Why Are Virginia Democrats Working So Hard To Prevent Election Audits?

Since honest elections benefit everyone, what would motivate efforts to prevent even the most basic confirmation of election results?

Democrat Bills To Expand Ranked-Choice Voting And Make IDs Less Secure Are Sitting On Youngkin’s Desk

Bills awaiting action by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin would allow for the expansion of ranked-choice voting and the use of less secure IDs.

MSNBC host and panel go off on 'white men whining and complaining about wokeness': 'Shut the F up'



Longtime Democratic operative James Carville looked at the Democratic electoral massacre in Virginia last week and lamented the impact "stupid wokeness" had on the race.

Race-hustling MSNBC host Tiffany Cross and frequent guest Roland Martin, as well as other members of the show's panel on Saturday, did not appreciate Carville's take and wished that "whining" white men like him would "shut the F up."

What's this now?

The day after Republicans shocked Democrats statewide in Virginia, the Democratic incumbent governor of New Jersey barely hung on, and a left-wing socialist candidate for mayor of Buffalo who appeared to be a shoo-in lost to a write-in candidate, Carville told "PBS Newshour" that the election was evidence of the toxicity of "wokeness."

"What went wrong is just stupid wokeness. All right, don't just look at Virginia and New Jersey. Look at Long Island, look at Buffalo, look at Minneapolis, even look at Seattle, Washington. I mean, this 'defund the police' lunacy, this take Abraham Lincoln's name off of schools. I mean that — people see that," Carville said emphatically.

"It's just really — has a suppressive effect all across the country on the Democrats. Some of these people need to go to a 'woke' detox center or something," he continued. "They're expressing a language that people just don't use, and there's backlash and a frustration at that."

Cross — who last month infamously went after black former ESPN host Stage Steele for not being a legitimate "black voice" and accused her of "spewing ... nonsense" from "powerful white Americans" — had Martin on to discuss the Carville PBS interview.

In response to the clip, Martin declared, "I think Carville should shut the F up, because I'm sick of these white men whining and complaining about wokeness when you like it when black folks and Latinos and young white voters and Asians are voting for candidates. How about this, James Carville? How about you go learn how to cut some Lincoln Project-type ads for the Democratic party?"

He wasn't done.

"How about creating some actual memes?" Martin continued. "Where is the video this morning of the infrastructure bill? How about you go raise money to run those ads on OAN and Fox News and Newsmax and telling those broke white folks in those various states how the infrastructure bill is going to benefit them? I'm sorry, James, I need you to shut up and do your job and stop trying to pin it on people who are doing the work."

Cross replied that she felt the same way and shared her apparent resentment of white people, noting that when people of color are the majority and whites are the minority, "it's going to be uncomfortable for a lot of people."

"We're comfortable making people uncomfortable," Cross added.

(H/T: NewsBusters)

AOC says Dems lost in Virginia because they didn't run far enough to the left — but that's actually 'good news'



Progressive Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) claimed recently that the Democratic Party suffered huge losses in Virginia on Election Day because they didn't campaign far enough to the left.

What are the details?

The New York lawmaker acknowledged in an Instagram story this week that the Republican Party's sweep of three statewide races was a "huge bummer" but stressed there exists a silver lining for the progressive wing of the party.

The losses even amounted to "good news," she suggested, because they proved that Democrats need to run on far-left progressive principles in order to win.

"On the election front, I actually think we have good news as well," Ocasio-Cortez said in the video. "I know that Virginia was a huge bummer. And honestly, if anything, I think that the results show the limits of trying to run a fully, 100% super moderated campaign that does not excite, speak to, or energize a progressive base, and frankly, we weren't even really invited to contribute on that race."

.@AOC finds a silver lining in Virginia election losses.\n\n\u201cI think that the results show the limits of trying to run a fully 100% super moderated campaign\u201dpic.twitter.com/NjjiQQ5uU7

— John Gage (@johnrobertgage) 1636030189

Ocasio-Cortez went on to blame the party's supposedly inadequate response to "race-baiting" from the right.

