Consolidated VA Elections Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I saw the Hala Ayala commercials, where she opened with "I'm the first Afro-Latino candidate," I knew the Democratic ticket was doomed. When will the party learn that jobs and family issues matter so much more to everyday Joes and Janes in Virginia than identify politics?

Now please go respond to all of the Rs posting about Sears earlier. Or maybe it's only and issue when a D does it.

It is only an issue when Democrats do it. Democratic voters and Republican voters tend to be very different. For Republican voters, voting isn’t so much about the issues, it’s more about social and cultural identity. You are Republican because that’s what your kind of people do. It lets Republicans take wildly inconsistent positions without being questioned by their base, because the base can’t question them without losing their social standing within their community (which isn’t necessarily their neighborhood - it could be a church community, family, a circle of friends, even an online community). If the Republicans are doing it, it just be good. If Democrats are doing it, it must be bad. Even when both are doing the same thing.

Democrats tend to be more issues voters. Their identity is tied to taking the “right” position on key issues, even at the expense of other priorities, and even at times at the expense of making incremental progress on those very key issues. It’s not necessarily a more effective approach in practice, because they tend to eat their own when they have different ideas of what those key issues should be, but they are generally more invested in maintaining principled lines and not appearing to be hypocrites on their key issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think a party can win by constantly demeaning and talking down to anyone who disagrees even the slightest bit with the party taking points. Purity tests don't work for either party. Small, incremental wins that makes people's lives better...pretty simple.

It seems to work pretty well for Republicans, which is interesting.

Here’s the thing - there are people who always vote R, and people who always vote D. Nothing is going to change that.

It’s the people who don’t vote or could go either way. I personally don’t think demeaning that got them. I just think it was the reality of school closures. The Ds didn’t offer something similar to break the tie - they were out of touch with how big of an issue the school closures were.

Furthermore, the D's just seem to keep saying you are a racist who wants to kill people if you want continuously open schools. How *open schools* became a thing that R's triumph is mind-bending to me, but here we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I saw the Hala Ayala commercials, where she opened with "I'm the first Afro-Latino candidate," I knew the Democratic ticket was doomed. When will the party learn that jobs and family issues matter so much more to everyday Joes and Janes in Virginia than identify politics?

Now please go respond to all of the Rs posting about Sears earlier. Or maybe it's only and issue when a D does it.

It is only an issue when Democrats do it. Democratic voters and Republican voters tend to be very different. For Republican voters, voting isn’t so much about the issues, it’s more about social and cultural identity. You are Republican because that’s what your kind of people do. It lets Republicans take wildly inconsistent positions without being questioned by their base, because the base can’t question them without losing their social standing within their community (which isn’t necessarily their neighborhood - it could be a church community, family, a circle of friends, even an online community). If the Republicans are doing it, it just be good. If Democrats are doing it, it must be bad. Even when both are doing the same thing.

Democrats tend to be more issues voters. Their identity is tied to taking the “right” position on key issues, even at the expense of other priorities, and even at times at the expense of making incremental progress on those very key issues. It’s not necessarily a more effective approach in practice, because they tend to eat their own when they have different ideas of what those key issues should be, but they are generally more invested in maintaining principled lines and not appearing to be hypocrites on their key issues.

You mistyped Republican for Democrat and vice versa. FYI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I saw the Hala Ayala commercials, where she opened with "I'm the first Afro-Latino candidate," I knew the Democratic ticket was doomed. When will the party learn that jobs and family issues matter so much more to everyday Joes and Janes in Virginia than identify politics?

Now please go respond to all of the Rs posting about Sears earlier. Or maybe it's only and issue when a D does it.

Every politician does a version of this. They are the first person to go to college or leave their Appalachian family, blah blah blah. How can you even run without talking about your identity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:What was the differential between Biden 2020 and McAuliffe yesterday in the relevant NOVA areas?

Anyone have that off hand? That is the key to how much the schools mattered.

I believe Youngkin was running around 3-5 percentage points ahead of Biden 2020 in most of NoVa. All it takes is a few percentage points in a close race. People are pissed about the school issues.

And it’s misplaced. The issue was National response to a pandemic, and the virus itself. But let’s blame the schools.

It's easy to blame the schools when friends and relatives in other states (including deep blue ones) have kids in school

It’s a juvenile take.

Please explain your use of the word "juvenile" to describe this situation. I have kids in schools. I want them IN school, and I don't want them fed CRT garbage. How is that "juvenile," in your esteemed estimation?

You essentially said well Sally who lives one town over kids are in school, but my kids can’t be in school. Foot stamp. Not noticing that maybe it was not in the kids best interest to be there at all last year. It’s an adult temper tantrum. We have elementary students as well.

And the CRT issue is not a real thing. Teach accurate history and critical thinking skills. Give our children an opportunity to form their own opinions. It’s long past time to include the full story.

