Virginia Mega Thread: The Youngkin Administration

[Senator Incitatus]

Wow, a Democratic staffer has made his Twitter private after Twitter sleuths noticed he bears a striking resemblance to one of the tiki torch guys

[tweet]

I'm not sure this is the young man in the photo and don't support any harassment of him either way, but it's been obvious from the instant these photos were published this was the sort of coordinated dirty political stunt many campaigns do. I have worked on a few campaigns and someone always wants to pull this nonsense, and I'm always opposed.

But holy crap is this particular stunt an extremely distasteful one that was always destined to backfire. The Virginia Democrats are running around with their hair on fire.

[Senator Incitatus]

What an odd situation...This just made an already bizarre election even weirder. I'm confused. Something fishy is going on with this but I'm not quite sure whether the Dems or the GOP look worse with this story.

How could this story possibly make the Republican Party look bad?

[Senator Incitatus]

This race has taught me what a short-term memory the average voter really does have. The idea that Republicans are the champions of Education after spending the last 30 years mocking the idea that teachers deserve a raise or that Public Schools deserve more funding. It's just laughable that they are about to make this a winning issue and I'm not sure if it's reflective of how fickle voters are or how truly abysmal the Democratic party is at messaging.

The idea that favoring improvements to education requires favoring increased funding or increased pay for existing substandard teachers has been completely debunked by decades of research. Funding and outcomes are not correlated, let alone causal, but parental involvement and outcomes are.

In any case, a year of Zoom school showed many parents that the existing model of education has passed its usefulness.

[Senator Incitatus]

This race has taught me what a short-term memory the average voter really does have. The idea that Republicans are the champions of Education after spending the last 30 years mocking the idea that teachers deserve a raise or that Public Schools deserve more funding. It's just laughable that they are about to make this a winning issue and I'm not sure if it's reflective of how fickle voters are or how truly abysmal the Democratic party is at messaging.

The idea that favoring improvements to education requires favoring increased funding or increased pay for existing substandard teachers has been completely debunked by decades of research. Funding and outcomes are not correlated, let alone causal, but parental involvement and outcomes are.

In any case, a year of Zoom school showed many parents that the existing model of education has passed its usefulness.

You’re not wrong, but it’s not like republicans are championing much else besides parochial schools

Republicans also push charter schools and homeschooling as alternatives, which will probably pick up even more steam than parochial schools.

Anyway, I think we'll see movement in a lot of different directions from both parties. As circumstances change, politics and policy change. Voters don't have short memories; they're just more aware of the real world than people who spend all day on a forum literally wearing political parties as avatars.

[Senator Incitatus]

I see we moved on from dozens of posts calling a real news story "spam" to dozens of posts debating whether those dozens of posts were spam.

[picture of Youngkin in a fleece]
I am getting sick and tired.. is he going to wear those stupid light jackets and fleeces in office as well if he is elected?

Have you ever met a hedge fund employee? He's going to be wearing one of them every day until he dies. They'll bury him in it, too.

[Senator Incitatus]

McAuliffe went on television today and apparently-falsely suggested he has experience raising a public school student in Virginia:

https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1454822367658659840?s=20

[Senator Incitatus]

Thank God VA Dems nominated a moderate centrist like McAllufie instead of an left wing extremist like Lee Carter who would of made the race un-necessarily close or lost 🤣🤣🤣

Carter honestly could have lost by double digits.

Carter might have finished third if an independent ran.

[Senator Incitatus]

McAuliffe went on television today and apparently-falsely suggested he has experience raising a public school student in Virginia:

https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1454822367658659840?s=20

Context to this non-issue that no one in Virginia cares about: Glenn Youngkin made VA public schools an issue, also sent all his kids to private school.  Is promoting a racist dog whistle about CRT which is not taught in VA public schools.

As seen with that tweet, the GOP loves nothing more than to churn the fake outrage machine. Apparently Youngkin can talk all about public schools and their issues (without actually having sent his kids to any), but T-Mac can't? And naturally they take everything out of context, every single time.

