Excellent podcast from Politico from youngkin strategists on how they won — must read/listen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one gets credit for saying schools should open in May of 2021. Too little too late.

exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy.

Youngkin played the aw-shucks southern gentlemen while the right wing echo chamber pounded CRT and other BS through its media outlets and social media promotion.

This. A mom at soccer practice was gushing on how excited she was that Youngkin won so that he would save LCPS.

I usually ignore political talk but I couldn't help myself. I asked her if she'd researched what Youngkin had pledged to do for education. Spoiler alert: she hadn't. She had just gone by the talking hot points and was a bit crestfallen when I send her information on the scope of what the Governor can actually change re: education.

The governor has a hige role in education in Virg8nia through appointments to the Virginia dept of education.

Plus of all of the 6 candidates, Winsome Sears was the most qualified on the issue of education.

Too bad she hates women.

Or maybe she likes women enough to believe they are mature and can control their bodies rather than leaving it to the whims of nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Idk who is in here continually gaslighting by pretending that Zoom in a room counts as being "in school," but that PP is an example of why many McAuliffe voters didn't bother to vote, and some Democrats switched to Youngkin.

Debunking blatant lies with facts is not "gaslighting".

what facts? the salient fact is that schools were closed and not reopened for normal 5-day/week schooling for a very long time - with the details varying from school to school, child to child, district to district - but overall, Virginia was at the bottom of states offering in-person schooling. within these closures, special needs kids were especially harmed by the deprivations even when schools were purportedly "open." My child with autism went back in April but only 4 days/week and without many of the supports he needed. this led to a disrupted summer, and to a very rocky start of the fully reopened year in 2021. those are the facts. you, meanwhile, think you're making some kind of clever gotcha point when a poster seemingly gets the months wrong somewhat. so yeah, you're the one gaslighting by claiming that a mistake of dates is somehow more salient than the overall truth that school closures were very long and really hurt kids with SN. I could tell you the exact dates of school closures for my kid but I know you actually don't care.

+1 exactly

That PP is either deliberately gaslighting or is just really dense. Either way, sort of an object lesson in Democrat cluelessness.

Ya'll fling out lie after lie after lie and lie and get mad when someone calls you out on it.

If you are going to continue with the Southern shtick, at least spell "y'all" correctly.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:[
I think 2 thing are worth noting: 1) what PP said. D's did not offer "high-quality, safe, continuously open public schools." So it's not like there's a home with the D's any longer for that.
2) people who are mad often vote against a thing more than for a thing. I know we all want to be rational and reasonable and stuff, but when D's didn't prioritize education , and on top of that told parents (moms, mostly) to just shut up and accept it, that made some people mad. Thus is the nature of politics.

To point 1, I said that's the goal, right? And there are logical and illogical ways to try and achieve that goal.
To point 2, you're totally right about the "voting against things" part. It's really pathetic. But how were [predominately D-led] public school administrations supposed to 'prioritize education' when teachers wouldn't return to work and many of the parents who wanted in-person school wouldn't agree to mitigation measures? What magic solution do these 'switch' voters believe was available 15 months ago?

Schools in many other states managed to open.

Many schools in VA were also open.

The facts are actually that only 6 states had schools closed longer than VA. I guess two can play at the facts game.

Is that all this is to you - a game? Do you even have kids?

Northam didn't keep schools virtual - those were local decisions. As demonstrated by all of the different approaches and timelines to virtual/in-person.

We get it. You are mad at your school district. There were some very bad consequences from virtual/concurrent learning. Push your superintendent and school board to address learning loss, SEL, etc. That is best use of your energy right now if you actually want to make a change.

People are mad at DEMOCRATS. Local Democrats who made the local decisions to close schools, and state/national Democrats who turned schools into a wedge issue and encourage paranoia and continued closures. That's the point of this thread.

How exactly did Northam or VDH/VDOE "turn schools into a wedge issue, encourage paranoia, or continue closures"?