Saying "little" or "nothing" about race-baiting only "demoralizes the base," she argued, adding that "silence" on these issues also cedes "white swing voters" to the Republicans.

The progressive lawmaker mostly stopped her criticism there, though, recognizing that the party needs to be united in order to pass President Joe Biden's massive "Build Back Better" social spending package.

.@AOC then claims \u201cI\u2019m not trying to start beef with people.\u201dpic.twitter.com/GeEu2WkEI2

— John Gage (@johnrobertgage) 1636030192

She did manage to call the claim that progressives lost Virginia for the Democrats a "clown argument."

What else?

It's safe to say Ocasio-Cortez's argument is well outside the mainstream. Many pundits blamed the Democratic Party's losses in the commonwealth on Americans' dissatisfaction with the party's drift to the radical left.

In Virginia, it's likely that voters were particularly disenchanted with the left's push for race-based curriculum, extensive COVID-19 lockdowns, and transgender-affirming policies in schools.

Democratic strategist James Carville blamed "stupid wokeness" for the Democrats' peril on Tuesday, arguing "these people need to go to a woke detox center or something."

The New York Times editorial board called the results "a grave marker of political peril" as "Democrats, looking left on so many priorities and so much messaging, have lost sight of what can unite the largest number of Americans."

"What is badly needed is an honest conversation in the Democratic Party about how to return to the moderate policies and values," the Times board argued.

Anything else?

Republicans, for their part, hope their Democratic opponents favor Ocasio-Cortez's argument over the Times editorial board's rationale, the Daily Wire reported.

"That's right, Dems. The answer is to run more progressive candidates and campaigns. Go with that. Test that theory at scale. We're begging you," wrote political commentator Drew Holden on Twitter.

Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas) added, "Yes Democrats, listen to AOC. You aren't radical enough… THAT'S the problem."

Finally, columnist Karol Markowicz quipped, "She's right. Democrats should invite AOC to campaign for them in every state."

'If she's woman enough': Virginia Lt. Gov.-elect Winsome Sears lays down challenge to Joy Reid over 'white nationalism' claims



Virginia's lieutenant governor-elect, Republican Winsome Sears, laid down a challenge to MSNBC's Joy Reid Wednesday night, daring the progressive news anchor to invite her on her show to have a "real discussion" about race and politics in America.

Reid had claimed during MSNBC's election night coverage that "white nationalism" played a major part in Republicans' sweep of three statewide offices. But those comments didn't sit well with Sears, who on Tuesday became the first black female lieutenant governor in Virginia's history.

"You have to be willing to vocalize that these Republicans are dangerous. This is not a party that is just another political party that disagrees with us on tax policy. At this point, they are dangerous to our national security," Reid said Tuesday night, arguing that Republicans were "stoking" white nationalism.

Speaking with Fox News's Martha MacCallum on Wednesday, Sears responded by daring Reid to raise that argument with her face-to-face.

"I wish Joy Reid would invite me on her show. Let's see if she is woman enough to do that. I would go in a heartbeat, and we will have a real discussion without Joy speaking about me behind my back," Sears blasted. "She talks about white supremacy. Does she know that I ran against a white supremacist? Joy, come on. Get your facts straight and then come talk to me."

Sears doubled down on Twitter, calling Reid's comments "shameful."

Winsome Sears challenges Joy Reid to debate after 'dangerous' claim www.youtube.com

Sears, a Marine Corps veteran and naturalized U.S. citizen from Jamaica, delivered a rousing speech Tuesday night after defeating Democrat Hala Ayala, in which she referred to herself as "living proof" of the American dream.

She repeated that same sentiment on Wednesday while criticizing Democratic attempts to divide the country along racial lines.

