Following the Virginia election debacle last Tuesday, Republican voters in the Old Dominion might feel tempted to despair of dreaming about a red Virginia ever again. Many seem disposed to wait out President Trump’s term under the impression that Republicans cannot win under Trump. However, the Virginia Republican Party failed to field viable candidates, use the political resources available to them, or articulate any sort of stance on electoral issues. Democrats did not win Virginia, nor did a massive turn in national sentiment doom the Republican Party; the Virginia State GOP ruined its own chances.
Perhaps most startling, the Virginia Republican Party failed to run candidates in ten out of forty (the 1st, 2nd, 18th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 34th, 35th, 36th, and 37th), fully one-quarter of Virginia senatorial races. In contrast, the Democrats contested all races but one, the 23rd district. A party cannot win elections without candidates.
The Republican Party also failed to contest twenty-three out of one hundred delegate races (the 11th, 32nd, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 53rd, 57th, 67th, 69th, 70th, 74th, 77th, 79th, 86th, 89th, 90th, 92nd, and 95th districts), again about one-fourth. While the Republican Party lost nearly a quarter of the House of Delegates seats by default, the Democrats contested all but seven races (the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 9th, 17th, 19th, and 78th districts).
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Kind of sounds like the Republican party establishment in Maryland in general and Wicomico County in particular.
ReplyDeleteThey lost because Virginians are dumbasses. Just look at how they drive.
ReplyDeleteYep still sounds like wicomico county
DeleteAny State that watches their history get erased doesn't deserve a Republican.
ReplyDeleteThe real reasons the Republicans lost Virginia are as follows:
ReplyDelete1) Northern VA is predominantly government workers who love the idea of big government because it offers “job security.”
2) Many millennials have moved up and down the 95 corridor because real estate and rent is cheaper than DC Metro area. Many telecommute to work so working from a distance of an hour plus is no big deal especially if you only have to go to DC once a week.
3) the RNC didn’t put money or effort into Virginia because of the above. They figured they lost Virginia a long time ago so what difference does it make? It’s been running blue for years in case you haven’t been paying attention.
4) Many Millennials stay in Richmond upon graduating from VCU and other area universities. This correlates into the above because like the urban sprawl, fresh college grads are brainwashed into thinking textbook is the same as real life.
Virginia will eventually come back to center as more government agencies move out of DC metro but it’s going to take time. The USDA has already opened shop in the Midwest, leaving a lot of their workforce behind. Other agencies are brewing about relocating out into the rest of the country because such concentrated power breeds establishment. You said you wanted the Swamp drained and it’s all happening. The only thing you need to do now is practice a bit of patience.