Youngkin Adds Anti-Semitism to His Cultural War Chest

It wasn't enough that Glenn Youngkin, the mega-rich retired Carlye executive who is the Republican candidate for Governor in Virginia, has been stomping the state with false remarks about critical race theory, trans teens rights, and local school board members along with a wink and a nod to the last president, he has now added George Soros to his campaign comments. This recent article in the Washington Post noted that Youngkin, in remarks given in Burke VA, claimed that Jewish operatives working with Soros were infiltrating local school boards in attempts to perpetuate critical race theories in the schools. Virginia Democrat, Rep. Elaine Luria, who is Jewish, criticized these comments, and called Youngkin out for his remarks, saying: "Evoking George Soros as a shadowy funder is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This is an unacceptable statement from Glenn Youngkin." 

George Soros is a wealthy philanthropist who has given generously to Democratic causes over the years. He is 91 years old and is an immigrant from Hungary whose family escaped the Nazis during the Second World War. After studying at the London School of Economics, he came to New York City in 1956, where he started the financial career and eventual hedge fund that has made him worth over 30 billion dollars. He has used his money to perpetuate democracy in many countries through his Open Society Foundation, to which he has given over 18 billion dollars. He gave 100 million dollars to fund the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch. Because he has given generously to Democratic candidates and foundations, he has long been called out by the far-right conspiracy theorists and many of their anti-Semitic allies. Youngkin is echoing these tropes.

The Republican candidate in the Governor's race in Virginia is, as I mentioned last week, stoking fears about schools and changing cultural issues instead of debating policies and programs. If he wins, this will surely be the Republican playbook for next year's mid-terms. As is seen, his campaign is divisive, pitting parents against school boards that try to protect the rights of trans teens who might want to play on a sports team. That school board might try to present equality as a trusted value, but this is being used against Black children by invoking the specter of Critical Race theory (which is not being taught) and claims that such a lesson might make a white child feel inferior. Youngkin has also supported charter schools that do not have to address the State School Board policies. He and others such as Gov. DeSantis and Senator Crawley have falsely claimed that Biden is setting the FBI against local parents and School Boards. In reality, the National School Boards Association had asked the Department of Justice to investigate organized violence against school boards across the country, and Attorney General Garland set forth guidelines for the FBI to ensure protection at local meetings.

Now, remarks about Soros add to the scare tactics against frightened and frustrated parents who have had months of difficult schooling by video during the pandemic and whose anger is easy to rouse. We are not so many months away from the riot in Charlottesville, VA and the white nationalist marchers who chanted "Jews will not replace us" along with the Nazi slogan 'Blood and soil', which referred to the purity of the Aryan race. The last president did not disown these remarks and, in fact, said that there were good people on both sides of this uprising. To many, this is now seen as a precursor of the insurrection as he nodded to the white supremacists, the Proud Boys, and militias who supported these ideologies.

Parents in Loudon County VA do not differ from those elsewhere- they care about their children and the education they receive. But in other ways, Loudon County differs from most of the US; the median income in 2019 was $142,299. Lands that were once plantations with slave-holding families are nearby. This county is now about 60% white; the white numbers are declining since it was 85% white in 2000. The population in the county has increased over 150% over that period, with a lot of the increase by 2020 being persons of color or immigrants. Originally, this area was a conservative enclave and one entrenched in resistance to integration in the schools. So many of the school battles in Loudon are symbolic of the old guard versus the new arrivals. Basically, the old guard does not like the changes it is seeing, so this is juicy fruit for a challenger such as Youngkin, who does not rely on facts for his rhetoric. They estimated the total population of the state of Virginia to be about 8.5 million people; approximately 1.6 million or about 19% are Black residents.

Therefore, using critical race theory or acceptance of gender changes is not what many residents want to see in their schools and are issues that can and are being demagogued. So, we should promote what type of education? First, it should not be issues that are not related to education. Acceptance of trans teens should be the same as acceptance of all students and those who have physical or emotional concerns – accept the student as they are. Then give them a well-rounded education based on a sound, well-developed curriculum. But students should learn history as it was, not as some wish it to be. Students in Loudon should not receive a history of the Civil War based on the dreams of the confederacy. But do parents want the history taught to be the sanitized version as promoted by changes in Texas law where the racial history of the United States is not mentioned and they said the Civil War was not about slavery but states' rights? Or do they want their children to be taught critical thinking skills, learn to respect, but sometimes question authority; thus ultimately to have the ability to do enough research to pull apart propaganda from history?

