Virginia GOP Nominates a Extremist for Governor

Don't be fooled by the Virginia Republican Party's nomination of the Glenn Youngkin's as the party's gubernatorial candidate on its 2021 statewide slate.  The very wealthy Youngkin - estimated $254 million worth net worth per the Washington Post - is an extremist and a darling of the far "Christian Right."  Indeed, Youngkin boasts on his campaign website that he won 61% of the straw poll vote conducted by the Virginia Faith & Freedom Coalition and The Family Foundation of Virginia (the later is the leading hate group in Virginia with a lineage that tracks back to the supporters of Massive Resistance). It is likewise instructive that Youngkin's campaign has released four anti-critical race theory videos.  As a column in the New York Times lays out, this video release dovetails with the "Christian Right's" new culture war to eradicate the teaching of “critical race theory” from America's public-schools:

[T]he right has transformed a term that originally referred to an academic school of thought into a catchall for resentments over diversity initiatives and changing history curriculums. Since I first wrote about anti-critical race theory activism in February, it’s become hard to keep up with the flurry of state bills aimed at banning the teaching of what are often called “divisive concepts,” . . .

Part of the reason the right is putting so much energy into this crusade is because it can’t whip up much opposition to the bulk of Joe Biden’s agenda. Biden’s spending plans are much more ambitious than Barack Obama’s were, but there’s been no new version of the Tea Party. Voters view this president as more moderate than Obama, . . . Republicans have groused about how hard Biden is to demonize. They need a more frightening, enraging villain to keep their people engaged.

Critical race theory — presented as an attack on history, a program to indoctrinate children and a stealth form of Marxism — fits the bill.

Youngkin is all onboard with this agenda.  He touts that he will "stop all the terrible policies coming out of Richmond, and make Virginia the best state in America to live, work, and raise a family," but this will be true only if one is white, heterosexual and far right Christian and long for a return of the Virginia of the 1950's.  Blacks, gays, women, voting rights advocates and the religiously non-affiliated should view Youngkin's ideal Virginia with horror.

Equally troubling is Youngkin's allegiance to Donald Trump and the "Big Lie." A piece in Washingtonian looks at these troubling aspects about Youngkin:

He’s not as Trumpy as others, but he’s still Trumpy 

Though other candidates in the race were more enthusiastic supporters of Donald Trump, Youngkin still made a play for the MAGA crowd. For example, according to the Associate Press, Youngkin made election integrity the central issue of his campaign—a move that allowed “him to appeal to Trump voters who still believe the 2020 election was stolen from him without having to invoke Trump’s name directly.”

He has not acknowledged Biden’s White House win 

In an even Trumpier move, Youngkin has so far not acknowledged the reality of Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election, according to the Post. 

With Youngkin's personal wealth, it is critical that Virginians who want to keep Virginia trending blue unite behind a candidate who can defeat Youngkin and the reactionary policies he would seek to force on the Commonwealth.  Personally, the husband and I are supporting Terry McAuliffe because we see him as the only Democrat in the race who can defeat Youngkin.  Far too much is at risk to back a lesser known candidate with questionable fund raising abilities.