Why is Terry McAuliffe trying so hard to nationalize this race?

[Cyrusman]

I don’t understand this strategy at all.

Biden is unpopular across the country and in Virginia. What is he trying so hard to nationalize this race and bring in Biden and Harris?

Why not stick to local issues instead?

[TML]

As a general rule, if a race is successfully nationalized, the result will most likely reflect the partisan lean of the state/district. Since VA is a D-leaning state and has been trending that way for at least the last 2-3 decades, a nationalized race will most likely result in a D victory.

[Chips]

I don’t understand this strategy at all.

Biden is unpopular across the country and in Virginia. What is he trying so hard to nationalize this race and bring in Biden and Harris?

Why not stick to local issues instead?

As the polls have recently indicated, McAuliffe isn't doing too great when it comes to local issues.

[Spectator]

Because he’s a lazy party hack that embodies the National Dem apparatus: doesn’t know how to successfully go for the jugular on their Republican opponents. Republicans regularly implicitly accuse Democrats of coddling rapists, murderers, and child molesters while Democrats are more concerned with accusing Republicans of being in sufficiently pro-Planned Parenthood. Which line of attack is going to be more wide-reaching to the population? It doesn’t take a genius to figure that the Republican line is going to play better.

[free my dawg]

Terminal Beltway brain and the fact that the average establishment campaign is aimed towards themselves.

[StateBoiler]

I don’t understand this strategy at all.

Biden is unpopular across the country and in Virginia. What is he trying so hard to nationalize this race and bring in Biden and Harris?

Why not stick to local issues instead?

Probably realize he loses that way and to motivate NoVa voters to vote in high numbers by constantly mentioning TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP.

This is a race where you can say generic Democrat should beat generic Republican, but Youngkin I think has demonstrated the correct way for a Republican to handle the Trump factor in a general election: he's there, don't antagonize him, but don't embrace him either. Now the question for 2022 elections is whether that style of Republican candidate can win a primary to get out into the general. If enough do so, Democrats are going to be in 2022 running like it's 2020 instead of on their record or on current issues, which is not a recipe for success.

[SnowLabrador]

Isn't it obvious? Virginia is a blue-leaning state, and the more nationalized the race is, the harder it is for Youngkin to win.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

"Biden is unpopular in Virginia"

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Because Trump is at 37 percent Approvals, if the Rs are branded with Trump they will LOSE