Pardon a primarily political interlude even though there are some economic ties. Let’s discuss Governor Glenn Youngkin.
A Republican Renaissance in Virginia?
Please consider a WSJ op-ed, A Republican Renaissance in Virginia?
The first Republican presidential debate is two weeks away, and the party’s prospects look bleak. The front-runner is under indictment in three jurisdictions so far. Donald Trump’s platform for 2024 is retribution, for offenses real and imagined. In second place is a successful governor of a booming state, but Florida’s Ron DeSantis is failing to electrify voters. A survey this week showed him polling at 9% in New Hampshire in a tie with Chris Christie.
If no alternative to Mr. Trump breaks through, nervous Republican donors and voters will start looking for a lifeboat, and Glenn Youngkin just may prove seaworthy. The Virginia governor’s approval rating is 57% in a state Joe Biden carried by 10 points. A poll this month from Virginia Commonwealth University suggested Mr. Youngkin would beat Mr. Biden in the Old Dominion, which the GOP hasn’t carried in a presidential election since 2004.
For now Mr. Youngkin, 56, is focused on another contest: for control of the Virginia General Assembly this November. The GOP seeks to preserve its slender majority in the lower chamber, the House of Delegates. Democrats control the Senate 22-18 and have held up much of the governor’s agenda since he came to Richmond last year.
“I’m excited about the midterms,” Gov. Youngkin tells me on Tuesday, after touring a manufacturing facility north of Richmond. “It gives us a chance to take our case back to voters and say, ‘This is how we’ve done. We’d like for you to extend our license to lead by electing a House that’s led by Republicans and flipping the Senate.’ ”
Mr. Youngkin seems to have no shortage of enthusiasm or energy. He is witheringly sunny. “It’s the way God made me—I tend to see the glass half full,” he says with a laugh. The governor is rooting the fall race in a popular agenda: the economy, education and public safety. “You can’t run on 52 things. You’ve got to be very clear about your top priorities.”
By some miracle, the GOP seems to have produced local candidates who aren’t terrifying to normal Americans.
“Children will meet the expectations that are set for them,” Mr. Youngkin says at a fire station on Thursday morning in quaint Stafford County. In Virginia, “over previous years, expectations were systematically lowered. What does that mean? When I say standards were lowered—literally, the number of questions on our standards-of-learning tests that had to be right, in order to be proficient, was reduced. That’s the truth.”
He has been traversing the state conducting “Parents Matter” listening sessions, with another one earlier in the week near Richmond. The core pitch: Raising both “the ceiling and the floor” on student achievement, closing learning gaps widened by pandemic school closures, and giving parents more choices, such as a “lab school” initiative working with colleges and universities.
Yet Mr. Youngkin isn’t running kamikaze missions that alienate suburban Republicans. His administration revised the state history standards “to teach all of our history—the good and the bad,” to “make sure that we’re well-grounded in civics, well-grounded in the foundational documents to this country,” and to ensure that students are prepared for “being a citizen of the United States of America,” he says at the suburban Richmond town hall. There is no railing against wokeness.
Mr. Trump’s core support looks immovable, but it also hasn’t been tested by a compelling alternative. Mr. Youngkin is affable and winsome, but he’d need a vision for national renewal, from growth and spending to national defense—far beyond “common sense” measures that poll well.
He would also need the political courage to stick to that vision when Donald Trump is doing the political equivalent of smashing a vodka bottle over his head. Suburban town halls about teen mental health will be an innocent memory. For all the criticism of Mr. DeSantis’s stone-cold demeanor, the flip side of that weakness is that he is untroubled by elite contempt.
At the end of our conversation, I ask Mr. Youngkin what he’s learned in his short stint in politics that might help his GOP colleagues running for president in a fractured country. He ticks off three lessons. First, focus on persuasion. “We have to explain why we’re doing things,” he says. “If we can’t explain it well and they don’t buy it,” then “we either have a bad answer, or we did a bad job explaining why we’re doing it.” Second, don’t dismiss complex problems—education, substance abuse—with pat solutions. “I’m constantly reminded that people are very smart and they can see through a very shallow argument quickly.”
