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.”
Oh I know that. I live in NOVA. Had 2 Trump signs stolen out of my yard. Last year. Its packed full of gubbermint workers who feel entitled to blow taxpayer money on what ever they want.
I live in Stafford and had a Fairfax County cop living across the street. During the 2012 campaign I caught him taking my Republican signs out of my yard at about 1am. My next door neighbor saw him walk over to my house and also steal a couple yard lights while he was in uniform and going to work.
That's so true. Just watch, Prince Willian, Loudon, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties will be the last to report in that order. They wait to see how many more votes are needed to put the Democrats over the top, and go to work "finding" them.
A cop? You have got be $hitting me. Should have pressed charges.
I didn't press charges but I sure know over half of the Sheriff Deputies in my county and I told them about it and showed them some of the photos. The Fairfax Chief talked to us and tried to deflect but we told him to do something or it would get ugly. Our cop neighbor was told to move if he wanted to finish his last few years till retirement so he sold his house and left.
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.
= = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = =
Union didn’t want him?
I wonder if it may have been that he is Black? He is lighter skinned than BO but I am in Northern VA ‘near’ the D strongholds and get my TV from the DC market and have just recently saw his name come up and he has been running a couple of ads but nothing earlier BEFORE someone(HEE HEE) pointed it out and it got some of the brothers a little bent out of shape.
OH..maybe ‘they’ are waking up...been hearing dialect recently about Blacks finally really that PP is mostly in THEIR neighborhoods and some Ds(??) have been telling them that Abortion is GOOD for them and safer than full term or birth.
SO, an accommodating White group has pointed out M Sangers remarks about her reasoning inre abortions....
MAYBE some people are finally waking up.
Star Parker has been putting that ‘message’ out for years...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.