McAuliffe Tries to Tie Youngkin to Trump in Campaign’s Waning Days

To combat waning enthusiasm among Democratic voters, McAuliffe keeps the spotlight on the former president.

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FAIRFAX, Virginia—With just two weeks left of voting in Virginia’s gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe is hoping that campaigning alongside a team of high profile Democrats will boost enthusiasm among voters ahead of November 2.

McAuliffe maintains a slight polling lead over his Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin, a first-time candidate and former co-CEO of the Carlyle Group. But the race is tight. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its forecast from “Lean Democrat” to “Tossup,” and FiveThirtyEight’s polling average currently gives McAuliffe a 2.9 percent lead over Youngkin (48.5 percent to 45.6 percent.)

In a last-minute effort to get Virginia Democrats to the polls, McAuliffe campaigned last weekend alongside voting rights activist and failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in Fairfax County, Virginia. “I’m here from Georgia. We don’t have an election this year for the governor, but I know what happens here matters across this country,” Abrams told a crowd of fully masked rally attendees on Sunday. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama will also join him on the campaign trail this month.

Once a solid red state, Virginia hasn’t elected a Republican candidate statewide since 2009. The commonwealth’s sitting governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general are all Democrats.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Sounds like a strong argument in favor of a Denver Riggleman ticket with Sasquatch for Lieutenant Governor.

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    rlritt

    I am an independent and work with many Dems and people who work for the party, and those left wing radicals are tolerated because they are popular with the younger fringe of the party who won't vote at all unless they can be engaged.

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    Andy Napoli

    If Trump had never been president, or if Youngkin had clearly repudiated Trump, I'd have supported Youngkin enthusiastically. But Youngkin has tried to have it both ways. I cannot support anybody who won't clearly and unmistakably condemn insurrection, election lies, conspiracy theories, etc.

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      Andy Napoli

      On the other hand, McAuliffe has made it CRYSTAL clear that he neither wants nor seems to think he needs, the votes of Never Trump conservatives. So I intend to write in "Liz Cheney" for governor. If either party actually wants my vote, I'll park it with Liz Cheney and they know where to come get it.

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    Frank Lee

    So much investment from the Democrats on negative branding of Trump as their primary political advancement strategy it is hard for them to let go.

    But it is a classic mistake made failing to note that the old investment is sunk costs and continuing to spend on it is throwing good money after bad. The problem is that this worked when the voters could hold a fantasy view of the alternative... but now the voters understand what that alternative is.... and it is worse in many ways than was Trump.

    So unless the Democrats get a new positive platform message out there, going negative branding on Trump is going to be a losing strategy.

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      Everybody Digs Bill Evans

      Trump, however, is still paying massive dividends for the Democrat Party. His outburst today slamming Colin Powell is just one more reminder of what a horse’s ass he is.

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  5. Corey Hegger

    I’m surprised the article doesn’t mention the recent rape allegations in Loudon County schools. That can only help Youngkin.

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    1. William Lowery

      I would love to see The Dispatch's take on those events, which seem shocking. A fact-based, nuanced view of the situation would be very welcome.

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        Andy Napoli

        I think they're trying to get the facts before commenting on the Loudoun county rape allegations. I've refrained from discussing it on my Facebook page for the same reasons

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  6. Danny Bass

    I’m really tired of being told the Virginia gubernatorial race is close enough that the Republicans can win. I’m also tired of being told that Virginia is purple. It’s BLUE. There hasn’t been a statewide win for Republicans since 2009. Let’s get over it and move on. There are just too many government bureaucrats there to expect anything else.

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  7. Karin

    I live in Virginia. I am tired of voting for ‘the lesser of two evils’. I can’t get excited about Terry McAuliffe, and feel like he was foisted on us by the Democratic machine. I worked on Jennifer Carroll Foy’s campaign, and I think that she would have been genuinely more competitive against Youngkin than Terry is.

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    Pat Riot

    If Youngkin wins, or even improves Trump's performance in VA, then it will be a win for Trump.

    That Youngkin is even competitive here shows that people's intuition about "Trump bringing the GOP to ruins" is not supported by the data. Quite the opposite, the GOP is about as powerful under Trump that it's ever been.

    Think about that when you hear somebody say that the "GOP needs to change or they are going to lose". They will change *after* they start losing, but that hasn't happened yet. The presidency was close, and Congress is almost evenly split, and Republicans are doing *very* well at the State level.