Biden campaigned on school scare-tactics and then his CDC reversed course when the unions complained. Northam campaigned with Weingarten who exploited false beliefs about the risks of open schools for her own union's benefit. Northam (and most other dems) failed to use their positions to advocate for open schools - they just let this vital public service disappear. Northam was the one to originally order schools to close, so it's on him that they didn't reopen.

Northam did not turn it into a wedge issue or encourage paranoia FFS.

Feb 2021 - Northam opened schools after the vaccine was available and after the winter surge
March 2021 - Northam mandated 5-day, in-person instruction for July 2021

Yes, you are mad at FCPS' actions, but you blame others. We get it.

Did the teachers' union in VA obstruct opening? And did McAuliffe campaign with the teachers' union?

Did they?

Weingarten, 5/13/21:
“There is no doubt: Schools must be open. In person. Five days a week.
We know that’s how kids learn best and that prolonged isolation is harmful.”

Please provide your citation. Generally Weingarten then says ...."but" after saying "schools should open."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/05/health-202-virginia-legislators-try-force-return-5-day-in-person-school/

March 5, 2021: "The teachers union in Fairfax County has said it opposes a five-day school week next autumn and says schools shouldn’t fully reopen until all of the county’s 150,000 students are vaccinated and there have been 14 days without community spread."

wow, that’s horrific to read now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy.

Youngkin played the aw-shucks southern gentlemen while the right wing echo chamber pounded CRT and other BS through its media outlets and social media promotion.

This. A mom at soccer practice was gushing on how excited she was that Youngkin won so that he would save LCPS.

I usually ignore political talk but I couldn't help myself. I asked her if she'd researched what Youngkin had pledged to do for education. Spoiler alert: she hadn't. She had just gone by the talking hot points and was a bit crestfallen when I send her information on the scope of what the Governor can actually change re: education.

The governor has a hige role in education in Virg8nia through appointments to the Virginia dept of education.

Plus of all of the 6 candidates, Winsome Sears was the most qualified on the issue of education.

Too bad she hates women.

Or maybe she likes women enough to believe they are mature and can control their bodies rather than leaving it to the whims of nature.

How has that ever worked out in the history of mankind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

But could get closed again.

LOL. Sure.

You sound 100% rational.

That's completely rational. Maybe you don't want to hear it, though? Think of this: a variant where case rates exceed those of last winter, and that evades current vaccines.

So in your scenario, how infectious and virulant is this new variant? How likely is it that this scenario would happen?

I think it'd have to be a pretty crazy virus for most parents to want to go back to virtual/concurrent/hybrid.

The point isn't the ACTUAL concerns about the impacts of the virus. The concern is that you'll have people who manage to sway the perception enough that the powers in charge believe (against evidence) that schools need to close. Like last year.

Unlike last fall, we now have clear data on safety and consequences.

You are proving the point. There was actual evidence in Fall 2020 of how to reopen safely and, to re-state this point that you refuse to believe, a whole lot of places did just that.

What was that? That one study from a daycare setting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[
I think 2 thing are worth noting: 1) what PP said. D's did not offer "high-quality, safe, continuously open public schools." So it's not like there's a home with the D's any longer for that.
2) people who are mad often vote against a thing more than for a thing. I know we all want to be rational and reasonable and stuff, but when D's didn't prioritize education , and on top of that told parents (moms, mostly) to just shut up and accept it, that made some people mad. Thus is the nature of politics.

To point 1, I said that's the goal, right? And there are logical and illogical ways to try and achieve that goal.
To point 2, you're totally right about the "voting against things" part. It's really pathetic. But how were [predominately D-led] public school administrations supposed to 'prioritize education' when teachers wouldn't return to work and many of the parents who wanted in-person school wouldn't agree to mitigation measures? What magic solution do these 'switch' voters believe was available 15 months ago?

Schools in many other states managed to open.

