It Starts in Virginia!

[Dave in VA]

Here's an article I read on the Blue Virginia website today. I want everyone here to see it as well.

http://bluevirginia.us/2017/03/republicans-scared-virginia

The electoral resistance starts in Virginia!

[Dawson Leery]

1. The Trumpbots can go to hell.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028783937

Move forward. Let them drown in their opioids.

[sheshe2]

2. Hell yes!

Kick and Recommend!

Rise up Resist.

[Tom the Mechanic]

3. Voter Turn-out is the Key

There is an election somewhere in the country, every week this year.

And so far, voter turn-out has been terrible.

Two weeks ago Wisconsin had just 8% voter turn-out, and last week L.A. broke a record for lowest voter turn-out ever for them.

Any one with ideas on how to increase voter turn-out in another state has an opportunity to test them every week, for the whole year.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Can't rest our laurels in NJ

We have to destroy them:

Virginia is one of only two states to hold major off-year elections. The other would be New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie is drowning under a record-breaking 73% disapproval rating. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Republicans are shrugging off what looks to be an inevitable defeat in New Jersey and are refocusing their eyes to the battleground of Virginia.

But they don’t seem to like what they are seeing here

Making that assumption could cause us to not peel off a few seats in the Assembly. In terms of reversing the Gerrymander of 2010 - NJ has to do what we need to do this year.

[Blue_Tires]

5. +1

Where in VA are you? I'm Va. Beach!

[Dave in VA]

8. PM

Don't have enough posts to send a PM. Can you PM me?

[lagomorph777]

6. Whoa, Newt Gangrene saying something true!

“Even if you don’t live in Virginia, this race impacts you. If the Democrats are able to say they won in 2017 — it will have huge implications for 2018.” — Newt Gangrene begging Republicans nationwide to donate to the Virginia 2017 election

And as a VA Dem, I agree. If you are a VA Dem, please get everybody you share values with, to VOTE THIS YEAR in June and in November.

[JudyM]

7. Important post. I'm sending the article out widely for people to at least contribute a bit at the

link. And hopefully volunteer as the time gets closer!

Thanks for posting it!

[Dave in VA]

9. ...

Thank you! I really feel that the Repubs are affraid that if they lose in VA it will portend what 2018 will look like nationally (and hopefully that will be the case!)

Again, thanks.

[Hortensis]

10. VA and NJ elections are held in off years to keep interest

and turnout low, but interest is likely to be very high anyway. Here's another one, an op from WaPo from Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

Get ready for your close-up, Virginia

Virginia’s political campaigns were already bound to command a fair share of national media attention in 2017.

After all, as Virginia is one of only two states (New Jersey is the other) to regularly hold statewide elections the year after presidential contests, gubernatorial elections here often are seen as an early referendum on a new president.

Although gubernatorial elections most often are driven by state issues, not federal ones, this year President Trump has already emerged as a major issue in the Virginia campaign. ... And the show is on here. The populist earthquake that heaved Trump into the White House in November is producing major aftershocks in Virginia. Insurgencies are shaking up both political parties. And there are eerie similarities between last year’s dramatic presidential contest and the races shaping up in Virginia.

Of course, the 2016 earthquake is devastating our nation, so let's hope it's an inapt analogy for the 2017 VA and NJ races. We need builders to replace the real and genuine extremist "revolutionaries" RW populism set running amok in Congress and the White House.