That's your opinion. Just know that many of us think overwise. And it's ok to have different options - that's what's been lost in all of this. Each side just digs in and calls the other side wrong (and names).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I saw the Hala Ayala commercials, where she opened with "I'm the first Afro-Latino candidate," I knew the Democratic ticket was doomed. When will the party learn that jobs and family issues matter so much more to everyday Joes and Janes in Virginia than identify politics?

Now please go respond to all of the Rs posting about Sears earlier. Or maybe it's only and issue when a D does it.

It is only an issue when Democrats do it. Democratic voters and Republican voters tend to be very different. For Republican voters, voting isn’t so much about the issues, it’s more about social and cultural identity. You are Republican because that’s what your kind of people do. It lets Republicans take wildly inconsistent positions without being questioned by their base, because the base can’t question them without losing their social standing within their community (which isn’t necessarily their neighborhood - it could be a church community, family, a circle of friends, even an online community). If the Republicans are doing it, it just be good. If Democrats are doing it, it must be bad. Even when both are doing the same thing.

Democrats tend to be more issues voters. Their identity is tied to taking the “right” position on key issues, even at the expense of other priorities, and even at times at the expense of making incremental progress on those very key issues. It’s not necessarily a more effective approach in practice, because they tend to eat their own when they have different ideas of what those key issues should be, but they are generally more invested in maintaining principled lines and not appearing to be hypocrites on their key issues.

You mistyped Republican for Democrat and vice versa. FYI

Is this what passes for wit here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the differential between Biden 2020 and McAuliffe yesterday in the relevant NOVA areas?

Anyone have that off hand? That is the key to how much the schools mattered.

I believe Youngkin was running around 3-5 percentage points ahead of Biden 2020 in most of NoVa. All it takes is a few percentage points in a close race. People are pissed about the school issues.

And it’s misplaced. The issue was National response to a pandemic, and the virus itself. But let’s blame the schools.

It's easy to blame the schools when friends and relatives in other states (including deep blue ones) have kids in school

Which states? Some of my friends' kids didn't go back until AFTER our kids went back.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Upstate NY, Maine, Vermont

And I had friends in MA, CT, CA, and NY who all went back after our kids.

But that was by their choice (which is fine, by the way). We didn't have that choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the differential between Biden 2020 and McAuliffe yesterday in the relevant NOVA areas?

Anyone have that off hand? That is the key to how much the schools mattered.

I believe Youngkin was running around 3-5 percentage points ahead of Biden 2020 in most of NoVa. All it takes is a few percentage points in a close race. People are pissed about the school issues.

And it’s misplaced. The issue was National response to a pandemic, and the virus itself. But let’s blame the schools.

It's easy to blame the schools when friends and relatives in other states (including deep blue ones) have kids in school

Which states? Some of my friends' kids didn't go back until AFTER our kids went back.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Upstate NY, Maine, Vermont

And add RI and Philly suburbs (i.e. back before). Basically it was just CA, DC, MoCo and NoVa out at some point.

My Philly suburb friends' kids were going back at the same time.

My in-laws Philly suburb kids went back WAY before we had that option here in LoCo.

[Anonymous]

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IMO they shot themselves in the foot by closing school. What an impact they made on so many people day in and day out for a year. I certainly hope it is a case study for the future.

They made informed, reasonable decisions based on the info we had and resources available. You think we have staffing issues now? Imagine if you forced teachers in last fall before the vaccine and as numbers were skyrocketing.

Our schools (local, not state) didn’t just say F it and send kids back in.

Sorry that pisses you off so much that you had to vote for a Trump Republican.

I voted D like I always do but your attitude is exactly why the Rs won and I’ve been saying that.
I also remember that Northam allowed schools to open hybrid in August 2020 and Fairfax had some of the best corona numbers in the state - not the worst - such that we should have considered being more conservative than he allowed with school reopening. And I also didn’t forget that the Dept of Health approved of the hybrid plan as well.

So you’re pissed at FCPS?

I am just telling you where the people are so the Ds don’t miss the mark next time.

Most of the parents don't remember the nuance of what the governor approved vs. what happened. All they saw is that public schools weren't open for most of 2020-2021, while private schools did open full time.

I agree.

Agree too (Dem voter). This wasn’t the only issue, but one of the big ones. I fear my party is getting a set of alternative facts (like all the PPs set on arguing that Nova schools were opening just as early as the rest of the country??) Voting Youngkin may have been a stupid way to “punish” school boards, but it still was a strong motivation IMHO.

Here you go. Facts.

Post about this from Feb 2020:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/105/951009.page
“Actually, based on the Burbio methodology, this says that *at most* ~40% of US student are in-person right now. Obviously, it's less than that since 100% of families are not choosing in-person.

https://about.burbio.com/methodology/
"• Burbio assigns a learning mode to a school district based on the most in-person option available to the general student population. Thus if a district offers both traditional and virtual options, the district is categorized as Traditional. " “

Hey out of state political activist.

We are talking about Virginia public schools, which were closed, vs Virginia private schools which were open.

Not 40% of schools in the US.

I’m a VA parent who saw this all go down. Don’t try to rewrite history.