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      JDW

      Actually Biden was a horrible candidate that Romney and McCain likely beat. So yes, Trump narrowly lost to a terrible candidate. Nobody but Trump and his most devoted cultists thinks this wasn't a really bad outcome. A lot of Republicans are why Biden won.

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        Pat Riot

        "Trump and his most devoted cultists" == "90% of the GOP voting base"

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    2. Zach

      Hard disagree. If trump didn’t exist what would McAuliffe even have to run on? Younkin might win win by 5 points in that hypothetical.

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        Pat Riot

        If Trump didn't exist then millions of non-college educated otherwise politically out-of-touch people would no longer care about politics and Republicans would have the same electorate that had 15 years ago minus about half of the college-educated demographic which they have permanently lost.

        Your construction guy with the "FUCK YOUR FEELINGS" bumper sticker is who wins elections for Republicans these days. There are 100x more of them than our fellow country club members. If that guy goes back to beer and football, the Republicans are screwed. Losing Trump might very well do that unless a serious replacement (e.g. Trump Jr.) comes along.

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      rlritt

      People love a dictator.

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    4. William Lowery

      Why would a Youngkin win be a win for Trump? If Youngkin wins a state that Trump lost, it strikes me that the most obvious conclusion is that Trump is a loser and conservative alternatives to Trump are not. That would be helpful data in advance of future primaries.

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        Pat Riot

        Trump endorsed Youngkin. It's as simple as that.

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        1. William Lowery

          What!?! So we can never vote for a Trump-endorsed candidate ever again for fear it will grant Trump (and him alone) some sense of victory? That's a crazy standard. Trump endorsed Ben Sasse in the last primary (before subsequently revoking that endorsement).

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          1. Avatar photo
            Johntadian

            If this poor, androgynously-pseudonymed provocateur didn't have Trump to bait you into a useless arguement (No, Ms. Riot, all Youngkin voters aren't Trump lovers), he/she would have to go back to the "Republicans are mean" whine to goad you. Don't take the boob bait. They/them aren't worth the key strokes.

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            Pat Riot

            Well, if you don't mind Trump, then vote away...

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        rlritt

        Hopefully.

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  9. KT F

    I know many VA Democrats who would sharply disagree with Mr. Savage. They believe it is union-backed Terry McAuliffe who will set Virginia schools back decades. It was the - still not able to legally collectively bargain in VA last year - teacher's unions who worked incredibly hard to keep many left-leaning districts in Virginia stuck in remote school last year, to the detriment of kids. Our state test scores show (study: https://assets.ctfassets.net/9fbw4onh0qc1/1Md3PgtZPFheXoxDCF6lOW/2f99701c08ccb21292bbe59dcef39579/CSDH_StateSnapshot_Virginia.pdf). They can't bring themselves to vote for a union-backed candidate. They are fired up and involved in their children's education. They see the Virginia Department of Education playing footsie with torpedoing advanced math in the state (no major publication would touch this with a ten foot pole until Fox broke the story, then VDOE immediately started walking it back, but here is a Fox story: https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-accelerated-math-courses-equity). Parents want the Virginia Dept. of Education to focus less on performative equity and more on actual academics. They don't see the current VDOE doing that, and it's led by a Secretary of Education first brought to prominence under McAuliffe. They know Youngkin has promised repeatedly to clean house at VDOE. The Democrats I know who care about schools are excited to vote for Youngkin.

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    1. William Lowery

      FWIW, Mr. Savage appears to be 18 years old (at least, that's implied by the statement that he attended Ms. Abrams event on his 18th birthday). That probably makes it easier for him to be "lifelong" Democrat.

      In any event, I doubt his view reflect that of many actual parents with children in public schools. People see what is happening in Loudon County, for example, and are increasingly skeptical of how public schools are actually being run.

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  10. Avatar photo
    Robbie

    I'm not typically one to comment here, but I think my experience as a central VA resident provides some anecdotal evidence to bolster fivethirtyeight's "toss-up" assessment.

    First, where I live in deep blue Charlottesville, I've seen Youngkin signs pop up in yards and on roadsides, whereas during last year's presidential election you had to drive fifteen minutes out of town before you could see a sign for Trump. I doubt they're swing voters (they probably didn't broadcast support for the incumbent due to the stigma around him), but there's certainly more visible enthusiasm for Youngkin than I expected.