You have to wonder who the "desperate" campaign here is when all Youngkin has is pulling T-Mac clips out of context one after another.

I don't know of an occasion where Youngkin implied his opinion on Virginia public schools was based on his and his wife's experience raising his children in them, because like McAuliffe, he didn't. Both of them can talk about public schools all they want and should; neither should lie to gain credibility. I get that it comes naturally to establishment political hacks like McAuliffe, but it will be his downfall, either in losing this election or when he becomes one of the least popular governors in the country (and compounds already growing problems for Spanberger and Luria by doing so).

Also, to NSV, "that poster" didn't "buy" anything. I just posted the clip with a moderately skeptical comment because it was the most interesting news from the race today. Sunday talk shows, especially pre-election ones, are standard topics for discussion.

[Senator Incitatus]

It doesn't. And until anyone can provide proof that these random anecdotes of "my kids teacher was telling my child that white people are terrible!" are ever true, I don't believe them. Because even if something was brought up, there's no way that a public school teacher would say something like that.

Even in a world where this did happen, how is this in any way shape or form having to do with McAuliffe? I have no doubt that this person was looking for everyone reason to vote GOP, and I don't buy that he was a "Hilary-Biden" voter.

“Who are you going to believe, parents? Your own lying eyes and ears or me, a partisan poster on an obscure message board?”

It doesn’t matter what you think. Many of us have experienced this firsthand. You’re not making us forget it.

[Senator Incitatus]

BAD NEWS: My Snapchat map procedure has changed. There were a bunch of pro-Youngkin posts this morning across the state. These were in Prince William, Rural Shenandoah area, and Loudoun.

Three voting related posts without an obvious slant. One in Fairfax, one in Norfolk, and one in Greater Richmond.

Snapchat maps are unironically a great resource for on-the-ground news, far better than Twitter.

[Senator Incitatus]

https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/1455592521078300675

Breaking News: College students don't wake up before 9 AM and are free all day.

[Senator Incitatus]

https://twitter.com/mschlapp/status/1455532199541985290?s=20

I was told at my polling station I couldn’t vote without pants. Knowing what nudists think about pants, isn’t this just an illegal barrier to voting? But I can count on one thing our judges will do nothing.

This absolutely could constitute an illegal barrier if there was insufficient notice such that a person would show up without a mask and be turned away, effectively preventing them from voting entirely if it is prohibitively difficult for them to get their hands on a mask and return before polls close.

I know your post was a joke, but there is a much more reasonable inference of implied notice of a requirement of pants. Pants are required pretty much everywhere. At the other extreme, you'd have something like a poll worker requiring you to show them a printed picture of Elvis (with absolutely no explicit notice). This falls somewhere in the middle, probably closer to pants, but not close enough that I don't think it could be challenged if someone was really prevented from voting.

[Senator Incitatus]

https://twitter.com/mschlapp/status/1455532199541985290?s=20

I was told at my polling station I couldn’t vote without pants. Knowing what nudists think about pants, isn’t this just an illegal barrier to voting? But I can count on one thing our judges will do nothing.

This absolutely could constitute an illegal barrier if there was insufficient notice such that a person would show up without a mask and be turned away, effectively preventing them from voting entirely if it is prohibitively difficult for them to get their hands on a mask and return before polls close.

I know your post was a joke, but there is a much more reasonable inference of implied notice of a requirement of pants. Pants are required pretty much everywhere. At the other extreme, you'd have something like a poll worker requiring you to show them a printed picture of Elvis (with absolutely no explicit notice). This falls somewhere in the middle, probably closer to pants, but not close enough that I don't think it could be challenged if someone was really prevented from voting.

^^ GOP voting rights champions!

I am entirely opposed to voting, electoral democracy, and the Republican Party.

[Senator Incitatus]

A win is a win no matter what. A 2 point win is not "pathetic" or a loss. It's a win. Full stop.

