Glenn Youngkin: Not Ready for Prime Time

To many it is becoming apparent that Glenn Youngkin (pictured at a political event in New York State rather than governing Virginia) never really cared about governing Virginia and the Commonwealth's future prosperity.  Instead, it was to be merely a staging ground for a presidential run.  Hence his first day in office Youngkin reignited the culture wars seeking to ban "divisive subjects" - read any honest history and discussion of race and/or any mention of the existence of gays - from public schools.   Virginia's "welcoming to all" slogan was tossed away.   Meanwhile, Virginia lost its rating as "best state in which to do bussiness."  Pandering to the ugliest elements of the GOP base is all that matters to Youngkin as put on display by his tasteless (at best) remarks following the attack on Paul Pelosi by a MAGA inspired individual.  Given opportunities to appologize, Youngkin failed to do so, likely out of fear of the party base.  As a column in the Washington Posts lays out, Youngkin isn't ready for prime time and, in my view shows how suburban voters wereduped into voting for Youngkin.  Here are highlights:

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is quickly learning the downsides of testing the national political waters. Stumbles and gaffes can wreck a nascent campaign before it even gets to the exploratory phase.

Consider Youngkin’s words at a Friday campaign rally for 7th Congressional District GOP nominee Yesli Vega [a true nutcase]. News broke that day that David DePape attacked and brutally beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, in their California home. As The Post’s Greg Schneider and Meagan Flynn reported, Youngkin said “There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send [Pelosi] back to be with him in California.”

That sounds bad. But the videotape of Youngkin’s remarks was even worse. The rookie governor doesn’t change his tone or timing when he says it’s time to send Pelosi back to take care of her injured husband.

It’s a sorry display of a pol who sounds callous, even flippant, in the face of another person’s horror.

Youngkin’s gaffe drew swift and entirely warranted condemnation from Democrats.

But in this current era, neither politicians nor corporate honchos (like Youngkin used to be at the Carlyle Group) admit gaffes. And in those vanishingly rare occasions when they are, it’s in the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (channeling Richard M. Nixon) “some mistakes were made” vein.

Newsmax host Greta Van Susteren gave Youngkin a chance to take what she called a “do over.” It started out okay. Youngkin said, “there is no room for violence in America,” that the assault was “beyond belief” and that he would pray for Paul Pelosi’s full recovery.

Hearing no apology, Van Susteren again offered the “do over” option to Youngkin, who stuck to his script: “At the core of this is that a terrible thing happened to the speaker’s husband. It should never happen, and we just wish him a speedy recovery. And as I said, the first lady and I keep him in our prayers.”

No “sorry.” Not even a “I should have been more sensitive.” Not even a lame “some mistakes were made.”

It almost qualifies as performance art. Virginia’s political press has long complained that Youngkin rarely strays from his talking points. It served him very well against his 2021 opponent Terry McAuliffe, after all, so why shouldn’t it work elsewhere, like maybe New Hampshire?

But if Youngkin really, truly wants to play on the national stage — not just making the rounds for assorted GOP gubernatorial hopefuls or in-state congressional candidates, but the big show in 2024 — he’s got to take his rhetorical and mental game to an entirely new level.

That means being able to think on his feet while the cameras are rolling, showing he’s capable of deviating from his canned remarks when circumstances demand it.

It also means showing empathy for those with whom you disagree, politically — otherwise known as common decency. That’s an increasingly rare quality among politicians. If Youngkin can show it on the stump, it would immediately set him apart from and above his otherwise increasingly coarse party colleagues.

[W]hatever Youngkin might think he can do in 2024, it won’t be on the national stage.

Which means he’s grounded here in Virginia. And that means we need to pay closer attention — press and voters alike — to what Youngkin does in the year ahead.