    Second, as someone who's almost exclusively voted Democrat since I was 18, I can attest for myself that my enthusiasm has not waned, but disappeared entirely. I will not be voting for Youngkin, given how he panders to Trump's base (though I think it's wholly disingenuous, which IMO bodes poorly for his character). But I seriously doubt that I'll pull the lever for McAuliffe either. I've realized over the last year that I'm philosophically out of step with the Democratic party, rendering me politically homeless in our effectively two-party system. I'm content with this position, but I really wish either the American Solidarity Party or the Libertarians had a gubernatorial candidate here.

    I think there are others whose experience is similar to mine — I certainly have spoken to some. Whether or not dissidents from either party are enough to move the needle for the other remains to be seen.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Ben Connelly

      Best part of the state! I’d point out that Charlottesville is a dot of blue in an otherwise red area. Beautiful place to live.

      You can write in Denver Riggleman like I’m planning to do.

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    2. Nicco

      The fact that you’d vote for either ASP or Libertarian candidates over Rs and Ds is perhaps indicative of just how messed up our parties are. ASP and Libertarians have almost opposite platforms on a lot of issues, but either is preferable to our other options…
      I’m right there with you!

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    3. ExploreOK

      In today's political environment it's political suicide for anyone to openly disavow Trump, and I don't think necessary for Youngkin to do so. I think it's relatively clear Youngkin's leanings are not Trumpian, but I understand your sentiment.

      I would feel comfortable voting for Youngkin based on how he has handled Trump's base thus far. He doesn't seem like someone willing to sacrifice principle for power, although he is definitely willing to make vague gestures in the populist direction for power.

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        Pat Riot

        If he doesn't disavow Trump then he's supporting him. Trump is a monster who just spat on the grave of Colin Powell. Being "neutral" in this context is the same as support. It's like saying "very fine people on both sides". When you praise criminals and non-criminals alike it's a pro-criminal act.

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          JDW

          Says the Democrat who wants to make sure no Republican can win. Don't take Pat's advice Youngkin.

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            Pat Riot

            If he disavowed Trump then Republicans wouldn't show up to vote and he wouldn't win. That's the whole point.

            Youngkin is doing exactly what he needs to do to win: follow Trump's orders.

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    4. Dave Rogers

      My part of Hampton Roads is about as blue as Charlottesville based on the NYT neighborhood map. Last year there were no Trump signs and only a few Gade signs by businesses.

      This year, there are definitely more Youngkin signs than there were Gade signs last year or McAuliffe signs this year. Based on our precinct voting history, McAuliffe is definitely going to win this neighborhood, but it's a very silent majority.

      Strangely enough, last time I was in rural Fluvanna County, the McAuliffe-Ayala-Herring signs vastly outnumbered any GOP signs. I'm sure it's the same phenomenon as my neighborhood in reverse.

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      rlritt

      You can'tall9w a handful of far left congress people who are really only a handful convince you that they control the Democratic Party. Even Biden told them to cutthecspending bill in half. McAuliffe is hardly a left wing zealot. I see him as more of a moderate democrat.

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      1. Richard Kennedy

        One could say the same thing of the GOP. It is the base that is Trump to the death. Most in Congress are cowed by a word from Trump that triggers the sTrumpette trolls. They are cowardly according to many. Like the senators hiding behind Manchinema. The problem for me is the stuff that most all Dems will vote for who aren’t the mad left, or the two who are standing against. Dems are intolerable to me on that score, not right fever swamps. By the same token, the Trump fever swamps and the left fever swamps would have you believe that any Trump skeptic on the Hill is not long for this world and the rest are deplorable to the 10th power. A homeless Mexican standoff (is that racist?).

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        rlritt

        CORRECTION. - You can't allow.....

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        Bill B

        Problem it's not just a handful of congress people; it's staffers, policy makers, Biden whisperers, party factotums, Democratic activists and all those folks interleaved throughout the Democratic leadership and supportive cultural institutions. Some may know better but are silent which doesn't relieve the impression these far left folks do control the Democratic Party or at least hold a veto. And if somebody senior doesn't or can't very publicly smack them down then they are essentially in control.

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      Derekdouglas

      I live in uber blue Old Town Alexandria and have been amazed by the number of Youngkin signs.

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      Bill B

      We don't need a third party. We need a new party. A coalition of the frustrated and homeless of both parties and those in-between to body-snatch the Democratic Party and force the crazies into the wilderness. Unfortunately, the Republican Party has already been body-snatched so that's the only alternative left. A third party is a losing proposition.

