Day 293: Trumpism Takes One on the Chin
Last night, Virginia elected Democract Ralph Northam to be their next governor, easily defeating Republican Ed Gillespie.
Gillespie, a longtime lobbyist and an establishment Republican that would make even Paul Ryan blush, attempted to move heavily to Trumpism in the last weeks and months of the election, issuing bombastic rhetoric, making bold promises and largely running on scare tactics.
Steve Bannon said of Gillespie earlier this week:
“He’s closed an enthusiasm gap by rallying around the Trump agenda. And I think the big lesson for Tuesday is that, in Gillespie’s case, Trumpism without Trump can show the way forward. If that’s the case, Democrats better be very, very worried.”
In a race that was expected to be tight — final polls had gap between the candidates within the margin of error — the results were anything but.
In addition to the nearly nine-point drubbing, Democrats executed a shocking flip of at least 15 seats in the state legislature.
Democrats made significant gains Tuesday in Virginia’s House of Delegates, snaring at least 15 seats in an upset that stunned members of both parties and arrived with national implications.
Unofficial returns showed Democrats unseating at least a dozen Republicans and flipping three seats that had been occupied by GOP incumbents who didn’t seek reelection. Four other races were so close that they qualify for a recount, and results will determine control of the chamber. The results marked the most sweeping shift in control of the legislature since the Watergate era.
Voters were motivated to come out.
And exit polls were clear as to why: To issue a referendum about Donald Trump.
Half of Virginia voters said Trump was a reason for their vote — with twice as many saying they were voting to oppose Trump (34 percent) as to support him (17 percent). Northam won 97 percent of voters for whom opposing Trump was a factor.
In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy, running on a heavily anti-Trump campaign, to no one’s real surprise, trounced his opponent and won the governorship by nearly 13 points. Democrats will have full control of New Jersey’s government for the first time since 2009.
But the real story was in Virginia.
An embedded-in-the-swamp Republican sold his soul to the temple of Trump. Trump recorded robocalls and tweeted in favor of Gillespie often over the last weeks of the campaign.
Ed Gillespie wrapped his arms around Donald Trump and Donald Trump wrapped his arms around Ed Gillespie.
Polls indicated a shameless shift to Trumpism might actually work, which would lay the groundwork for dozens of copycats running for state or national seats in the next 12 months.
Except it didn’t.
And just when it appeared the lack of political loyalty could be only so brazen, Trump tweeted just moments before issuing a major speech in Seoul about nuclear proliferation in North Korea.
293 days in, 1169 to go
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