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Terry McAuliffe’s Campaign Descends into Disarray

Posted on Friday, October 15, 2021
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AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris

Terry McAuliffe is slipping in Virginia. Warning signs first appeared several weeks ago as McAuliffe’s once healthy polling lead over Republican Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia Governor’s race evaporated. Now, as Democrats’ popularity continues to sink throughout the country, Youngkin is surging and has firmly taken the momentum in the race. But while Youngkin has done an impressive job of highlighting McAuliffe’s flaws, the most immediately apparent problem plaguing McAuliffe has been McAuliffe himself, and the most damaging blows against him have been self-inflicted.

While McAuliffe held a comfortable 6.6-point lead over Youngkin as late as August according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, that advantage has now shrunk to just 2.2 points, well within the margin of error for most polls. An Emerson poll from earlier this month put McAuliffe’s advantage at just one point, while some polls have even showed Youngkin in the lead. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently shifted the race from “lean Democratic” to “toss-up.”

Perhaps the biggest issue that has dogged McAuliffe throughout his campaign has been an inability to effectively and consistently address the issue of radical ideologies being taught in schools. For example, after first claiming that CRT was a “right-wing conspiracy,” McAuliffe then pivoted to asserting that it did exist, but that it was not taught in schools, and that it was nevertheless a “racist dog whistle” – despite the fact that large majorities of parents reject CRT and its associated ideologies. When pressed, however, McAuliffe was unable to define what CRT is, leading many to question how he could then know if it was or was not being taught in schools. Then, just yesterday, newly unearthed documents revealed that the McAuliffe’s own Secretary of Education explicitly pushed schools to teach CRT during McAuliffe’s previous term as governor.

Perhaps McAuliffe’s worst blunder came on the debate stage late last month, as Youngkin grilled him over his education policy. During the exchange, McAuliffe said that “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” The comment led to immediate backlash from Virginia parents, who rightly pointed out that as both parents of their children and taxpayers who fund the school system, they certainly should have a say in what their kids are taught in school.

Beyond his failure to stand up for parents of school children, McAuliffe has also embraced several radical Democrat policy positions that are profoundly unpopular in Virginia. He made national headlines last month when a Virginia Sheriff confronted him about his ties to groups associated with the “Defund the Police” movement. McAuliffe refused to explicitly disavow the movement, angering many law enforcement officials throughout the state.

McAuliffe has also joined in the push by national Democrats to override local zoning decisions and abolish zoning protections for single family neighborhoods. Incredibly, McAuliffe wants to pave the way for big banks and well-connected real estate developers to replace single-family homes with high-density apartment units in residential neighborhoods.

The housing plan on McAuliffe’s campaign website spells it out clearly enough. Under the heading “Neighbors for More Neighbors: Bold Changes to Overcome Local Impediments and Create More Housing”, McAuliffe promises to “create a task force that is charged with identifying zoning, regulatory and permitting issues that impede a locality’s ability to promote affordable housing. This task force will create a framework to break down barriers [and] improve zoning.”

To give him credit, the “bold changes” that McAuliffe is describing are indeed breathtakingly bold: abolish single family zoning. Moreover, the breaking down of barriers that McAuliffe has in mind includes breaking down the “barrier” that is the attachment that middle suburban homeowners have for their single-family neighborhoods. For anyone who does not believe this is even an issue, they should understand that the abolition of single-family zoning is mainstream thinking in today’s Democrat party. Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to abolish single family zoning in all of California. Oregon abolished single family zoning in 2019, and Minneapolis was the first major metropolitan area to abolish single family zoning, also in 2019. The New York Times Editorial Board has called the push to abolition single family zoning “simple and brilliant.” Incidentally, the slogan on McAuliffe’s website “Neighbors for More Neighbors” is word-for-word the same slogan employed by the Minnesota coalition that successfully campaigned to abolish single family zoning in Minneapolis. That organization’s website is still live.

Over the past week, conservatives have opened up a new front in the opposition to the plan, highlighting McAuliffe’s radical zoning policies in a brutal two-minute ad across sections of Northern Virginia in response to McAuliffe’s plan, urging viewers to “ask Terry McAuliffe why he wants to use Virginia to pay off his extremist allies, destroy suburban neighborhoods, and destroy the American dream of a single-family home.”