The third point may be most potent. “Spend time with voters,” and “not just voters that Republicans normally spend time with.” He recalls a campaign luncheon with the American Hindu Coalition, “which is a very large group of Indian-Americans, often times first generation. And we finished lunch, and the chairman of their board said to me, ‘Glenn, thank you for coming. We share so many of the same values. . . . And I just want you to know we’re for you, but you’re the first Republican to come see us in over 10 years.’ ”
“Parents Matter”
I know very little about Youngkin other than he won a Governor’s race that he was supposed to lose.
He did it by striking out at teachers’ unions, no easy feat.
What Happened?
At a September 28 2021 Gubnatorial debate, Democrat Terry McAuliffe bluntly declared: “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
Youngkin took that pitch and hit a home run. Youngkin promised more accountability, more charter schools, and an end to critical-race indoctrination.
This was the preliminary result.
Democrats Stage a Fake White Racist Rally in Virginia Hoping to Hurt Glenn Youngkin
On October 30, 2021, I noted Democrats Stage a Fake White Racist Rally in Virginia Hoping to Hurt Glenn Youngkin
Glenn Greenwald: “The people who most vocally claim to be worried about disinformation and Fake News — to the point that they want to censor the internet in its name — are, by far, the most aggressive and prolific disseminators of disinformation and Fake News. Always. Dems & corporate outlets.“
And despite Biden and Kamala Harris traversing the state in support of McAuliffe, Youngkin went on to win the election.
I know little of Youngkin other than he won Virginia with a good message on education. Also, he is young, smart, doesn’t strive to belittle people, and is working hard in Virginia to get out the early vote instead of Trump’s preferred tactic of complaining about it.
Let’s compare Youngkin to Vivek Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy Wants to Raise the Voting Age to 25
Please consider Vivek Ramaswamy Wants to Raise the Voting Age to 25, Good Idea?
The answer is of course no. There are 31 million people aged 18-24 and Ramaswamy stupidly disenfranchised all of them.
Even more ludicrous, Ramaswamy supports using military force in Mexico.
Using military force on cartels without Mexico’s permission “would not be the preferred option, but we would absolutely be willing to do it,” entrepreneur and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy said in an interview.
To stop the drug trade, NY magazine reported Trump Wanted to Fire Rockets Into Mexico and Pretend Like the U.S. Didn’t Do It.
Politico reports GOP Embraces a New Foreign Policy: Bomb Mexico to Stop Fentanyl.
Ironically, Ramaswamy, proposes a civics test for those 18-24. He would be advised to take the test himself.
Constitutionally, Congress, not the president gets to declare war. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War,
Bombing or sending US troops to Mexico is a belligerent act of war that constitutionally requires such a declaration.
But here we are causally proposing bombing or sending troops to Mexico without Mexico’s permission.
What About DeSantis?
Meanwhile, DeSantis keeps tripping on his own feet, desperately attempting to win over the Ever-Trumpers which is mission impossible.
A Total Destruction of the Political Center. Does Anyone Speak for You?
For more discussion of the sorry set of candidates we have for president, please see A Total Destruction of the Political Center. Does Anyone Speak for You?
Here Are Your Choices
- Bombing Mexico vs Letting Everyone In
- Abortion on Demand vs No Abortions
- More Military Spending vs More Military Spending
- More Sanctions vs More Sanctions
- Weaponizing the Dollar vs Weaponizing the Dollar
Is Youngkin any Better?
He almost has to be. He took on the Teachers’ union in Virginia and won. He won’t be dumb enough to run on a platform that disenfranchises 31 million voters.
I await more details regarding bombing Mexico, but I would be astounded if he was OK with sending troops to Mexico or bombing Mexico as have Trump and Ramaswamy.
That may not be a lot, but at least is something other guaranteed disaster.
And let’s add energy to the list of positives.
A Better Idea on Energy
Talk of raising the age minimum is interesting, but he should go for instituting testing above a maximum age — A stack of mail-in ballots for every resident at a senior home shouldn’t be the default. Of course there are a few members of Congress that wouldn’t pass that test yet they are voting for national legislation.
