Tag: James A. Bacon
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Larry Sabato Is the One Living in a “Post-Factual” World
by James A. Bacon Larry Sabato has lost it. There was a time early in his career when the University of Virginia political science professor paid close attention to Virginia politics and spoke insightfully about it. But as he grew ever more successful as an author, director of the UVa Center for Politics, and a…
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The GOP Sweeps the Elections, but the Battle Has Just Begun
by James A. Bacon Having swept the statewide offices and recaptured a majority in the House of Delegates, the Republicans are back in power in Richmond. At last Virginians have a chance to correct the follies and excesses of the Northam administration. Republicans should enjoy the moment and bask in their victory. The post-election high…
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However This Election Ends, It’s Going to Be Big
I cast my ballot around noon today in the Maybeury precinct of Henrico County. The approaches to the voting place were studded with signs, mostly red, and in far greater numbers than I was accustomed to. The parking lot, though far from full, held more cars than in last year’s election. Despite the large number…
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Donald Trump, Please Butt Out
by James A. Bacon Donald Trump inserted himself into the gubernatorial election today by repeating his endorsement of Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin. Nothing wrong with that. He can endorse whomever he likes. But I draw the line at this: “I am not a believer in the integrity of Virginia’s elections, lots of bad things went…
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Shearing the Sheep
This is the fourth in a series of posts about Terry McAuliffe and GreenTech Automotive. by James A. Bacon and Carol J. Bova The Chinese citizens who lost $500,000 each from investing in GreenTech Automotive were not happy with their setback. While they had ponied up their money as part of a scheme to get…
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If Money Were Votes
The Virginia Public Access Project has published an interactive map, broken down by precinct that shows the dollar volumes and number of contributors to the gubernatorial campaigns of Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin. If the number of contributors were votes, Youngkin would win the race handily 12,098 to 9,346. But McAuliffe remains the big favorite…
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Dreams from the Opium Den
This is the third article in a series about Terry McAuliffe and GreenTech. by James A. Bacon and Carol J. Bova When partners Xiaolin “Charlie” Wang, Anthony Rodham, and Terry McAuliffe banded together in 2009 to finance and build an electric vehicle enterprise known as GreenTech Automotive, they thought big. Very big. In a 2009…
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How Data Asymmetry Drives COVID Policy
by James A. Bacon There’s a common saying in the business world: You manage what you measure. In Virginia, as in the rest of the United States, we have a super-abundance of data about COVID-19. Just visit the VDH website for a taste. As we have frequently observed on this blog — and we’re hardly…
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Jefferson Defended
by James A. Bacon I was proud of the University of Virginia last night. The Young Americans for Freedom organized an event, “Defending Thomas Jefferson,” featuring National Review editor Rich Lowry and Texas Congressman Chip Roy, both UVa alumni. Organizers believe it was the first time that conservative speakers from outside the university had been…
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Brace Yourselves for Inflationary Impact
This chart, courtesy of John Butcher, shows how the Consumer Price Index has broken out from the annual 1% to 3% increase range of the previous decade. While inflation is a national story, it has public policy implications for Virginia, especially now that public employee unions can engage in collective bargaining. Federal Reserve Bank officials…
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A Handshake Deal Gone Bad
This is the second in a series of articles about Terry McAuliffe and Greentech. by James A. Bacon and Carol J. Bova Fourteen years ago, Benjamin Yeung was a Chinese entrepreneur whose companies manufactured and sold minibuses, passenger cars and business vehicles in China. In 2007 he launched a venture with the idea of building…
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I Guess I Called that One Wrong
by James A. Bacon Steve Haner likes to yank my chain every so often, and he did so this morning — digging up my 2019 prognostication that Dominion Energy had lost the Democratic Party in Virginia. At the time Dominion was still committed to natural gas and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and opposition to the…
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Where Did $140 Million in GreenTech Money Go?
This is the first in a series of articles about Terry McAuliffe and GreenTech Automotive. by James A. Bacon and Carol J. Bova In September 2016, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) of the state of Mississippi began undertaking a review of the contracts signed by the state’s economic development authority. The goal was…
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No Critical Race Theory to See Here. Move Along Now.
Ibram Kendi, the nation’s most highly acclaimed and in-demand interpreter of Critical Race Theory in America today, will be the keynote speaker at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference in November. His conference biography notes that he has authored several books about racism, including “How to Be an Antiracist,” “Antiracist Baby,” and “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and…
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Defending Mr. Jefferson
by James A. Bacon Tomorrow evening Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, and Texas Congressman Chip Roy, both of whom are University of Virginia alumni, will participate in event entitled, “In Defense of Mr. Jefferson.” One might not think that the author of the Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States, and founder…