"We are framing too many issues in terms of race. It continues to divide us. And unfortunately, politicians are using it as a tool because of the things that happened to us historically to advance, I think, their nefarious purposes," she told MacCaullum.

"If we stop looking at race and look at people. You see, I am destroying all of the narratives about race. Look at me! Look at me!" she continued. "I am a heartbeat away from the governorship, in case anything happens to the governor."

"How are you going to tell me I am a victim?" she asked. "And I didn't do anything special to get here, except stay in school and study. I took advantage of the opportunities available here in America."

Sears' victory came as part of a GOP sweep of three statewide offices in Virginia that sent shock waves across the country.

On Tuesday, Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the race for governor, and Republican Del. Jason Miyares defeated incumbent Democratic incumbent Mark Herring to become the state's next attorney general.

McConnell says GOP victories show Democrats' 'radical social takeover' is 'the last thing Americans want'



Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday chastised Democrats, saying that GOP victories in Tuesday's elections show there is no mandate for a "radical social takeover" of the country.

Speaking on the Senate floor the day after Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's gubernatorial race, McConnell said Democrats have overreached after their narrow victory in 2020 and that American voters don't want a far-left progressive agenda.

"Last night was a difficult evening for Democrats. The Democratic Party has wildly misread their mandate and let the radical left run the country. Local Democrats let teachers' unions keep schools shut months longer than necessary and told parents they didn't get a say in what their kids are learning," McConnell said.

The Republican leader blamed Democrats for rising prices of consumer goods before criticizing how President Joe Biden has handled the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and other "government-created crises."

He also took the opportunity to criticize the Democrats' proposed $1.75 trillion spending bill, which was originally a $3.5 trillion bill until moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) forced Democrats to compromise to win his support.

"The American people will not stand for this. That's what voters told Democrats last night. The results from different parts of the country demonstrate this was in large part a referendum on national issues," he said. "But it's not too late. Democrats should listen to the voters, drop this reckless taxing and spending spree, and stop trying to ram through a socialist transformation that the American people never asked for. The radical transformation that Democrats are writing behind closed doors would compound every mistake their party has made."

JUST IN: McConnell Celebrates Youngkin Victory, 'Difficult Night For Democrats' www.youtube.com

"This radical social takeover is the last thing Americans need and the last thing Americans want. The voters of America just gave our colleagues a preview of that fact last night. They should pull back from the brink while they can," McConnell added.

Tuesday night was a rousing success for the Republican Party nationwide.

In addition to Youngkin's victory in the gubernatorial election, Virginia Republicans won the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general for the first time since 2009. Virginia Republicans also reclaimed a majority in the lower house of the state legislature.

In New Jersey, Republican Jack Ciattarelli ran closely with incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, and the race is too close to call. When Murphy was first elected in 2017, he won handily by 14 points over his Republican opponent.

Meanwhile in Minneapolis, voters rejected a controversial proposal to replace the police department with a "Department of Public Safety," defeating a measure supported by "defund the police" activists.

The National Republican Congressional Committee responded to Tuesday's results by expanding its list of incumbent House Democrats targeted for defeat by 13.

"In a cycle like this, no Democrat is safe," NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer said. "Voters are rejecting Democrat policies that have caused massive price increases, opened our borders, and spurred a nationwide crime wave."

Marine vet Winsome Sears celebrates win in Virginia lieutenant governor race with 'USA' chant, says she's 'living proof' of American dream in patriotic speech



Winsome Sears, an immigrant, a Marine Corps veteran, and now the first black woman elected lieutenant governor in Virginia, delivered a triumphant and patriotic speech at Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin's victory party early Wednesday, claiming victory in her own right after Tuesday's election.

"I'm telling you that what you are looking at is the American dream," Sears said, with her husband and two daughters standing beside her.

Sears, a Jamaican immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, previously made history as the first black Republican woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2002, defeating a 20-year Democratic incumbent. She served one term before unsuccessfully running for Congress in 2004.