Republicans are going to get pasted next year regardless of who their nominee is – voters are going to punish them for the Dobbs decision. Absolutely no one I know who’s of reproductive age is going to vote for Trump, Youngkin, Christie, Desantis or any of the other clowns. Only question is, who will be the R’s bag holder next election?
People who believe in the constitution. You might read it. There is no federal right to an abortion.
Do young people actually ever have sex any more, or is it simply a corporate office checkbox thing on a job application?
It doesn’t matter much who runs for each party and it doesn’t matter much who wins. One third of the public will be happy for a few weeks at best, one third will be miserable for four years, and the other third (including me) won’t care.
And no matter who wins, nothing much will change. The problems won’t get solved. And both sides will continue to hate each other. What a waste of time for so many.
Better to spend your time and effort on what you can control; your own life.
Go ahead and vote. Just be aware that after you have voted, to get back to living your life.
Americans’ perpetual optimism that the next elections just might bring a candidate with the right energy and policies to right the ship of state is endearing, but also pathetic.
If the business with the intel-sponsored Russia hoax, the war with Russia on behalf of the MIC, and the outright in your face fraud with the agencies and Hunter hasn’t convinced you (and thousands of other data points, going a long way back): American government is corrupt, the agencies are corrupt, so is the scotus with their arm-twisting of the literal text of the constitution, and the American political system is an impenetrable fort of corruption.
American democracy is kabuki theatre — it is rigged. Controlled by moneyed interests. Without reform, nothing will change, no matter what puppets get in or out of office.
I thought the Bush/Gore debacle would finally bring some reform to the sacrosanct American political system, but no. Nothing sacrosanct can be changed, and as long as everybody is still cheer-leading that “We are the best”, our political system is the most egalitarian, our justice system is better than anything comparable, nothing will change.
American political life is completely in the hands of two private corporations that are steered by the vectored forces of big money and big corporations. That’s it. There is no public interest of common causer
… or common cause. [typo]
I agree with you Web. The system is destroyed. There is no way now out and the only change that will happen will be the financial system. In ten years, the national debt will beover 50 trillion. Countries are going to wake up.
This extremely stupid idea of pushing Ukraine into NATO only quickened the resolve of non-Western influenced countries shift to other payment systems and standards of payment.
The American people are going to get a brutal lesson. I don’t like to think about it.
the main issue of our times is the stranglehold of the Deep State on the direction of this nation. The Deep State which started as the military industrial complex, has expanded its grips to include the mass media, security departments, and judicial apparatus. The only person that has and is openly challenging and describing the Deep State is Donald Trump . We need him more than ever and he should be recognized for his bravery and courage.
Trump belongs in prison, preferably in the same cell with Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.
Lol! I would actually VOTE for that!
Wow, didn’t know you had TDS, Mish. Trump has been the most accused and investigated and impeached president ever, but the charges always turn out to be bogus or at least greatly exaggerated. No crimes to be imprisoned for. Time to rethink and wise up. MdC’s post is right on the money, unless you like the deep state and Dems to take us further into a totalitarian police state.
I live in VA and voted for Younkin, but McAuliffe was a weak candidate. The state is steadily moving leftward, mostly due to large immigration into northern VA. I am not optimistic.
It’s also left as the government grows and more voters are pendant on it’s growth for their prosperity. How else to explain the richest counties in US surround DC. A place that produces nothing. Their wealth comes form the skim. The parasitic class.
Rotation from acquiring knowledge to using knowledge.
Youngkin was Carlyle group’s CEO with David Rubenstein.
Isn’t that a little too close to the US and global establishment? Makes me worry some about Youngkin.
The republicans cont to cannibalize each other. Biden/Mussolini/Stalin trillions prepares the background for Youngkin.
FRED : Total Construction: mfg in US.
The welfare state has far surpassed 50% and getting stronger by the day. The only issue now is what type of commie dictator we get before the decade is out. I hope he’s not too ruthless. Maybe he has a soft spot and refuses to starve people? Usually they don’t but I could see it. You can get food but that’s it. All other CPDC purchases locked.
