Democrats might treat Republicans this way

On Tuesday night, Glenn Youngkin defeated Terry McAuliffe to become the Virginia Governor-elect. While the race was very close (just over a two percent margin), by most accounts, McAuliffe ran a poor campaign. In particular, Youngkin raised right wing conspiracy theories regarding schools (so-called Critical Race Theory, imaginary Trans bathroom worries, etc.), and McAuliffe failed to bat them down or talk forcefully about his own agenda. Instead, McAuliffe focused on how he isn’t Donald Trump, someone who does not even hold elective office at this time, and that Youngkin is merely a Trump stand-in. It didn’t help McAuliffe that the mainstream media elevated Youngkin’s conspiracy theories as if they were serious subjects, which automatically turned them into meaningful political issues.

The Virginia Gubernatorial election is in many ways a precursor to the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential election. It’s virtually guaranteed that Republicans will continue to toss out false, nutty or obscure Culture War conspiracy theories, and that the media will lap them up. Remember the Caravan? Fast N Furious? How about flag burning? PizzaGate? Jewish space lasers? The list of these made-up Republican shiny object distractions is endless.

With the election loss in Virginia (including not just Governor but Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and possibly the House of Delegates)Democrats have now received their wake-up call. The Democrats can no longer afford to laugh with each other over their wine or beer about those crazy Republicans and their loonie conspiracy theories.

The big question going forward is: how will Democrats deal with these conspiratorial, election-winning Republicans?