these days. Hopefully they are stymied by the rest of the state. Gillespie is no conservative but I don’t want to see that state with a Dem. Gov again. Of course Mr G is nothing but a cheap labor type but better as gov then senator I guess.
Let’s not get cocky.
The Dems used voter fraud to deliver VA to HRC.
They’ll do it again...
On a visit to DC this past week, I stayed in Ballston, a neighborhood in Arlington, Va. Even though it’s one of the “bluest” parts of the state, I ran into several Gillespie volunteers seeking to get out the vote, and none who were working for Norhtam.
Maybe the Northam volunteers were afraid they’d be run down by rebels in trucks.
Setting up for the, “He wasn’t progressive enough to win” excuse for Nov. 8th.
Let’s not get cocky.
The Dems used voter fraud to deliver VA to HRC.
They’ll do it again...
Latinos trying to influence elections is good but Russian influence is bad. Let's not even consider US attempts to influence an elections abroad.
Au contraire...
Stoney: Richmond not a ‘sanctuary city’ but protects all residents, legal or not
But but but, all the polls say he wins easily.
Democrats will push fraud to the max in Virginia...
I fully expect there to be a (D) as governor in VA... That it is even within reach is a massive GOP victory and a terrible defeat for Democrats. Even if he wins, he's devastated the party there as his people will be in state and local leadership positions across the state saying how much it was the ‘extremist’ (IE mainstream) liberal ideas that nearly sunk the campaign.
And if the miracle happens and the GOP actually shows up on election day, they'll triple up on the moderate is golden stance and it'll demoralize the nutroots in campaigns across the nation.
Look how close Virginia was in the 2016 presidential election even though the state had its own senator on the Democrat ticket as the VP candidate.
If we carry Virginia,2018 and 2020 are ours!
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