Category: Politics
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Charter Schools and How Things Work in Virginia
by James C. Sherlock As an object lesson on how things work in Virginia, I’ll relate a story of campaign donations, the Virginia Education Association, a Democratic Governor, a Republican Senator, Democratic Senator Dick Saslaw, his wife Eleanor and charter schools. The Virginia Education Association The Virginia Education Association has given nearly $1.8 million in…
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Dig This — the Virginia GOP As a Big Tent Party!
by James A. Bacon Virginia Republicans, divided between populist cultural conservatives and traditional free market/small government conservatives, may well immolate themselves when it comes time to select candidates for statewide office. I proffer no predictions. But, should the GOP find some way to maintain a facade of unity, there is one very promising sign for…
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There Is a God and He Has a Sense of Humor
by James C. Sherlock The Left won control of government in the most recent elections nationally and in Virginia. Elections indeed have consequences. The focus on race instead of class by the newly victorious left will have major consequences here. A combination of (1) Biden policies requiring antiracism training for federal workers and contractors; and (2) state…
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An Era of Kindness, Civility and Decency? Not in Virginia.
by James A. Bacon Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring commented upon the inauguration of President Joe Biden today with the following remark: “Today, we move forward as one country into a new era where kindness, civility, and decency are once again represented at the highest levels of our government.” That’s a lofty sentiment. I…
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Where Goes the Virginia GOP in a Post-Trump Presidency?
by James A. Bacon In the aftermath of the mob action at the U.S. Capitol two days ago, establishment Republicans have decisively condemned not only the rioters but President Trump for firing them up with assertions that the 2020 election was stolen. As best I can tell, hard-core Trump supporters seem unrepentant. They still think…
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The U.S. As Banana Republic
I’m breaking a cardinal rule of Bacon’s Rebellion that restricts commentary to Virginia public policy. The events occurring at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., right now are so unprecedented and so indicative of the political polarization in this country that I’m opening up this post to general commentary. — JAB
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Merle Rutledge and America’s Coming Political Realignment
by James A. Bacon Permit me to introduce you to Merle Rutledge, the Republican candidate for governor that no one is talking about. To be sure, his chances of winning the nomination are just about zero, but that’s no reason to pretend he doesn’t exist. Personally, I find his candidacy intriguing — not because…
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The New Face of Virginia’s GOP
By Peter Galuszka If ever one photo best describes what 2020 was like in Virginia, this shot, by the brilliant veteran photographer Scott Elmquist at Style Weekly, shows it. The photo is of state Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, at a July 4 rally at the capitol. Her defiant expression, the assault-style rifle and the over-the-top…
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Bacon Bits: Politicians Behaving Badly
Amanda Chase anti-vaxxer. Republican gubernatorial candidate Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, has famously refused to wear face masks. Now, if a report from the liberal/left The Daily Beast can be believed, she will refuse to to get vaccinated. She would “absolutely not” get a shot because “many of the vaccines are actually manufactured in China,” she told…
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Martial Law Is NOT the Answer!
by James A. Bacon In a Tuesday Facebook post Sen. Amanda F. Chase, R-Chesterfield, a candidate for governor, called upon President Trump declare martial law and seize voting machines to find the voting fraud that resulted in Joe Biden’s election. “There needs to be a national audit,” she said. President-elect Biden, elaborated Chase, is “not…
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With Chase Vs. Cox, The Field Looks Complete
By Steve Haner Give credit where it is due: Chesterfield Senator Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, had the wisdom and courage to reverse a bad decision. Virginia’s Republicans may be back in the game for 2021. Both Senator Chase and Delegate Kirk Cox had expressed a preference for their party to choose a nominee for governor by…
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Liberty’s Curious “Think Tank”
By Peter Galuszka Imagine there is a “think tank” at a private, non-profit university. It produces no academic papers and does no peer-reviewed research. Instead, it holds podcasts, seminars and buys ads on Facebook that obviously promote a political party and president. Would that be a “think tank” or a political action committee? That about…
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NoPlan Northam Readies Random Restrictions
By DJ Rippert Here we go again. The Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting that Governor Ralph “NoPlan” Northam signaled a possible increase in COVID-19 restrictions during an interview with CNBC yesterday (Dec 7). Northam is quoted as saying, “We’re actively discussing on how to mitigate the numbers, and we’ll take further measures if we need…
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What Cox Brings to the Contest for Governor
by Steve Haner Virginia’s 66th House District, basically Colonial Heights and part of Chesterfield County, was drawn by a federal court special master. The incumbent delegate, Republican Speaker of the House Kirk Cox, was not supposed to survive the 2019 election based on past partisan performance in those precincts. But Cox ran nine points ahead…
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Virginia’s Splintered GOP
by James A. Bacon Shaun Kenney a former executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, offers a useful perspective into the state of Virginia’s GOP in a post-Trump presidency. The Grand Old Party in the Old Dominion is so fractured, he suggests in a new post on The Republican Standard, that it soon may…