I’m a lifelong Republican and would happily vote for Glen Youngkin. Of course my last vote for a Republican presidential candidate was John Kasich. But this isn’t the old Republican Party any more. I would never, under any circumstance vote for someone like Donald Trump. I do despise the man so much that I voted for Joe Biden in the last election. First time I ever voted for a Democrat at any level. And honestly, he hasn’t done a terrible job, and I’ll vote for him again if Trump or DeSantis get the nomination (I just can’t hate other people at the depth they do).
Youngkin would get my vote in a heartbeat. But this is pie in the sky. Virginia voters are well-educated, patriotic, white collar types. My kind of people, even as a Floridian. That’s not your Republican Party anymore. Youngkin would get crushed by the Busch-lite crowd.
If you would vote for Biden over DeSantis, you are a Republican in name only.
That is absolutely true. The Republican Party is purely about the tranny’s now. Really isn’t much else to it.
Other than the trade issue under Trump, the GOP has not changed its position on major issues since Reagan. Not sure what “your Republican Party” refers to, but its the same for the past 50 years, at least on the issues. You sound like a closet Democrat.
This diatribe reads like a lib’s Babylon Bee alternative. You don’t have to be a fan of Trump to realize that Kasich is hardly Conservative. He’s literally a liberal that ran as a Repub.
I don’t believe DeSantis should have thrown his hat into the 2024 race as he’s too green to run at the national level, but you’d have to be delusional to think that DeSantis is “hateful”. The man singlehandedly won nearly 60% of the vote in the last election and his state has become a political refuge for Conservatives that were chased out of their own state, of which many of their former politicians used very pointed language towards their former constituency.
Everybody says Trump has a deep-seeded hatred (as does DeSantis), but the news curating crowd is mum when it comes to this:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/kathy-hochuls-call-for-5-4m-republicans-to-leave-new-york-is-dangerous/
https://nypost.com/2014/01/18/gov-cuomo-to-conservatives-leave-ny/
DeSantis is relatively tame when it comes to harsh rhetoric. Especially compared to people like Hochul, Cuomo, Newsom, and Trump. But, I don’t think you’re being sincere about your claims either. I don’t think anyone running on the Republican side is flawless (including Trump and DeSantis), but certain statements are laughable at best.
“DeSantis is relatively tame when it comes to harsh rhetoric.”
Agree but he keeps sticking his foot in his mouth, alienating people for no reason, tying to be a milder Trump.
He has picked up zero Trump fans, while pissing off moderates.
Attacking Disney, pushing for stiff abortion bans, and threatening to deport workers needed for Florida’s agricultural and construction industries were all mistakes.
Being too far Right on abortion is a huge, huge political mistake.
Actually, it was Disney that was attacking and Desantis responded to it. Disney should have kept it’s mind on it’s fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, rather than meddling in Florida politics.
Agree 100%
It wasn’t just Disney. A whole bunch of large businesses came out against DeSantis’s anti-gay policies. But Disney was the only one with the kind of national name recognition that DeSantis could springboard a national reputation from.
RFK, De Santis, Trump …
and any others whom feel they owe an allegiance to a foreign country (not naming names here), can drop dead.
Even though I was born in the last year of the Eisenhower Administration, I’m for that Nick kid.
Mish,
As a libertarian, I agree with most of your assessment on DeSantis, my point was to the original commenter seemingly insincere claims/statements.
DeSantis is definitely very green when it comes to trying to operate on the national stage. He seems to be a better administrator than he would be a President at this point in time. On the national stage, he seems too wooden and ill-prepared. He should honestly bow out gracefully and run in 2028 or 2032.
However, he’s been the best thing to happen to Florida in many decades. Even though Dem governors have been tossing him lay-ups as a result of their inane economic policies, he really hasn’t fumbled the way Republicans did when they essentially controlled everything after Trump was elected.
At the end of the day, I still think we are headed for a Trump versus Biden/Newsom matchup next year. Republicans as a whole seem very unkempt these days. The party can’t decide if they want to get behind Trump or squeeze him off the ballot by throwing 30,000 candidates at him on a debate stage. Who knows how that goes…
The problems mentioned above by a few commentators crystalize the main problems we have and unless that changes we will continue to circle the drain. As it stands now we do have the best government money can buy. The electorate needs to demand changes. I think allowing the parasites only one longer term and eliminating all contributions would help. Shortening the election timeframe and having the govt fund everyones campaign with equal amounts. They like socialism so let them get a taste. That is just a start. As it stands now the parasites make decisions based on what their money masters want and what will keep them feeding at the taxpayers trough.