McAuliffe’s campaign strategy has also bewildered many political observers. One longtime Republican consultant who has followed the race closely said that “their media strategy has been all over the place,” noting that “there doesn’t seem to be a consistent message from week to week. They’re panicking.”

Part of the reason for that is likely that they have a tough opponent in Youngkin. As a first-time candidate, Youngkin has no political record for McAuliffe to criticize. Youngkin’s personal story is also inspiring, rising from a modest background to become co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the world.

The McAuliffe campaign has therefore attempted to focus on Youngkin’s time with the firm in most of their attacks, portraying Youngkin as a cutthroat businessman who only cares about profit. However, their evidence has been tenuous at best, and at times bizarre. In one case, McAuliffe’s campaign accused Youngkin of playing a role in the controversial sale of the master rights to music superstar Taylor Swift’s first six albums, apparently in the hope of garnering the support of Swift fans, or “Swifties.” While The Carlyle Group did back the sale of the records to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, there is no evidence that Youngkin had any involvement or even knowledge of the deal—or that disputes over the music rights of ultra-wealthy pop stars would move a single vote.

McAuliffe’s criticisms of Youngkin’s time with The Carlyle Group are also undercut by the fact that McAuliffe himself is an investor in the firm. While McAuliffe has said that he has lost money on the investment, reporting from Axios suggests that claim doesn’t add up either.

McAuliffe also had another major messaging slipup earlier this month when he told campaign surrogates on a call that “we are facing a lot of headwinds from Washington,” saying that Biden was “unpopular” in Virginia. The comment was quickly amplified by conservative media voices, and likely didn’t earn McAuliffe any good will from both supporters of President Biden – whom McAuliffe desperately needs to turn out in large numbers and vote for him – and from President Biden himself.

The Democrat establishment clearly recognizes that McAuliffe is in trouble. As the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, the powers that be inside the Democratic Party are dispatching their “heavy hitters” to boost McAuliffe. First Lady Jill Biden will stump for the former governor, as will Stacey Abrams, the failed gubernatorial candidate from Georgia, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta. Nancy Pelosi will be hosting a fundraiser. Even Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail later this month, a sign of just how concerned Democrats are about McAuliffe’s prospects.

It’s clear that a Republican victory in Virginia would be a devastating blow to Democrats nationally and an ominous sign of things to come in next year’s midterm elections. Retiring Democratic Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin said that a Youngkin victory “would be a Scott Brown moment,” referring to Brown’s victory in a Senate special election in deep blue Massachusetts in 2010. Brown’s stunning upset was an early sign of the looming wipeout for Democrats that fall as a result of public backlash to Democratic overreach. In that election, Democrats also dispatched then-President Obama to campaign against Brown, unsuccessfully. More than a decade later, Republicans are now hoping for a repeat act, and McAuliffe himself may help them get it.

Admittedly, not all of McAuliffe’s slide is his fault. With Biden’s debacle in Afghanistan, his ongoing border crisis, and inflation and supply chain woes plaguing the nation’s economy, McAuliffe is weighed down by the Democrat party’s disastrous record in office. There’s also the fact that Youngkin has run an excellent campaign, particularly for a first-time candidate. But McAuliffe has only compounded those problems with his own ineptitude, a fact that may ultimately prove to be his undoing.

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Robert F. Troisio
Robert F. Troisio
2 years ago

The only way that Pathetic Joey Biden is going to draw votes is by giving out $50 bills at the polls on election day.

John Samples
John Samples
2 years ago

People of Virginia,Vote for what will benefit your state. The answer is clear.

Henker
Henker
2 years ago

After Democrats stole the 2020 election and JewPutsched the legitimate President, I stopped predicting election races.

Frank
Frank
2 years ago

Much like the POTUS election and California recall, the Democrats aren’t too concerned about actually competing in this election. The fix is in and they KNOW their guy will win.

Robin L. Orenbuch
Robin L. Orenbuch
2 years ago

The last Democrat worth voting for was killed when a Soviet fighter plane shot down KAL 007 over the Kimchatka Peninsula in the 1980’s. That was Larry McDonald, a patriotic constitutionalist American. As a Virginian I look forward to voting for Glen Youngkin. It is treason to support the Democrats.