Many schools in VA were also open.

The facts are actually that only 6 states had schools closed longer than VA. I guess two can play at the facts game.

Is that all this is to you - a game? Do you even have kids?

Northam didn't keep schools virtual - those were local decisions. As demonstrated by all of the different approaches and timelines to virtual/in-person.

We get it. You are mad at your school district. There were some very bad consequences from virtual/concurrent learning. Push your superintendent and school board to address learning loss, SEL, etc. That is best use of your energy right now if you actually want to make a change.

People are mad at DEMOCRATS. Local Democrats who made the local decisions to close schools, and state/national Democrats who turned schools into a wedge issue and encourage paranoia and continued closures. That's the point of this thread.

How exactly did Northam or VDH/VDOE "turn schools into a wedge issue, encourage paranoia, or continue closures"?

Biden campaigned on school scare-tactics and then his CDC reversed course when the unions complained. Northam campaigned with Weingarten who exploited false beliefs about the risks of open schools for her own union's benefit. Northam (and most other dems) failed to use their positions to advocate for open schools - they just let this vital public service disappear. Northam was the one to originally order schools to close, so it's on him that they didn't reopen.

Northam did not turn it into a wedge issue or encourage paranoia FFS.

Feb 2021 - Northam opened schools after the vaccine was available and after the winter surge
March 2021 - Northam mandated 5-day, in-person instruction for July 2021

Yes, you are mad at FCPS' actions, but you blame others. We get it.

Did the teachers' union in VA obstruct opening? And did McAuliffe campaign with the teachers' union?

Did they?

Weingarten, 5/13/21:
“There is no doubt: Schools must be open. In person. Five days a week.
We know that’s how kids learn best and that prolonged isolation is harmful.”

Please provide your citation. Generally Weingarten then says ...."but" after saying "schools should open."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/05/health-202-virginia-legislators-try-force-return-5-day-in-person-school/

March 5, 2021: "The teachers union in Fairfax County has said it opposes a five-day school week next autumn and says schools shouldn’t fully reopen until all of the county’s 150,000 students are vaccinated and there have been 14 days without community spread."

https://www.aft.org/press/speeches/return-recover-and-reimagine-toward-renaissance-americas-public-schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Idk who is in here continually gaslighting by pretending that Zoom in a room counts as being "in school," but that PP is an example of why many McAuliffe voters didn't bother to vote, and some Democrats switched to Youngkin.

Debunking blatant lies with facts is not "gaslighting".

what facts? the salient fact is that schools were closed and not reopened for normal 5-day/week schooling for a very long time - with the details varying from school to school, child to child, district to district - but overall, Virginia was at the bottom of states offering in-person schooling. within these closures, special needs kids were especially harmed by the deprivations even when schools were purportedly "open." My child with autism went back in April but only 4 days/week and without many of the supports he needed. this led to a disrupted summer, and to a very rocky start of the fully reopened year in 2021. those are the facts. you, meanwhile, think you're making some kind of clever gotcha point when a poster seemingly gets the months wrong somewhat. so yeah, you're the one gaslighting by claiming that a mistake of dates is somehow more salient than the overall truth that school closures were very long and really hurt kids with SN. I could tell you the exact dates of school closures for my kid but I know you actually don't care.

+1 exactly

That PP is either deliberately gaslighting or is just really dense. Either way, sort of an object lesson in Democrat cluelessness.

Y'all fling out lie after lie after lie and lie and get mad when someone calls you out on it.

Sigh. I'm not mad. I just think you are an idiot.

You're mad about FCPS closing the schools. You're mad that you got caught lying. SO SO MAD!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Idk who is in here continually gaslighting by pretending that Zoom in a room counts as being "in school," but that PP is an example of why many McAuliffe voters didn't bother to vote, and some Democrats switched to Youngkin.