Now, she's made history again by defeating Democrat Hala Ayala in Virginia's lieutenant governor race, winning an estimated 51% of the vote Tuesday.

Prior to entering politics, Sears was the director of a Salvation Army homeless shelter. She also owns an appliance repair store in Virginia and has previously served as vice president of the Virginia Board of Education.

In her speech, Sears celebrated the progress the United States has made on civil rights for non-white Americans and immigrants since her father came to the U.S. in 1963 with just "$1.75" in his pocket.

"I am not even first-generation American," Sears said. "When I joined the Marine Corps, I was still a Jamaican. But this country had done so much for me, I was willing to die for this country."

She then led the jubilant crowd in a "USA" chant before continuing.

Winsome Sears to be Virginia's first woman of color to serve as Lt Gov www.youtube.com

"I say to you, there are some who want to divide us and we must not let that happen. They would like us to believe we are back in 1963 when my father came. We can live where we want. We can eat what we want. We own the water fountains. We've had a black president elected not once, but twice, and here I am, living proof," Sears said, to wild cheers.

"In case you haven't noticed, I am black. And I have been black all my life, but that's not what this is about," she continued.

"What we are going to do is we are going to now be about the business of the Commonwealth," she said. "We have things to tend to. We are going to fully fund our historically black colleges and universities. ... We're going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good education. Because education lifted my father out of poverty, education lifted me out of poverty, education will lift us all out of poverty. We must have marketable skills so that our children can not just survive but they will thrive, and they will create generational wealth. That's what this is about."

"I didn't run to make history," Sears said. "I just wanted to leave it better than I found it."

Sears' victory is part of a Republican sweep of Virginia's statewide races, with Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin defeating former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe for governor and Republican Del. Jason Miyares defeating incumbent Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring in that race.

Republicans have not won any of these statewide races since 2009.

As of Wednesday morning, the GOP also appeared to be on track to capture control of the House of Delegates.

MSNBC reporter blames lies about critical race theory for Democratic flop in Virginia. But she's the one lying.



MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace argued Tuesday night that GOP propaganda and fake fomentation over the rise of critical race theory in schools is what led to a Republican rout of Democrats in Virginia's statewide elections.

"Critical race theory, which isn't real, turned the suburbs 15 points to the Trump insurrection endorsed Republican," Wallace said on the air while covering Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin's shock victory in Virginia's gubernatorial race.

As counting continued late into the night Tuesday, Youngkin maintained a healthy lead over Democratic candidate and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Republicans also appeared to take the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general in the state, which President Joe Biden won by more than 10 percentage points just one year ago.

During her show on MSNBC, a clearly rattled Wallace blasted Republican attacks on the educational implementation of critical race theory, an ideology that re-examines society through a racial lens and presumes that race is a constructed concept used primarily to exploit people of color.

The "Deadline: White House" host even tried to whitewash the theory by claiming it "isn't real" despite mounds of evidence to the contrary.

"Which isn't real"\n\nA reminder that the Virginia Department of Education website explicitly mentions Critical Race Theory as part of a best practice for establishing a curriculum: https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1454470598168510464\u00a0\u2026https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1455693642866298887\u00a0\u2026

— AG (@AGHamilton29) 1635901736

Critics on Twitter quickly charged Wallace with spreading misinformation, citing materials recently obtained by conservative journalist and filmmaker Christopher Rufo.

On Oct. 30, Rufo pointed out that under Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D), public education officials endorsed the explicit use of critical race theory as an "important analytic tool" to "further spur developments in education."

He also noted, "Right now, on its website, the Virginia Department of Education recommends 'Critical Race Theory in Education' as a 'best practice' and derives its definitions of 'racism,' 'white supremacy,' and 'education equity' explicitly from 'critical race theory.'"