The Terry McAuliffe campaign, (he is the Democrat opposing Youngkin since the incumbent Democrat cannot run for a consecutive term) is raising the links Youngkin has to the former president, who has endorsed him, as a negative in the race. This endorsement was one he quietly accepted in public but endorsed in private. Youngkin did not admit that President Biden won the last election until after he achieved the Republican nomination in May.

McAuliffe, who supports abortion rights, is also using the abortion matter as one which would motivate suburban women voters, as Youngkin has said he is opposed to allowing abortion in Virginia, but could not speak out against it before the election. Terry was supportive when he was governor four years ago and also worked to expand Medicaid, which happened finally in 2020 when the Democrats took over the Virginia Assembly. Youngkin has not addressed this matter, preferring to focus on "election integrity" in a state that had no issues in the 2020 presidential election. Democrats point out that were he elected, the governor appoints all the boards of elections across the state, and scenarios such as those seen in Arizona or Texas could happen in Virginia, especially if he pulls in more Republican state legislators.

Democrats want to keep this state, which has been trending blue in recent years but are fearful that the controversies promoted by the Republicans are finding fertile grounds as negatives are reinforced. An aggressive protestor at a local school board meeting recently was forcibly removed by Sheriff's deputies and charged as a disruptive and threatening presence, but after Youngkin announced that (a duly elected prosecutor), a Muslim woman was prepared to prosecute this man, she started receiving hateful calls and messages. Did he have to mention that she was Muslim and a woman?

McAuliffe needs Black voters to turn out for him to win since their votes are usually Democratic. In recent days, Stacey Abrams and former President Barack Obama have appeared with McAuliffe at rallies; Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and President Joe Biden are each expected to appear at an event soon, as election day is November 2^nd. He has said that he is still supporting the issues he ran on and is trying to get the economic measures passed that should raise all people's lives. Others are faulting the Democrats' inability to pass the Voting Rights bills, which many consider imperative if this country is to stay democratic.

Some are wondering if Biden's decrease in popularity will limit turnout and have asked if Democrats are as hungry for this win as Republicans are. (538 lists the Presidents' current approval in an average of polls as 43.4% with 50.7% disapproval.) Too bad, no one seems to chastise the Republicans who, under McConnell, are opposing much of the Presidents' agenda. They again opposed even bringing the voting rights bill, sponsored by Senator Machin as a compromise, to the floor of the Senate for discussion. Of course, since the MAGA crowd is supporting Youngkin, they would claim validation for their Stop the Steal rants should he win.

As of today, 538 lists the race as quite close with McAuliffe at 47.9% and Youngkin at 45.6%.

The race has been close for several weeks, ever since the issues with school boards came to wider notice, so we shall see if appealing to the lowest common denominator is a winning plan.  I certainly hope not and I am obviously supporting McAuliffe. It may be that the 2022 mid-terms might become the most divisive election since the rise of the Tea Party.

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COVID continues to ravage our country, but vaccinations continue at about one million a day. Admittedly, some of these might be booster shots, but the steady pace is a hopeful sign. As we move closer to approval for elementary school-age children, we could add over 20 million more vaccinated residents to the totals. Delta appears to be waning in most of the country but an offshoot of Delta currently accounts for 20% of the new cases in England. Currently, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have the highest percentages of cases. Their vaccination rates are 52%, 50%, and 43% respectively. Maryland counts its vaccination rate as 66% at this time.

COVID stats—NY Times

US totals: Total Cases: 45,423,365. New Cases: 72,644.

                  Total Deaths:736,112. New Deaths:1,509.

Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 556,314. New Cases: 790.

                            Total Deaths: 10,806. New Deaths: 14.

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Well, they did not even discuss the voting rights bill in the Senate this week. I think it is time to somehow carve out an exception from the filibuster, wiser minds will have to figure this one out, but the Democrats have got to get this done. It is said that the Build Back Better Bill will get passed this week. We shall see. Now that Manchin has chopped off most of the environmental issues, it no longer shines as bright. Talk is that it might be around $1.9 Trillion, far short of what we had hoped to see—and that is mostly because of the machinations of Senators Sinema and Manchin. I am so not a fan of either; Sinema is trying to cut the taxes on the rich that should have funded these programs. Guess her lobbyists did their jobs well.

"Til next week – Peace!