In all the discussion of Glenn Youngkin’s victory over Terry McAuliffe, there’s a word that’s largely missing from the analysis: abortion. And, on first glance, that’s quite a surprise. This was supposed to be one of the most concretely consequential elections for abortion rights in a generation. Yet in the end, the issue hardly mattered at all….
It’s entirely possible that the Supreme Court will meaningfully (and perhaps even dramatically) increase state authority over abortion rights. This means the candidates’ respective opinions on abortion potentially mattered more than any candidate’s position in almost 50 years.
McAuliffe understood this reality and made the threat to abortion rights one of the centerpieces of his campaign. In late October, CNBC reported that three of McAuliffe’s most expensive ads targeted Youngkin for his pro-life stance. They were “among the former governor’s most aired ads on broadcast or cable television, with each airing over 1,100 times.”
McAuliffe made a campaign stop in September at an abortion clinic, and—as my former National Review colleague John McCormack pointed out—pieces in the New York Times, NPR, and the Washington Post accurately noted that the race would prove an interesting test of “the new politics of abortion.”
And what happened? If the exit polls are to be believed, the issue fizzled. Voters largely did not care. Only eight percent listed abortion as their top issue, and of those eight percent, 58 percent voted for Youngkin.
…. It’s impossible to know if the (relative) public indifference to the abortion debate will impact the Supreme Court. Even if it does impact the Court, it’s anybody’s guess as to the direction of that impact. My friend John McCormack argues that the Virginia results provide evidence “that if the Supreme Court does restore the right of the American people to enact laws protecting the lives of unborn babies, there would not be some sort of overwhelming nationwide backlash against Republicans at the polls in 2022.”
The above comes from a Nov. 7 story by David French on the Dispatch.
McAuliffe completely misread the room.
The Virginia election results show that American voters, including republicans, have abortion fatigue and really do not care. For republicans it’s God, Guns and GOLD – the Almighty dollar- that’s what counts!
I’d rather someone be motivated by the almighty dollar than by pure authoritarianism (which comes with a lot of the almighty dollar). At least I have a chance at the former but I’m the subject of the latter….
Trumpo, it’s good to see that you don’t caricature those with whom you disagree and want to engage in serious discussion of the issues. Those dirty, nasty, greedy Republicans really do like dirty air and water, violent crime and want to kill grandma.
Great drag name Sara
Why did McAuliffe lose to Youngkin? No deep analysis required. During the campaign McAuliffe acted like the prototype vaudeville clown. Youngkin was serious but didn’t pontificate or strike low blows [“racism” for instance]; and he offered practical solutions to problems that vexed Virginians. The voters showed they had tired of “The Last Hurrah” type of pol [complete with entourage and hanger-on]. So they voted for a Governor and rejected the used-car salesman.
It was no more complicated than the winner’s 2+2=4 to the loser’s “woke” 2+2=5.
All I know is that I will never vote for a Democrat, and I don’t understand how any intelligent and good person could vote Democrat.
The RNC has announced a “Pride Coalition Partnership” with the “LGBT” “Log Cabin Republicans,” to “strengthen the Republican Party.” A political party should have nothing to do with personal issues of those suffering from same-sex attraction, or any other type of sexual, medical or psychological personal issues. They should not involve any focus on their personal problems. The title, “Log Cabin Republicans,” insinuating that Pres. Lincoln was bi-sexual, and had filthy homosexual affairs with men– in addition to being married with children — is a terrible slander to Lincoln, to his heroic Presidency.
Many in the Republican Party have been courageously standing up for religious faith, freedom of religion issues, Traditional (Man-Woman) Marriage and Children, traditional education in the schools, bringing back good Christian values of our American heritage, and authentic teaching of our history (not fraudulent “cancel culture” or “wokeism”), and valiantly championing the Right to Life of all unborn children. They have sought to uphold the Hyde Amendment, get rid of Planned Parenthood and filthy, explicit sex-ed classes and pornographic books for children in the schools, and end the school “transgender” craze. Many concerned parents worked so hard on the Youngkin campaign. The liberal, insane DOJ has labeled concerned parents who speak up at school board meetings as “domestic terrorists,” and has sent the FBI and law enforcement to curb their attempts to seek decent schools for their children. And McAuliffe, an extremely immoral liberal, and an abortion supporter, agreed strongly with the DOJ. He didn’t want parents to have any say at all in their children’s education. So glad that Youngkin won the election.
At this point in America’s decline, what difference does it make?
“At this point in America’s decline, what difference does it make?” Really? Is that what George Washington said at Valley Forge? Is that what Pres. Lincoln said at Gettysburg? Is that what Pres. FDR said when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese? Is that what St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother said when they were told, “No room for you at the Inn?” “Guess we’ll give up, it’s pointless?” After being born, Baby Jesus narrowly escaped being killed by evil King Herod! Christ only had three years of ministry on earth– then, a disciple betrayed Him, and He was caught and killed! And Rome killed all His followers for several centuries thereafter! Don’t ever, ever give up! We were given a life, and responsibility to use it, to follow Jesus Christ, and help God make a better world!
One Virginia mother who was involved in Youngkin’s campaign, made national headlines for speaking out at her local school board meeting, complaining about pornographic books in her son’s high school library, including filthy books with stories of gay men committing horrific gay sex acts with teen-age boys. A short time later, the high school principal called the mother and told her she was permanently banned from the high school library, according to a school policy. The principal then said that all parents were banned from the library. When the mother asked to see the policy on banning parents from the library, the principal evaded her request, and refused to show her the policy. The mother was cut off when given her allotted time to speak at school board meetings, and she and her family subsequently have suffered from receiving many death threats. Hope Youngkin can effectively end these horrendous evils.
A video of this mother, Stacy Langton, getting cut off at her Fairfax County School Board meeting before her allotted time ended, went viral, all over the nation. Youngkin used this famous situation effectively in campaign ads,
stating he was eager to remedy the horrible problems in the Virginia schools.
Since the “hippie revolution,” which nearly destroyed our holy Church and great Nation, good Catholic and Protestant families (and good Jewish families, too!) have gotten together with their kids, and restricted social activities carefully.
My comment of 11/10 at 1:02am was edited heavily. What I meant to say, is that there has been a good subculture in America, of the “Culture of Life,” of very good families, who are devout believers (Catholic and Protestant), with good morals, who avoid everything about the “Death Culture,” and are dedicated pro-lifers. They restrict their families’ social life to just other good families of faith, with the same good values. Their kids are not involved in the evil “Death Culture.” Many have been homeschooling their kids for a couple of generations, now, with excellent results! And these kids have married other like-minded, homeschooled people of faith, and have started new homeschooled families of their own. This is the seed of a new and wonderful “Culture of Life,” and through their good work, Christ will eventually conquer the evil “Death Culture.”
I don’t see how any right-minded person could vote for a Democrat. I don’t see how any right-minded person could vote for a Republican. The truth is, right-minded people vote based on their beliefs about the issues. Some people are one-issue voters, others are more the whole-cloth voter. There is no question that in Virginia’s latest election the Reds gave the Blues a lesson in local politics. Today’s most conservative Democrat is very much to the left of center and the most liberal Republican is very much to the right of center. The country is pretty much a centrist nation, at least in the last 100 years or so. While DC dithers, the folks at home want the snow plowed and the potholes filled, the schools to represent their views, (which isn’t the definition of a good education) and life to be better. Congress passed a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill with hardly a republican vote, but I will bet dollars to donuts the Reds will do a better job of telling their constituents how they brought the pork home, while the Blues continue to argue over social issues.
They really just wanted the schools open.