CIA Democrat Representative Abigail Spanberger is leading GOP gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears by double digits, 49 percent to 37 percent, according to a recent poll released Wednesday by Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
Add to that the news that Spanberger reported this week that she raised $4.3 million from June 6 to June 30 and had $15.2 million in cash at the end of that period. Earle-Sears raised $2.4 million over the same stretch and had $4.6 million on hand.
None of this should come as a shock to Virginia Republicans. Sears long jettisoned Trump and the MAGA movement that comprise most of Virginia’s 42,775 square miles, opting instead to make a play for minorities and liberals who own Richmond, Northern Virginia, and the state’s largest cities, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk.
It is as if the idea never occurred to Sears that the number one rule in politics is to “secure your base.” Not only that, but Sears managed to insult the Trump-MAGA base year after year, betting on Trumps political demise. A huge unforced error.
For those of you who think Sears’ comments are a thing of the past, sadly, that is not true. This writer was in Richmond for the celebration of Trump’s looming inauguration in Washington. Joining Sears on stage was Youngkin and AG Jason Miyares. Thus, four days before the Inauguration, on Thursday, January 16, Sears took to the stage, as the crowned GOP gubernatorial nominee, and made exactly no mention of President Trump. Not one.
Fast forward to Sunday January 19, only one day before Trump’s return, where Sears was the featured speaker at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. There too, after a nearly sixty-minute speech, Sears could not bring herself to mention his name. Mind you, this is twenty-four hours before his coronation.
To add insult to injury, if that were possible, Sears then went on to hire Nikki Haley consultants in February, after Trump said he would not employ any of Haley’s staff.
Can Sears be any more out of touch?
I will let you decide.
Not long after that, Sears decided to pick a fight (with Youngkin’s help) to literally remove the duly state-wide nominated GOP Lt. Governor candidate, John Reid, over his sexuality.
Seriously. And I thought only the Dems did this sort of thing.
To credit his common-sense, Reid is not making his sexuality a campaign issue.
The result is the Sears campaign, flying under the “Dump Trump” banner in order to make a play for Deep Blue Virginia, manages to not only insult the GOP voters who don’t care about Reid’s sexuality and nominated him, but Sears also manages to insult the same Blue Virginians whose sex policy can best be described as “Anything Goes” by attacking Reid’s sexuality.
Go figure.
Enter Sears’ polling and war chest numbers.
The latest news this week comes in the form of Sears campaign shake up: firing her campaign manager. The WaPo described Will Archer, pastor of Potomac Valley Church in Dumfries as, “a pastor with no political experience.”
There is a lesson here for pastors who delve into politics—but I digress. The bigger issue is one of Sears’ judgment.
For any conservative to get elected statewide in Deep Blue +6 Kamala Harris for President Virginia, several things must happen:
The Dem must make an ERROR. Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat nominee, and former Virginia governor did just that by suggesting that Virginia parents have no business in the education of their children. Oops. And he was following the KKK caper, Democrat racist Ralph Norman. Youngkin and company did not win four years ago, they tripped and fell over backwards into a win. Welcome to Virginia.
The Republican candidate must be a conservative who has convictions, not aspirations. Does anyone know why Sears wants to be governor? Does anyone know what she did as Lt. Governor, or Youngkin for that matter? They retreated on Day One and are still running.
The bigger issue, however is…
Early and Often Mail-In Ballots. The GOP, if they ever see statewide power ever again, must change early voting, extended voting, eliminate machine voting, and eliminate mail in voting. Period.
This is the part of the story where I remind you that Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC spent millions to do exactly the opposite.
Youngkin’s efforts paid off big time for Democrats, as his efforts handed the Virginia House of Delegates to Democrats, who hold a 51-49 edge, and the State Senate to Dems, who hold a 21-19 edge.
Sadly, it’s beginning to look as if Dems are going to mop the floor with the GOP this November, increasing their numbers in both chambers.
Unfortunately the media will talk of a national Blue Wave because Deep Blue Virginia voted…deep blue. They will attempt to say the outcome is a warning to Donald Trump, and that the U.S. House and Senate Mid-Terms coming up in 2026 spell the end of his presidency.
That’s all nonsense.
Yet, as depressing as all of this news is, I firmly believe Virginia could be in play every single year.
But… the GOP nominee probably should not attack the base.
But… the GOP nominee should not attack the most popular President of their own party.
And… the GOP nominee should not tout his/her gender, sex, race, immigration status in a day when many Americans are done with all that PC/Woke non-sense.
Finally, and most pressing, the GOP in Virginia must clean up the election process. Do that, and Deep Blue Virginia will be in play year in and year out.