Tag: Shaun Kenney
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It’s Not Trump; Our Coalitions Matter
by Shaun Kenney Stop me if you’ve seen this one before. Virginia Republicans either get absolutely shellacked in an election, or the margins are super close and we either lose — in which case, the Western Experiment is over and America should pack it in — or we miraculously win and have set the new conservative standard for the…
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Spanberger’s Low-Energy Launch
by Shaun Kenney Long rumored and much anticipated, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) announced her intention to run for Virginia governor in 2025 just weeks after Republicans led by Governor Glenn Youngkin fell short of re-capturing leadership of the General Assembly. Spanberger’s announcement — being panned as “low energy” by most observers — came just days…
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Freedom, Consistency, and Tuesday’s Election
by Shaun Kenney One of the great things about being a conservative is that we are inherently an anti-ideology. As the late William F. Buckley Jr. once put it, the great task of the modern conservative movement is to stand athwart history yelling STOP! Yet in a wider sense, it is far easier for conservatives…
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Voyeurism Isn’t Good for the Soul (or Politics)
by Shaun Kenney The scandal of the week involving Susanna Gibson is an indictment of our politics. Shame on us all for participating in it. HAMLET Get thee ⟨to⟩ a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it…
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When Did the RTD Become TMZ?
by Shaun Kenney The Richmond Times-Dispatch was given a clip of David Owen — Republican candidate for House of Delegates — where he tells an audience of like-minded souls that he is, indeed, pro-life. Charlotte Rene Woods over at the RTD decides to do the work of Democratic campaign operatives in what could only be…
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Yes, Virginia Democrats Really Do Want Abortion Up to 40 Weeks (and Beyond)
by Shaun Kenney This November in Ohio, a referendum measure will be on the ballot that will not only enshrine abortion as a state constitutional right — the measure will eliminate parental notification and parental consent on any and all decisions about sexuality and gender in language so broad that it encompasses not just abortion…
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Webb’s Last Ditch Attempt to Save the Confederate Memorial at Arlington
by Shaun Kenney Former Virginia Democratic U.S. Senator Jim Webb is begging federal officials to save the last remaining Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in a forceful op-ed to The Wall Street Journal. Webb writes: [President William] McKinley understood the Civil War as one who had lived it, having served four years in the…
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Who Are Those Rich Men North of Richmond? And What Is Youngkin Up To?
by Shaun Kenney First things are first. I’m almost certain you have heard “Try That In a Small Town” by Jason Aldean. Good for a week, right? If you want to hear true protest music? Allow me to introduce you to the bluegrass of Oliver Anthony: Give these lyrics a try: These rich men north…
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Virginians Overtaxed as Youngkin Urges Budget Deal
by Shaun Kenney With state revenue projections north of $5 billion, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) renewed his call for a budget deal with Senate Democrats as negotiators with the Virginia General Assembly met for the first time since June. “Virginians remain overtaxed. Last year we provided $4 billion of tax relief for individuals, families,…
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When Local Registrars Get Caught in the Middle
by Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney Last week, Cardinal News published a piece by reporter Markus Schmidt about the difficulties facing several Democratic candidates for state and local offices in Virginia, owing to complications with their paperwork. Mistakes related to paperwork happen every year, and sometimes the Virginia Department of Elections can sort out the…
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Can Virginia Republicans Find 500,000 Votes?
by Shaun Kenney Back in November 2019, the Commonwealth of Kentucky was well on its way to being a blue state. That is, until the state’s Republican leadership saw the trend and decided to do something about it. Aided by terrible Biden numbers, Kentucky’s GOP reversed the decline in short order: If you’re like myself,…
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The “I” Stands For Idiot
by Shaun Kenney State Senator Amanda Chase (I-Chesterfield) was soundly rejected by her own district in the June 20th primary, where participants were ostensibly pledged to support the nominee, win or lose. Of course, Senate Democrats are hanging on by a thread, knowing full well that Senate Republicans are in a prime position to overwhelmingly…
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Cash On Hand Determining Outcomes in Virginia Senate Primaries
by Shaun Kenney On 20 June, Virginians in both political parties will be selecting their nominees for the November elections to the General Assembly. Virginia Democrats seem to be caught in a literal death spiral of trying to out-abortion one another, as flyers are going about accusing certain candidates of being “pro-life” while others proudly…
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The Problem Isn’t Guns, It’s Richmond
by Shaun Kenney Do you ever sit around and wish that a public figure would actually stand up and call out a problem for what it is? Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears is out there doing just that when it comes to Richmond’s rising tide of violence. Virginia Democrats have responded to last week’s tragedy at…
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Mountain Valley Pipeline Back Thanks to McCarthy-Biden Debt Deal
by Shaun Kenney As part of the debt ceiling deal, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), long thought dead, is now suddenly back in the cards. But don’t expect bulldozers back in Virginia anytime soon, as the 4th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is not expected to grant permission to cross any streams or wetlands before…