Debunking blatant lies with facts is not "gaslighting".

what facts? the salient fact is that schools were closed and not reopened for normal 5-day/week schooling for a very long time - with the details varying from school to school, child to child, district to district - but overall, Virginia was at the bottom of states offering in-person schooling. within these closures, special needs kids were especially harmed by the deprivations even when schools were purportedly "open." My child with autism went back in April but only 4 days/week and without many of the supports he needed. this led to a disrupted summer, and to a very rocky start of the fully reopened year in 2021. those are the facts. you, meanwhile, think you're making some kind of clever gotcha point when a poster seemingly gets the months wrong somewhat. so yeah, you're the one gaslighting by claiming that a mistake of dates is somehow more salient than the overall truth that school closures were very long and really hurt kids with SN. I could tell you the exact dates of school closures for my kid but I know you actually don't care.

+1 exactly

That PP is either deliberately gaslighting or is just really dense. Either way, sort of an object lesson in Democrat cluelessness.

Y'all fling out lie after lie after lie and lie and get mad when someone calls you out on it.

Sigh. I'm not mad. I just think you are an idiot.

You're mad about FCPS closing the schools. You're mad that you got caught lying. SO SO MAD!

Hey, if I say I am mad, will you crawl back to your cave of idiocy and shut up?

I mean my kids have never attended FCPS but I will totally lie if you will just go away, although I do think you are useful in demonstrating with perfect clarity why the Democrats lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

But could get closed again.

LOL. Sure.

You sound 100% rational.

That's completely rational. Maybe you don't want to hear it, though? Think of this: a variant where case rates exceed those of last winter, and that evades current vaccines.

So in your scenario, how infectious and virulant is this new variant? How likely is it that this scenario would happen?

I think it'd have to be a pretty crazy virus for most parents to want to go back to virtual/concurrent/hybrid.

The point isn't the ACTUAL concerns about the impacts of the virus. The concern is that you'll have people who manage to sway the perception enough that the powers in charge believe (against evidence) that schools need to close. Like last year.

Unlike last fall, we now have clear data on safety and consequences.

You are proving the point. There was actual evidence in Fall 2020 of how to reopen safely and, to re-state this point that you refuse to believe, a whole lot of places did just that.

What was that? That one study from a daycare setting?

Right? Stupid moms wanting kids in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

But could get closed again.

LOL. Sure.

You sound 100% rational.

That's completely rational. Maybe you don't want to hear it, though? Think of this: a variant where case rates exceed those of last winter, and that evades current vaccines.

So in your scenario, how infectious and virulant is this new variant? How likely is it that this scenario would happen?

I think it'd have to be a pretty crazy virus for most parents to want to go back to virtual/concurrent/hybrid.

The point isn't the ACTUAL concerns about the impacts of the virus. The concern is that you'll have people who manage to sway the perception enough that the powers in charge believe (against evidence) that schools need to close. Like last year.

Unlike last fall, we now have clear data on safety and consequences.

You are proving the point. There was actual evidence in Fall 2020 of how to reopen safely and, to re-state this point that you refuse to believe, a whole lot of places did just that.

What was that? That one study from a daycare setting?

Right? Stupid moms wanting kids in school.

Moms can want their kids in school. But they can’t misrepresent facts or lie.

There was still a lot unknown back in July 2020. We know tons more today - over a year later. Plus, we have vaccines, testing, etc. And we have clear data on how kids were impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

But could get closed again.

LOL. Sure.

You sound 100% rational.

That's completely rational. Maybe you don't want to hear it, though? Think of this: a variant where case rates exceed those of last winter, and that evades current vaccines.

So in your scenario, how infectious and virulant is this new variant? How likely is it that this scenario would happen?

I think it'd have to be a pretty crazy virus for most parents to want to go back to virtual/concurrent/hybrid.

The point isn't the ACTUAL concerns about the impacts of the virus. The concern is that you'll have people who manage to sway the perception enough that the powers in charge believe (against evidence) that schools need to close. Like last year.