I have always been a conservative. I don’t think the Republicans will win.
I’m at about 80% agreement with RFK Jr. I find that kind of remarkable.
The current regime (Biden isn’t running it) is taking us off the cliff and dividing people more than ever. All of this race stuff and gender crap is not what real people talk about every day. My neighborhood in GA is far more integrated than where I was in IL. We all get along and nobody is focused on race. Same with sexual orientation and gender. Why would I care to know what anyone likes or doesn’t? Why tell me? Why do you need my affirmation?
The current left isn’t in touch with reality. They think that energy (electricity) just comes out of the wall, food comes from the store and stuff just arrives on the shelf.
RFK is hard left on most issues, other than vaccines and maybe military intervention.
He’ good on liberty and free speech. Without these, we will have nothing.
The notion of just bombing Mexico blows my mind. What happens when that doesn’t work? Next thing it will be sending in troops to occupy certain “cartel hotspots”. They can call it a “Special Military Operation” too. I know it’s a bit extreme comparing that to what Russia is doing, but it’s a slippery slope. Do they expect that Mexico will just allow this to happen too?
“I know it’s a bit extreme comparing that to what Russia is doing, but it’s a slippery slope.”
The slippery slope mostly runs the other way these days.
It’s the Kremlin who are tentatively coming to recognise that they, too, can arbitrarily bomb and invade, Iraq style; set up Blackwater style, supposedly “private,” “contractors” in order to evade responsibility and culpability for torture and whatnot; as well as running massive state funded online spying and hacking programs; now that Washington has normalised that sort of behaviour.
The Kremlin did lead the way, with Washington desperately playing catchup a few decades later, wrt bankrupting themselves getting slapped around like rag-dolls in Afghanistan, I suppose. As well as wrt Siberian gulags, vs ones tucked away on Cuba. It isn’t all a one way street.
Topics like education and energy are window dressing compared to the real issue. The real issue is how corporate friendly a candidate is. Take energy for example: the excuse of an all-American solution can be really a huge favor to fossil fuel companies to exploit US resources without paying for environmental damage and use of public land. Private profits and public losses.
After Citizens United, no candidate can be safely considered better than others.
US Presidential Elections are contested by a selected few who are equipped with massive supplies of funding. By process of elimination, it’s simple now, and will be in 2024, to see where the dollars flow.
Kennedy Jr. on the DEM side and many others on the REP side will not be able to run sustainable campaigns, due of course to funding shortcomings. That includes Youngkin who is already DOA. The thought that some candidate (or Governor who won on a single issue in VA.) can connect with the national electorate and the financial chieftains is naive.
I’m not thrilled either that one of the small (mostly pre-selected) group of Presidential candidates –who has/will have the funding — will be the next President of The United States. But, that’s the way it works in the US. The days of Mr. Smith going to Washington to save the nation from itself and the not-so-deep State are over. The reality is, those days never existed anyway. It was all Hollywood typical BS.
We live in a Representative Republic? Please….let’s be serious about this.
Oh by the way, the group of “mostly pre-selected candidates, include Biden, Newsom, Desantis and one other who was not pre-selected by the Washington power lords and their wealthy friends on Wall Street and beyond. We could all save a lot of time if we just reduced it now to those four who will be the “Final Four.”
I agree.
Everyone would agree that having only one choice on election day would equal a dictatorship. However, for virtually everyone, having only two choices on election is somehow markedly different from having just the one. The mental gymnastics of most folks is astounding to me
As long as the default option, of “neither”, or even “none at all” is banned; you have a de facto dictatorship.
That you can supposedly pick between Putin and Medvedev; or Trump and Biden; or an entire extended family of Kims; makes not one lick of difference whatsoever.