Right now, on its website, the Virginia Department of Education recommends "Critical Race Theory in Education" as a "best practice" and derives its definitions of "racism," "white supremacy," and "education equity" explicitly from "critical race theory."pic.twitter.com/QVSJVpju2A

— Christopher F. Rufo \u2694\ufe0f (@realchrisrufo) 1635607788

Radical progressive changes in schools in the state — including the teaching of critical race theory and the adoption of transgender-affirming policies — are believed to have played a large part in the GOP's Tuesday night victories.

Yet McAuliffe, like Wallace, suggested in the final days of his campaign that critical race theory is nothing more than a "racist dog whistle" used to misleadingly rile up Republican voters.

The former governor also claimed that the theory has "never been taught in Virginia," even though in 2015, his very own administration reportedly instructed public schools to embrace it.

Desperate Democrat Terry McAuliffe closes bid for Virginia governor with out-and-out lie about Donald Trump and Glenn Youngkin



Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe really, really, really wanted former President Donald Trump to campaign with his GOP opponent in the Old Dominion.

McAuliffe, the former governor seeking another term (Virginia does not allow governors to serve consecutive terms), did everything he could to tie Republican nominee, Glenn Youngkin, to Trump, who lost Virginia to Biden by more than 10 points in 2020.

Democrats and their sympathizers across the state were determined to convince every voter that Youngkin was nothing short of a tried-and-true MAGA warrior — and a racist one to boot. They even went so far as to orchestrate a racist hoax against Youngkin, attempting to tie him to Charlottesville-style white supremacists whom the media have repeatedly — and lyingly — claimed Trump called "very fine people."

Now, with polls showing Youngkin holding a slight lead in a state where a Republican has not won statewide office since 2009, Team McAuliffe and the Democratic Party are getting increasingly desperate.

So it likely surprised no one when McAuliffe blatantly lied about a nonexistent Youngkin-Trump event Monday night as he wrapped up his campaign.

According to Politico, the Democratic nominee "simply invented" an event that did not exist. That's right, McAuliffe straight-up lied as he sought to once again taint Youngkin with Trump-ness.

As Politico noted, the Democrats became increasingly "desperate" as they watched Youngkin's raucous rallies compared to McAuliffe's "modest and listless" crowds.

From Poltico's Playbook on Tuesday:

TERRY MCAULIFFE wanted GLENN YOUNGKIN and DONALD TRUMP to campaign together so badly that when it didn't happen, McAuliffe simply invented a Youngkin-Trump event that didn't exist.

“Guess how Glenn Youngkin is finishing his campaign?" McAuliffe told a modest crowd outside a Fairfax brewery Monday night at his final rally. “He is doing an event with Donald Trump here in Virginia."

That was a lie. Trump wasn't in Virginia and he never campaigned with Youngkin, though he did make the case for the GOP candidate — “fantastic guy!" — during a brief “tele-rally."

Thirty miles away, at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds, a crowd several times the size of McAuliffe's was waiting for Youngkin to take the stage. You got a hint of why McAuliffe was desperate to manufacture the fake Trump event. While McAuliffe has boundless energy — “Sleep when you're dead!" he likes to say — his Monday audiences in Richmond and Fairfax, where we caught up with him, were modest and listless.

Youngkin's were large and rollicking, with many of the trappings of a MAGA rally — a similar dad rock playlist, hats and flags and T-shirts paying homage to the former president — but, to the great disappointment of Democrats, not Trump himself.

But the lie was to no avail.

No Trump.

No media echo chamber repeating the lie.

Nothing.

McAuliffe even admitted to reporters Monday that "from a political perspective" Trump not inserting himself into the Virginia race was a letdown, Politico noted. And CNN reported that the Democrat lamented that Trump no longer was on Twitter.

Terry McAuliffe told CNN after his event in Richmond that “fatigue and exhaustion from Trump” has clearly been an i… https://t.co/zVlybueYvi

— Dan Merica (@merica) 1635799765.0

The final RealClearPolitics average for the Virginia governor race had Youngkin up 1.7 points.