It's a missed opportunity for Republicans but it is still pathetic for McAuliffe.

[Senator Incitatus]

Everyone is freaking out over high turnout relative to 2017 and 2020 when neither of those were competitive races and this clearly is.

[Senator Incitatus]

Important to note, McAuliffe had similar numbers in 2013 and won.

true I almost forgot about that

Cuccinelli did not.

[Senator Incitatus]

Everything we seem to have now points to essentially a dead heat. I can say with somewhat reasonable confidence that we're going to be in for a relatively long night and that perhaps everyone needs to make plans to stay up later than usual.

Based on the exit poll I’d say Youngkin is winning by 53-44. Honestly, I think it’s time to stick a fork in Virginia, as I’m more concerned about what’s happening in New Jersey, because if we lose that the Democrats are finished.

If Democrats lose NJ you will never see me on this forum again, lmao. Nobody serious thinks that's even a remote possibility.

I'd say it's an extremely remote one. We have to remember that polling, for all its worth, has limits. Upsets do happen. I'd put it at ~5%.

[Senator Incitatus]

I am declaring victory. I have been elected Governor of Virginia.

[Senator Incitatus]

https://www.cnn.com/election/2021/november/exit-polls/virginia/governor/0

This is an unweighted mess...ignore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZY51zFpS4

[Senator Incitatus]

If the exits indicate Youngkin +1 or +2 then that probably isn't going to equal a win if you believe that this exit poll is not good.

Yeah, because don't these polls only take into account in person voting?

No.

[Senator Incitatus]

Youngkin is clearly one of the top contenders in a Trump-less field, though he really, really needs to work on his charisma.

[Senator Incitatus]

I think some of the cope in this thread is hilarious, but I also agree that it's more effective to attack Gibson in a more precise, reserved way, e.g., any statements to the public which would have been misleading or fraudulent about sources of income. The campaign contributions bit is an effective line even if untrue or tenuous because it introduces the issue without being ribald.

Don't get me wrong—the scorched earth approach would be accurate, but some voters will be turned off by the vulgar truth of the matter. Leave the jokes and foul language to talk radio hosts and comedians.

[Senator Incitatus]

Wow! Absolutely stunned to learn the mother of two who had sex on camera for money has a record of inappropriately exposing herself to strangers. This changes everything about this race.

In all seriousness, this woman's career (inside and outside politics) is over. This isn't art or liberation; it's public (yes, public, like the posts you make here) self-degradation for quick cash. The quotes in this piece go well beyond a married couple being intimate on camera. She and her husband have intentionally and knowingly humiliated themselves and by extension, at the very least, they've displayed an extreme lack of sensitivity for their children's futures.

I'm struck (or rather reminded) that a majority or vocal minority of this forum has extremely childish views of sex. Just because you are free to do something does not mean that doing so is good judgment.

[Senator Incitatus]

I dont think its about quick cash . They probably make 200k combined at the very least .

I agree and didn't mean to make it sound like they needed the money, in which case I'd have some sympathy. The "quick cash" part, i.e., doing this for so little reward, is likely part of the degradation. We don't need to dwell on this couple. I hope she drops out soon.

[Senator Incitatus]

I dont think its about quick cash . They probably make 200k combined at the very least .

I agree and didn't mean to make it sound like they needed the money, in which case I'd have some sympathy. The "quick cash" part, i.e., doing this for so little reward, is likely part of the degradation. We don't need to dwell on this couple. I hope she drops out soon.

How do you expect the race to go if she stays in?

I don't see how she wins given how tight the district is.

Even if the vulgar quotes and her offer to commit a crime for money (though, contrary to other posts here, I don't assume she actually did it) aren't enough to sink the campaign on their own, she already faced a tough race and will now have to spend most of the campaign discussion exhibitionism rather than policy.

She also clearly wasn't vetted and/or lied to several people, not to mention voters, to get the nomination, so it's very possible that something less palatable is unearthed under an even brighter spotlight.