Becky
Becky
2 years ago

I will wait for the news that Piglosi and Dummywood pals in California are all going to vacate their “single family” properties to the cause of taking away all middle class property for those high rises for the welfare population.
Anyone can see this connects to the Communist movement of removing assets from AMERICAN citizens to give away to all the third world riffraff being brought in to drown America.
This ‘plan’ is just another step and stage in the death of America and turning it over to every other thug population on earth. Particularly muslims and hispanics of no ability to support themselves at all.
America……the great welfare provider to all the useless.

Robert
Robert
2 years ago

It is amazing that this commie has any polling lead at all. That is what is amazing. Ahhh yes, the stupidity of the American voter. It never ceases to amaze.

HocasPocas
HocasPocas
2 years ago

Virginia will play the same machine card that was played in November, same in Georgia senate and California Nuisance recall

Trap
Trap
2 years ago

“heavy hitter” Jill and Stacy??? you can’t make this stuff up. God Bless America

Court
Court
2 years ago

Progress = progress mindset of deconstructing any and everything in society.
People focus more on CRT than on the writings of Michel Foucault that, in large part, drive the deconstruction of biological gender. To be traditional, whether one is Muslim Christian or and Orthodox Jew, is Neanderthal.
I think of Psalm 1.

John D. Beach
John D. Beach
2 years ago

School board meetings from all over the country, including Virginia, are available for viewing on youtube.com. What transpires, exactly, is a matter of publicrecord. Liberalism is the essence of choice to decide which moral or ethical laws one will, simply, ignore or choose to disobey. Fact check this! The security of freedom is dependent on the morality and ethics of its exercise, not the power of government to discriminate against those whose source criteria for it is Almighty God. The reason for election, based on partisan-political differences, is that what one believes is as important as who one is. The issue comes down to what people believe and what or who is representative of them and what should be represented, or presented, in the context of education in order that justice is maintained in the system of government.

Maggie
Maggie
2 years ago

Good riddance to McAullife. Down in flames with the rest of his hate America and Americans party.

Benkarkis
Benkarkis
2 years ago

CNN article today accuses parents in VA of being right wing activists because they want a say in education.

iRAN
iRAN
2 years ago

Like all Dem pols, McAuliffe has proven himself to be a bald face liar. He can’t claim he didn’t know Critical (against Whites) Race Theory wasn’t being taught in schools under his government. If he really didn’t, then he is clueless and unfit for office. If he did, he’s a liar and unfit for office. Either way, he loses. I pray Youngkin defeats the despicable McAuliffe but I also hope he isn’t a RINO. We don’t need more of those in office.

Gary Swanzy
Gary Swanzy
2 years ago

McAuliffe will still win because Virginia has been flooded with Yankee Democrats that don’t care and will vote for anything with a “D” by its name.
Funny, they left their crap states with crap policies and are no going to vote for the same crap policies to ruin Virginia with.

THX 1138
THX 1138
2 years ago

Since when had Stacy Abrams ever become or ever been considered a “heavy hitter” for the dRats?

Glee
Glee
2 years ago

Unless they run a clean election and get rid of those voting machines, a good conservative won’t have a chance no matter how many real votes he/she gets. As one candidate said, “if you are running for office and think you can beat the systematic fraud when a president as popular as Trump could not, you are delusional.” Biden’s “best ever election fraud organization” is still alive and well!

Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
2 years ago

These communist poll workers need to be watched on camera and arrested for their crimes of treason. A firing squad would be a good answer.

st
st
2 years ago

Glenn Youngkin for Virginia Governor – videos
commoncts.blogspot.com/2021/10/glenn-youngkin-for-virginia-governor.html

Tim Toroian
Tim Toroian
2 years ago

People thought it was funny last when some candidates supposedly didn’t Trump to campaign for them, this is times funnier. It’s hilarious. Disarray is good in this case.

Hal
Hal
2 years ago

Whether McAulilovehillary’s campaign is in disarray is only mildly relevant. What is more relevant is how effective his DemocRat ilk can rig the voting.

baitmando
baitmando
2 years ago

Time to bury the the disastrous Marxist left now.

Ted Tedstone
Ted Tedstone
2 years ago

I they are trucking out The Muslim Pretender, they are desperate.

DeEnna Matthews
DeEnna Matthews
2 years ago

McAuliffe will more than likely win. The DNC has pumped millions into his campaign and the democrats in Virginia are expert in turning their dollars into votes.