Furthermore, “none at all” is truly the only proper default option for all those too disgusted with the vermin to even bother partaking in their silly self aggrandisement rituals anymore. What we have now, is little different from forcing people to buy one worthless piece of overpriced, vetted “health insurance policy” or another; instead of simply letting them abstain from being fleeced and robbed by paying for any of them the way they could in any country making even the faintest pretence of being anything less than a full blown totalitarian dictatorship.
The base wants kooky, and they’ll get it in the primary, then they’ll lose their minds when it loses the general. I’m a little awed by the power of stupidity and fear… may have to start up a little cult of my own. I can do kooky.
Is that why RFK Jr, isn’t allowed in the primary?
That did doesn’t want so much kooky.
Wyeth, later bought by Pfizer, told Reagan that vaccines were “unavoidably unsafe.” RFK is on the side of the facts. His book on Fauci has over 2,000 footnotes.
The Democrats (Biden esp.) want him dead. This man cannot get a security details from the secret service? Is this “Insane America?”
The fricking guy’s Uncle and Dad were assassinated and the media is all hush-hush.
I hate this media and we who controls it. The First Amendment was created partly to expose government corruption regardless who is in office. They have partisoned to the Democratic/Marxist/Khemer Rouge side. Pol Pot/Stalin and Goebbels would approve of the brainwash that’s been going on for decades. You see the results now with problems not solved, money printed, cities/infrastructure decayed, criminal behaviour accepted by blacks because of slavery, etc. The only focus of our government is military and gay rights.
This is not to going to end well.
I hope Trump gets the nomination. He lost big time last time and he’d galvinize the democratic vote like never before. Youngkin is just another republican meh.
“Here Are Your Choices
Bombing Mexico vs Letting Everyone In
Abortion on Demand vs No Abortions
More Military Spending vs More Military Spending
More Sanctions vs More Sanctions
Weaponizing the Dollar vs Weaponizing the Dollar”
Those all look like “binary” choices and from the tone of the post, I assume that some people here are feeling “non-binary” choices might be better and that’s definitely seems to be in vogue these days. Some people are don’t like the “binary” gender choices, others don’t like the binary political choices so smart people move on from old tropes and that’s good news and progress. I don’t like the limited choices either.
As for Youngkin, it won’t matter one bit if he gets the nomination or gets elected. No one is going to save anyone here. Lol…people worried about masks and woke when there are trillions in debt and millions of boomers leaving the workforce and no one to replace them….talk about the wrong and clueless priorities in this country.
Long Covid is really the endless freak out these people are having about a pandemic that’s been over for 2 years.
You got a lot of things spot on. No talk about the debt by any candidate yet financial pundits blow that off. Surely, these pundits don’t do that with their credit cards!
Out of all these people, I will vote for either RFK or Trump. There are things about both that I don’t like, but this insider trash (both Republican and Democrat) have destroyed the country. DESTROYED IT.
What I’m looking at is getting another passport. The next 10 years are critical and the morons in charge and media are not paying attention to what is important. Small window.
I live in VA, and voted for Youngkin (as did my wife). The main issues at the time were definitely school related. Masking in schools was a huge issue with many parents, along with the woke agenda that was being pushed. Then there was the huge scandal in Loudoun County where a Trans teen raped not one but two girls while in school (this happened at two different schools). After McAuliffe’s debate gaffe, polling shifted and Youngkin went on to win. Parents had simply had enough of the BS that was going on in the schools. As a parent myself, I know I did.
The teachers unions here don’t carry all that much sway. VA is a right to work state after all. My wife is a teacher and she elected to not join the union. Although they continue to badger her to join.
I dont have any complaints so far with Youngkin. He eliminated VA’s sales tax (1.5%) on grocery items, ended the school mask mandate as promised, and has been working to improve the school curriculum as promised.
Could Youngkin unseat Trump as the Republican front runner and win the nomination? On that I have no clue.
The skirt wearing bathroom rapist was probably what pushed Youngkin over the finish line. Not only did the school board hide the fact there was a transexual rapist in the school system, they arrested the father of one of the victims when he complained about it. Called him a terrorist threat. In the wealthiest county in the nation. And at the same time, the governor said parents shouldn’t have a say in how their students are instructed.