DC areas schools sent kids back to the classroom around the same time as many other schools in the country. We weren’t an outlier.

Private schools had many more resources available to help them open. Mandates for testing, masking, traveling, etc. Plus, smaller classes and tons more space.

You are not being accurate or truthful.

Which part is inaccurate?

DP. All the stuff about private schools, for one.

Private schools absolutely had more resources. It’s much easier to control the variables and mitigate risk when you are small and can mandate anything you want.

Private schools could open full time with smaller numbers. But Va schools should have been open hybrid in August 2020 - not no in person option for one full year.

Most parents weren't going to send their kids to summer school in 2020 - everyone was pushing to be done with school.

It's misleading to say it was "one full year".

Who's talking about Summer school? You do realize school starts in NOVA in August, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I saw the Hala Ayala commercials, where she opened with "I'm the first Afro-Latino candidate," I knew the Democratic ticket was doomed. When will the party learn that jobs and family issues matter so much more to everyday Joes and Janes in Virginia than identify politics?

Now please go respond to all of the Rs posting about Sears earlier. Or maybe it's only and issue when a D does it.

It is only an issue when Democrats do it. Democratic voters and Republican voters tend to be very different. For Republican voters, voting isn’t so much about the issues, it’s more about social and cultural identity. You are Republican because that’s what your kind of people do. It lets Republicans take wildly inconsistent positions without being questioned by their base, because the base can’t question them without losing their social standing within their community (which isn’t necessarily their neighborhood - it could be a church community, family, a circle of friends, even an online community). If the Republicans are doing it, it just be good. If Democrats are doing it, it must be bad. Even when both are doing the same thing.

Democrats tend to be more issues voters. Their identity is tied to taking the “right” position on key issues, even at the expense of other priorities, and even at times at the expense of making incremental progress on those very key issues. It’s not necessarily a more effective approach in practice, because they tend to eat their own when they have different ideas of what those key issues should be, but they are generally more invested in maintaining principled lines and not appearing to be hypocrites on their key issues.

Like "Blue not matter who!" That is an issue, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:So the key to winning elections is to coddle voters and just tell them what they want to hear?

Unfortunately, for a lot of people the answer is yes. They are not interested in doing the work of learning about policy and understanding the candidates’ positions, they just want someone who will tell them what they want to hear regardless of whether it’s grounded in reality.

Sure seems that way.

And maybe some people are angry about various real issues and misdirected their anger in an irrational way.

Why do we let the proles vote anyway?

It's not just proles. Well, unless you consider everyone who isn't a billionaire a prole. Maybe we are.

Proles are anyone that are not in the political class. Our politicians should be appointed by other politicians. That's the only safe way to government democratically.

Shut up. You want to take away the vote from people??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think a party can win by constantly demeaning and talking down to anyone who disagrees even the slightest bit with the party taking points. Purity tests don't work for either party. Small, incremental wins that makes people's lives better...pretty simple.

It seems to work pretty well for Republicans, which is interesting.

Here’s the thing - there are people who always vote R, and people who always vote D. Nothing is going to change that.

It’s the people who don’t vote or could go either way. I personally don’t think demeaning that got them. I just think it was the reality of school closures. The Ds didn’t offer something similar to break the tie - they were out of touch with how big of an issue the school closures were.

Anecdotally, all of my friends who live in Virginia have school-age kids, and they were uniformly pissed off about NoVa schools' general resistance to re-opening. None of them are political radicals, of either stripe. And they blamed the party in power, not surprisingly.

American elections are generally decided by suburban voters. And Democrats in places like Virginia seem to have gone out of their way to annoy and alienate that demographic. It's just bizarre. I knew McAuliffe was a dead man walking after his comment about how parents shouldn't have a say in their kids' education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the key to winning elections is to coddle voters and just tell them what they want to hear?

Unfortunately, for a lot of people the answer is yes. They are not interested in doing the work of learning about policy and understanding the candidates’ positions, they just want someone who will tell them what they want to hear regardless of whether it’s grounded in reality.

Sure seems that way.

And maybe some people are angry about various real issues and misdirected their anger in an irrational way.

Why do we let the proles vote anyway?

It's not just proles. Well, unless you consider everyone who isn't a billionaire a prole. Maybe we are.

Proles are anyone that are not in the political class. Our politicians should be appointed by other politicians. That's the only safe way to government democratically.

I was assuming it was a 1984 reference. Which is eerily appropriate here.

IGNORANCE IS TRUTH.

It is. War is peace!

[Anonymous]

The democrats lost my vote in the past couple of years. I voted democrat on EVERY single ticket since Bush v. Gore, but I have not voted since painfully casting a vote for Hilary nor do I intend to ever again. I can't in good conscience vote for a party who comes to conclusions like, "Advanced programs racist because too many asians, so eliminate them" (I am white). Sorry, you lost me and I hope you lose others with your race baiting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dems: It's a really good idea to shut down the entire economy for a pandemic with about 3x the mortality rate of your average seasonal flu

Keep at it I guess

And only if you're 70 or older with multiple co-morbidities.