Carrie Mataraza
Carrie Mataraza
2 years ago

McAuliffe, a corrupt Clinton sycophant, has no place in honest and ethical politics. He’ll appeal to the lowest common denominator which means his policy positions are all over the place and wave whichever way the wind is blowing. I hope Virginians have awakened to the disaster the Democrats are, McAuliffe and his Leftist pals included.

Rhonda M Holub
Rhonda M Holub
2 years ago

He’s toast.

George
George
2 years ago

Does the abolishing of single family zoning affect the mansions of the megarich? How many apartment houses could be put on Nancy Pelosi’s estate or Oprah Winfrey’s estates? It would be interesting to see.

K. Martin
K. Martin
2 years ago

All I have is one question: Do Virginians have Dominion voting machines and/or non-military mail-in voting?

JJ JOHNSON SMITH
JJ JOHNSON SMITH
2 years ago

I love it when Socialists out themselves like McAuliffe does almost daily. His Zoning dreams alone, are 100% Socialist. He’s Done, no matter how many Liberal Loonies stump for him.

Douglas Proudfoot
Douglas Proudfoot
2 years ago

It is possible to beat the margin of fraud. In 1982, Chicago Machine Democrats cast 100,000 fraudulent votes for Governor of Illinois. Republican Jim Thompson won anyway, by just under 9,000 votes. A federal task force got convictions of 63 Democrats and sent them to prison.

Also, remember that Scott Smith was arrested at the June 22, 2021, Loudoun County school board meeting for disorderly conduct. The arrest prevented him from asking what the school board was doing to address the alleged rape of his daughter in a girls room by a boy in a dress, in May. After the arrest, the school board said there were no incidents connected with their transgender bathroom policy. Although the boy was charged with sexual assault, the school said they couldn’t expel him. They quietly moved the alleged rapist to another school, where he committed another alleged rape in early October.

Smith’s arrest was mentioned in a letter asking Attorney General Garland to protect school boards from angry parents. Garland sent out a letter telling the FBI to investigate the parents as domestic terrorists under the Patriot Act.

McAuliffe doesn’t think parents should have input on what’s taught in schools. If that doesn’t motivate you to vote, I don’t know what will.

Adler Pfingsten
Adler Pfingsten
2 years ago

The worm is turning…

Next week I will be filing a motion as only I can asking for a Temporary Restraining Order until empirical, mathematical, evidence the God of Sinai, Yeshua and 1776 can be scientifically analyzed; evidence having broad implications for the Marxian agenda in that the highest court has ruled CRT, LGBT and gender identity violates the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”.

If your heart of hearts tells you the false religion of intellectual arrogance, Marxianity, is a reality and the evil that is shadow government of Obama pulling the strings of the puppet Biden take solace your connection with God is intact: givesendgo.com/G26Y5

Joan
Joan
2 years ago

Virginia has so many beautiful historical monuments. It would be a darn shame to keep letting the Democrats tear them all down.

Henker
Henker
2 years ago

All the ni@@ers in Cherry Park won’t save the crooked Democrats, those thieving Communist traitors.

Henker
Henker
2 years ago

We haven’t forgotten the Democrat’s vile Jew Putsch of the legitimate President, nor their vile and racist Black Rebellion 20-21, nor that they rigged and STOLE the last election. We forget nothing.

Peter K
Peter K
2 years ago

The primary issue is that a large majority of Democrat voters are ignorant and lack any insight to what is truely happening to our country under Democrat rule. State after State, city after City that is controlled by Democrats is failing miserably, yet, they continue to hold on to “power”, NOT service. We are living in a sad time for our Republic. I only pray WE will overcome it. One more thing, please do NOT out this on God. It is not og His doing and He will NOT rescue those that do not believe. This is on US and US alone.

Allan Brem
Allan Brem
2 years ago

The old adage “All of the people all of the time” is beginning to crumble in no small part due to their lack of integrity.