Unlike last fall, we now have clear data on safety and consequences.

You are proving the point. There was actual evidence in Fall 2020 of how to reopen safely and, to re-state this point that you refuse to believe, a whole lot of places did just that.

What was that? That one study from a daycare setting?

Plenty of people said it was safe and in fact it was safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

But could get closed again.

LOL. Sure.

You sound 100% rational.

That's completely rational. Maybe you don't want to hear it, though? Think of this: a variant where case rates exceed those of last winter, and that evades current vaccines.

So in your scenario, how infectious and virulant is this new variant? How likely is it that this scenario would happen?

I think it'd have to be a pretty crazy virus for most parents to want to go back to virtual/concurrent/hybrid.

The point isn't the ACTUAL concerns about the impacts of the virus. The concern is that you'll have people who manage to sway the perception enough that the powers in charge believe (against evidence) that schools need to close. Like last year.

Unlike last fall, we now have clear data on safety and consequences.

You are proving the point. There was actual evidence in Fall 2020 of how to reopen safely and, to re-state this point that you refuse to believe, a whole lot of places did just that.

What was that? That one study from a daycare setting?

Right? Stupid moms wanting kids in school.

Moms can want their kids in school. But they can’t misrepresent facts or lie.

There was still a lot unknown back in July 2020. We know tons more today - over a year later. Plus, we have vaccines, testing, etc. And we have clear data on how kids were impacted.

huh now who’s lying?

[Anonymous]

?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dems blew it by keeping schools closed for an unreasonably long time, losing suburban women swing voters. They lost me too, and im a lifelong democrat in DC who hates Trump. Wheres the alternative in our party? Do better, Dems.

You're selfish and pathetic. There's a great big world out there, and not everything revolves around your snowflakes.

And you think this kind of reaction represents a good electoral strategy???

I don't care. No so-called "lifelong democrat" turns on the party and supports Youngkin on the single issue of schools being closed for too long WHEN THEY WERE LONG AGO REOPENED.

You really, really don't get it. Many Democratic voters value education and have voted for Democrats in the past specifically because of education, in many cases understanding that they are voting in tax hikes, more onerous regulations on business, and probably less competent foreign policy when they did so. They value education and are willing to take the hit on other areas for the sake of education.

Then the pandemic happened and suddenly it became glaringly obvious that the Democrats do not value education, but instead only value the money and votes that the education complex reliably deliver to Democratic candidates. People who trusted that Democratic candidates would prioritize the education of children saw the truth of the matter, and saw just how little the Democrats care about the education of children. And with that, one of the big reasons to vote Democrat disappeared.

That now means that voters need to evaluate the rest of the equation. For a lot of voters, that calculation still results in a Democrat: things like access to abortion, climate change, etc. But for many voters, they voted Democrat because of education, and without faith in Democrats on education, they find themselves without a real political home. This also figured in the low Democrat turnout. McAuliffe lost because core voters didn't bother voting. Why? They probably could not bring themselves to vote Republican but they couldn't stomach voting for the Democrats either, after watching the very clear messages the Democrats sent on how much the Democratic establishment does not care about educating children.

You can deride all of this if you want. But if the Democrats don't stop shaking their fists impotently at the sky at how voters don't trust them with education matters, they're going to lose again and again. Education is a core driver of Democrat voters. If you as a candidate signal over and over and over again that you do not care about educating kids and you only value the political money and votes of the education complex, you will lose a lot of voters. They might not vote Republican. But they won't vote for you, either.

This hits the nail on the head pretty well. There are Democrats who are Democrats because they care - and because education, healthcare, equal rights, climate, etc., all matter to them. And there are Democrats who are Democrats because education, healthcare, equal rights, climate, etc., market well, and they want a piece of that sweet pie. Unfortunately, the higher levels of leadership are not lacking in the latter, and in times of crisis, you can really see which kinds are running the show.