The latest A- rated (by fivethirtyeight.com) Fox "News" poll on the gubernatorial race in Virginia is out with some good news for Democrat Terry McAuliffe:
Beyond the top- line numbers, the poll shows McAuliffe leading the Trump- endorsed Republican weasel Glenn Youngkin among the key groups necessary for him to win:
Youngkin has traditional Republican support among White evangelicals, rural voters, White men, and Whites without a college degree (heavy on the "White" there).
On the popularity question ("who would you rather have a beer with?"), McAuliffe beats everyone:
Youngkin's campaign has struggled to keep his Trump ties quiet in the
parts of Virginia that have trended blue over the past decade, while at
the same time trying to energize Trump's White racist base by trotting
out the "Critical Race Theory" dog whistle (CRT is not taught in
Virginia K-12 or in any other state, BTW).
Tying Trump around Youngkin's neck has been a Democratic strategy that needs to be amplified, given Trump's toxicity in Virginia. The recent pro- insurrectionist rally in support of Youngkin and the rest of his far- right ticket (which Youngkin stayed away from) turned out to be a major embarrassment, with Youngkin belatedly disavowing the rally's pledge of allegiance to a flag that the insurrectionists had at the Capitol on January 6. That could be the next ad for McAuliffe ("Glenn Youngkin wants your vote, Trumpers, he just doesn't want to be seen with you."), especially since there appears to be a lack of enthusiasm among Republican voters for the shape- shifting weasel. This line in the Fox poll analysis stood out:
McAuliffe receives stronger support among voters who approve of Democrats (91 percent) than Youngkin receives from those who approve of Republicans (80 percent).
It's the Democrats' race to lose. Hit Youngkin hard, and get out the damn vote!