(H/T: HotAir)

Fox News catches McAuliffe campaign buying 'fake news' ads to take down Youngkin



An investigation has found that former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has spent nearly $100,000 promoting "fake news" websites on Facebook that give favorable coverage to his Virginia gubernatorial campaign against Republican Glenn Youngkin.

McAuliffe's campaign has purchased Facebook ads that link to third-party websites that are designed to look like local news sources but instead publish disinformation and "partisan propaganda," Fox News reported. The ads have been viewed up to 3.5 million times so far in a tight election, with McAuliffe and Youngkin tied in the polls just one week from Election Day.

Fox News describes the McAuliffe campaign's fake news ads as "sophisticated and opaque."

The campaign operates a Facebook page called "The Download Virginia," which was launched in June. The page's name sounds like the name of a news outlet, but according to Fox News it has not published any posts or photos and only 104 people are following it at the time this article was published.

By looking through Facebook's Ad Library Report, a tool for journalists and researchers, Fox News discovered that the McAuliffe campaign has spent $471,044 on ads distributed by this page since June.

"The advertisements generally contain a comment and a link to a mainstream news article that covers the campaign favorably. But sprinkled among the links to legitimate media are seven separate advertisements (and dozens of variations) that promote websites widely considered to be 'fake news,'" Fox News reports.

A July advertisement, for example, featured a favorable comment about McAuliffe's views on small businesses and then linked to an article published by a third party website called the Virginia Dogwood.

The Dogwood is designed to look like a local news website and it claims to publish "credible, fact-based reporting." But the website discloses it is owned and operated by Courier Newsroom, a group that was founded by the progressive dark money group ACRONYM and funded by multibillionaire Democratic donor George Soros, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and several Hollywood movie producers. Courier Newsroom has since been purchased by former Democratic strategist Tara McGowan's group Good Information Inc., a public benefit corporation that says it aims to fight "disinformation" by investing in local news companies, which is financially supported by many of the same progressive donors.

A Washington Post editorial from February 2020, written by a correspondent for a fact-checking organization, said that Courier Newsroom creates "hyperlocal partisan propaganda" through websites like the Dogwood.

Another advertisement from the Download in October claimed that Youngkin has a "very concerning" policy on vaccination and linked to an article published by the American Independent.

The Independent describes itself as a platform for "progressive news" and admits it is funded by the American Bridge 21st Century Foundation. The foundation is a liberal dark money group founded by David Brock, "a wealthy and influential Democratic donor who is also a close ally of the Clinton family," Fox News reported. In 2020, Brock's group spent $59.7 million to oppose Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets.

Both the Dogwood and the Independent are labeled "fake news" websites by OpenSecrets. And Fox News reported that the McAuliffe campaign has reached millions of Facebook users through ads promoting disinformation from those websites:

The McAuliffe campaign has spent a total of between $90,200 to $106,398 on advertisements linking to the Independent and the Dogwood. Those advertisements have garnered the campaign a total of between 3,290,000 and 3,470,000 "impressions," a term that Facebook uses to describe the number of screens that an advertisement has reached.

Each ad contains a disclaimer that it was paid for by "Terry for Virginia" and authorized by the candidate himself (Facebook requires candidates to add disclaimers like these to all political ads). But none of the advertisements disclose that the websites are considered to be "fake news" or that their information may be misleading.

The Democratic National Committee, which has publicly condemned misinformation on social media platforms, did not respond to Fox News' requests for comment on the McAuliffe campaign's fake news ads.

The McAuliffe campaign also did not respond to Fox News' requests for comment, but the network reports that two advertisements that linked to the American Independent as recently as last week were disabled after Fox News made inquiries.

A spokesperson for the Youngkin campaign said "disinformation practices are standard for McAuliffe, whose lies go into overdrive when he's desperate."

The spokesperson added that "not a single left-wing propaganda arm disguised as a news organization will turn the tide" of this close election.