VIRGINIA BEACH – The closely watched governor’s race here in Virginia is underway, and Republican Glenn Youngkin now has a tiny lead in the polls going into today’s voting.
Democrat and former Governor Terry McAuliffe had led the race for months, but if Youngkin does win, many political analysts will likely point to education as the chief reason.
The turning point in the Virginia race may well come down to 12 words from the second and final debate on Sept. 28th between McAuliffe and Youngkin. “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” McAuliffe said.
The explosive comment combined with national events changed the trajectory of the Virginia race. The next day the National School Board Association (NSBA) in effect compared parents at school board meetings to domestic terrorists, asking for federal intervention. Days later, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the FBI to get involved and work on strategies to address threats against educators.
The Youngkin campaign took full advantage of the public uproar over not only McAuliffe’s comment but over the NSBA letter and Garland’s action. The campaign pivoted to a focus on schools and began running a series of “Parents Matter” ads, while McAuliffe doubled down. When WJLA-TV reporter Nick Minock asked if he misspoke, McAuliffe replied emphatically, “No!”
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Source: CBN
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