So Virginia is the only thing to indicate democratic strength in combatting Trump? A NJ win means nothing?
I mean switching parties and a Dem taking over for a staunch Trump ally isnât news?
Even friendly media (TPM) love Republican framing of stories?
Christieâs approval ratings are literally in the teens in New Jersey, so switching the governor from Republican to Democratic in this very blue state is not surprising.
Still, the repudiation of Christie has been fun to watch.
Whereas NJ is a solidly blue state, VA is a swing state, so a win in VA portends much of what affect tRumpâs pr*sidency will have going forward if Dems donât get out the vote.
I agree with you that the MSM is framing this race from the GOP talking points and point of view. They insist Gillespie is a moderate due to his background but they seem to intentionally ignore that if elected he will tow the Trumpian line into full-fledge extremism, which he has already demonstrated heâll adopt from his ads. The media is still trying to sell him as a moderate though. I think that train has long left the station. There are practically no GOP moderates left in the age of tRump that are currently serving around the country.
The optics arenât all that matters. Besides the obvious important policy role a governor plays in a large swing state, whoever wins will be the governor the next time Virginia draws its electoral maps. A Northam victory would force a compromise map or one drawn by the courts, likely undoing Republicansâ seven-to-four edge in the Congressional delegation. If Gillespie wins, Republicans would likely be able to gerrymander statehouse maps to lock in unified control for another decade, as well as protect their current members.
I believe this is the biggest concern VA moderates, Independents and Dems should realize. If someone like Gillespie gets into office, VAâs legislature will be gerrymandered beyond repair for many years to come, and lost to a generation of moderate and liberal voters.
No. There is a major push going on down here in FL for races, in particular the mayoral race in St. Pete. Its been an all hands on deck for phone banking across the state. Indeed, at the state convention, I was part of a team that set up and ran phone banks for 6 separate races in FL the entire weekend, all of them occurring today.
VAâs governor race is just what has captured the mediaâs attention because Horse Race mentality. NJ seems pretty safely Democrat. But there are countless state legislature and municipal elections happening all across the country today.
While i agree that a NJ win means a lot (especially regarding a topic that folks have somewhat addressed), that VA race is important, because while it wonât quell the âdecibelsâ, a Gillespie win will signal that bloody shirt tactics do work in the 21c./post Obama era.
To quote the last legitimate POTUS: Donât boo. Vote.
Take a few friends with you. Midterms are the elections where the GOP is counting on us to not show up. Set them straight. Show up. Vote. Donât take no for an answer.
I think Northam is going to win. Itâs unthinkable that there wonât be a surge in Democratic voting, since the blue vote has surged in every post-Trump election. In a state thatâs marginally blue, that must translate into a Democratic win. I would be genuinely mystified if that were not to happen. I get that there have been âmisstepsâ, but (the sanctuary city thing aside) theyâre absolutely insignificant in real terms, and they are tiny by comparison with the GOP missteps in the last week (indictments, very bad GOP tax bill, mass shooting by rightwing gun fanatic). The âmisstepsâ narrative simply makes no sense.
But itâs too soon for post-mortems. The patient hasnât died.
Yet.
Who does Gillespie want to let out of jail, to free up holding cells for the convenience of ICE? Drunk drivers? Drunk brawlers? Drug addicts? Drug dealers? Muggers? Burglars? Wife beaters? Rapists? Vandals?
Why does Gillespie want to make a sanctuary state for crooks and thugs and drunks?
I voted in NJ, my friends already voted in NY. Looking around Twitter people are fired up hopefully, it translates into votes especially in VA.
I swear the Media is out to get Dems, I know people say itâs not fair to blame the media but, when all I canât help but, feel the MSM has a narrative they want to follow and it heavily involves proclaiming Dems losers.
Iâm just going to hope for the best for today.
You sure about that? I havenât felt a pulse for a while. 
Hopefully tonight that will change.
The patient is merely in intensive care. With a mob of fascists attacking the hospital, admittedly.
As a Democrat, thanks for all you do in your local races. Helping the rubber meets the road is very important
Thanks. Its vital in my view, particularly in places like where I live which are so overwhelmingly red. We have to build up a bench and get name recognition to run against republican candidates that even most republicans donât like (see, Gaetz, Matt from last week). Plus, municipal elections are non partisan, which forces the campaigns to address real issues without a party tag attached to them. Some of them may seem silly (Bear incursions or streets with misspelled names at one end), but they matter.
What this portends is whether the traditional Democratic party has enough left in its tank to pull off a win in a swing state. Remember turnout is everything in an off year election. Republicans will turn out for Gillespie. The question is will Democrats beyond the old time party faithful show up.
If they donât a lot of people will blame the voters for not showing up. Many wonât even consider whether the Democrat had a message for the people who stayed home.
So all our eggs are in one basket? I wonder about the Democrats sometimes. How the heâll can it be so negative?
Please everybody. Listen to the president that just yesterday tried to convince Japanese automakers to ââTry building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over.ââ
Since Honda opened its first U.S. plant in 1982, almost every major European, Japanese, and Korean automaker has produced vehicles at one or more U.S. assembly plants. Most of the worldâs leading auto companies have a presence in U.S. manufacturing. Additionally, many automakers operate U.S.-based engine and transmission plants, conduct research and development, and design and test vehicles in the United States. The industry, which includes dealerships, historically accounts for approximately 3 to 3.5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Motor vehicles and parts manufacturers employed, on average, more than 940,000 people in 2016.
So, armed with his in-depth knowledge of the American economy (in this case Virginiaâs) you can see how utterly informed and valid the content of this Tweet from Liberace II is,
ââ The state of Virginia economy, under Democrat rule, has been terrible. If you vote Ed Gillespie tomorrow, it will come roaring back!""
I think some are reading too much into this. A Dem win is great, but it does not change much going in. Unless Trump has a major upspike in popularity I do not see momentum stopping.
The issue would be if the GOP wins than they will use race baiting and culture war tactics to get their base out there. That may work, it may not.
Biggest so far. There havenât been many.