Drue
Drue
2 years ago

Terry McAwful is only one of the act of the Tim and Terry show. Remember that Timmy Kaine ran with Hillary in 2016. What a pair they would have been! Both of these DemocRATS were governors in Virginia and both raped and pillaged that state. And let us not forget Ralph “Blackface” Northam, the current king of Virginia. What a job he has done. All three of these Jokers are DemocRATS and have fed at the public trough for years, never having done an honest day’s work in their lives. Remember Terry had his fingers in the pie of the failed electric car company, Greentech Automotive that went belly up before they produced any working cars. Yes, these fine men deserve what they will get, out of a job and hopefully out of public service. The only reason any one of these 3 political hacks were elected is because of the liberals living in Northern Virginia. I think even they have seen the light.

JimH
JimH
2 years ago

Unfortunately votes don’t count but the counters do.

Felix
Felix
2 years ago

I live in south west Virginia and just voted today for Youngkin and Sears, the problem in Virginia is northrn Virginia, right next to the DC Swamp Those people arte clueless to what path our country is on.

Joyce
Joyce
2 years ago

Ipray that Younkin wins. We, Virginians, have had enough of democrats. Northam was the pits and McAuliffe is not any better. We had him for 4 years and he did not help Virginia, no matter what he says.

Phyl
Phyl
2 years ago

People in Virginia, PLEASE, PLEASE get out and vote. That is how we will get Republicans back in the offices and re-establish freedom.

Philip Hammersley
Philip Hammersley
2 years ago

Hopefully we can say “Goodbye” to Hillary’s friend, “The Punk.”

Paul DAscenz
Paul DAscenz
2 years ago

The Democrats lies are catching up with them

BigB
BigB
2 years ago

DEMOCRATS: PARTY OF SELF-ANNIHILATION/DESTRUCTION/INEPTITUDE
satan will not survive the righteous!

Hal
Hal
2 years ago
  1. McAuliffe must be a favorite of the news media. Seems he gets a lot of press for many recent years past but doesn’t come across as anything but a DemocRat closely tied to the Clintons and other self aggrandizing DemocRat politicos. A true press darling, apparently.
Gary
Gary
2 years ago

I would find it hard to believe that Democrat parents would vote for McAuliffe after what he said in the last debate . McAuliffe said that ‘parents should not be able to tell teachers what to teach their children’ . What parent , in their right mind , would permit the gov to teach their children what the gov wants to teach their children , over the objections of those parents ? I really don’t think anyone is that stupid .

Additionally , Democrat voters in Northern Virginia live in the wealthiest counties in America . And , they live there because of those big beautiful single family homes . Would those voters actually vote to turn their big beautiful single family homes into multi-family houses ? Democrats all over the country (in ‘blue’ States) are already abolishing single family housing . Many of the people in my own family are wealthy , are Democrats , and really enjoy living in their huge single family homes . Some of them have more than one large single family houses . They may be Liberals but they’re not Leftists . And , they aint stupid . They definitely want to keep for themselves , their large single family houses ! So, either Democrats might stay home on election day or , they just might vote for Youngkin . It’s just too dangerous for Democrats to vote Democrat .

Wayne Peterkin
Wayne Peterkin
2 years ago

McAuliffe is scum, but he’s scum in a blue state dominated by the population near the Washington beltway. He needs to lose, but I will be surprised if he does. Then add the issue of election integrity, honest balloting, and it becomes even tougher for any Republican to win in any blue state. As one example, the terrible Gov. Newsome is still in California and that recall election was highly questionable.

D.P.
D.P.
2 years ago

Hopefully, this repub. candidate will continue to hammer the subjects covered in this article…the very things McAliffe is putting forth from his platform. Bring the truth to bear and see how the lie is quickly dispelled. Hopefully, this democratic approach will be clearly revealed for all its flaws, dangers and socialist direction….that is how the repubs will win across the board…..use the truth, shine the light on truth with documentational proofs, and hammer, hammer, hammer…….and those of us who can, put your money where it needs to go….to challenge the big bucks behind the dems……there is power in numbers….stand up, be counted, support the truth and hammer, hammer, hammer.

Michael
Michael
2 years ago

There is not a chance of McAuliffe losing this race. The Democraps worked most of the bugs out of their election theft schemes during the 2020 election, and have had a year to prepare for this one. The forged ballots have been rolling off the presses, and “just enough” will be strategically placed in the most tenuous precincts to put McAuliffe over the top. Democraps will never lose another close race.

Richard Shelton
Richard Shelton
2 years ago

Any poll numbers don’t take in to account the Dems ability to cheat and steal an election.

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