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        Andy Napoli


        A third party's only useful purposes is to either (a) destroy and replace one of the two existing parties, or (b) advance a particular set of concerns that the one of the two major parties absorbs and incorporates, making the third party unnecessarily

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        1. Avatar photo
          Bill B

          (B)

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            Andy Napoli

            That is in essence, what Jonah Goldberg's approach appears to recommend. The issue I have with Jonah's suggestion is that the Conservative Party in NY State doesn't actually serve function (b). I sent an email to Jonah (hopefully he gets it) where I told him that you can think of a useful third party as taking one of two different business models.

            Model (a) is to build a business you intend to turn into a billion-dollar company that disrupts the marketplace and displaces the existing market leaders so that your company replaces one, some, or all of them. AKA Amazon.com which first displaced booksellers and then moved into other retail markets, displacing all kinds of brick-and-mortar retailers along the way.

            Model (b) is to build a business that attracts the big market leaders' attention and gets bought out and incorporated into that larger market players' overall business plan.

            The NY Conservative Party is neither of those. In business terms, the Conservative Party is like a business that neither disrupts anything, nor gets bought out, but instead languishes in obscurity forever, occasionally playing the role of spoiler or being relevant once in a while which causes one of the major players to slip to #2 in business metrics instead of #1.

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      Pat Riot

      I suspect virtually all of the Youngkin signs you are now seeing are Trump voters who were ashamed to put signs up for Trump in 2020 but voted for him anyhow.

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        Patrick O'Rouke

        Even if that's true (it's almost certainly not, see below)...it's still a sign of voter enthusiasm.

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          Pat Riot

          Oh I agree, but it's not as pronounced as you might think based on the sheer number of signs.

          Remember that something like 97% of Republicans voted for Trump, and in races across the country there was never more than a few points of difference between Trump and down-ballot races for GOP voters. Most people just vote their party.

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            Patrick O'Rouke

            In places like Georgia, though, that was enough to give Biden the statewide win. That could be enough to push Younkin over the top, especially without Trump on the ballot motivating the low propensity voters in both parties.

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      2. William Lowery

        It’s anecdotal, but I don’t think this is true. Certainly doesn’t apply to me or my circle of friends in Alexandria — we all have signs/stickers and we all voted third party in 2020. Youngkin simply isn’t Trump — no matter how much Terry wishes otherwise.

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          rlritt

          Yes, but if becomes Governor he'll be on knees kissing Trump's butt so fast it will make your spin.

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          1. William Lowery

            Why would the governor of VA, who is limited to one term, be kissing the butt of a failed ex-President? This makes no sense.

            More likely than not, he works hard to deliver the things he has campaigned on . . . you know: lower taxes, lower cost of living, better public safety, school choice.

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          Patrick

          Yep. But when all you have is a massive anti-Trump hammer, every darn thing can sure look like a nail.

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      Audrey Fahlberg vertical-nib Author

      Thanks for sharing Robbie, interesting insights.

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    10. Richard Kennedy

      So, we meet in the middle. I can’t vote Dem, particularly up here in SE Michigan and won’t vote GOP as a default. My little ring suburb north of Detroit is probably close to Charlottesville in political leaning. I’ll bet Ann Arbor might be Navy Blue by comparison, but I don’t know. So, Dude, what could we do about this?

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        rlritt

        Stop stening to right wing propaganda. The far left consists of a much , more vocal, but much less powerful group of new congress people who think they can outmaneuver the more experienced moderates. They make noise while the grown ups negotiate. One thing the majority of Democrat lawmakers aren't is inflexible. That's why there is s small group of outspoken left wingers is because of the majority's willingness to compromise.

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        Robbie

        To be honest, I've resigned myself to voting third party in most cases, and writing in a name otherwise. But more significantly, I think my views about politics overall have changed — namely, that it doesn't deserve the inordinate importance that I've given to it for much of my adult life thus far. Alan Jacobs is something of a kindred spirit in this regard, and I really like the way he puts it here: https://blog.ayjay.org/a-long-defeat-a-final-victory/.

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          rlritt

          Then be prepared for President-for-life Trump. Watch while he makes his stupid idiot spawn trillionaires and heirs to throne.

          I would rather have a weak president and and contentious legislature than a dictator supported by a rubberstamp congress.

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