Virginia Voters Seem Evenly Split – Princess Blanding’s Third Party Bid Could Play a Factor
538’s latest polls show 47.9% for Youngkin, 47% for McClintonite, and 1-2% for Princess Blanding of the Liberation Party.
(The Center Square) – Although most of the talk around Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial race has focused on Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, voters will have a third name to choose from on their ballots next week – Princess Blanding.
“I am a working class Virginian and the only candidate who will fight to uplift the voices and address the needs and concerns of the working class, our Black and Brown community members and our most marginalized community members,” Blanding told The Center Square in an email. “I am the only candidate that will put people over profit and politics to ensure that liberation is a human right, not a privilege for all Virginians.”
Blanding, who is running in the newly formed Liberation Party, is trying to capture votes from Virginains who feel left behind by the two party system, particularly those who care about racial justice, social justice and environmental justice. Although she has not broken past 2% in most major polls, she is running further to the political left than McAuliffe and could have an impact on the final results as polls are showing a virtual tie between the two frontrunners.
Being on the “swing state” front lines over the past few elections means that the Democrats have been able to build an impressive GOTV operation. I hope it saves them from having picked a Terry McAuliffe-type candidate.
Princess and a lot of the other progressive ilk still don’t get it. If she splits the D vote and the trumpists take Virginia, she will share responsibility for all the resulting negative outcomes. Progs can’t act strategically, instead of organizing groups to defend school boards and intimidate the Karen’s, they are throwing grenades into elections in feeble attempts to disrupt. I hope they’re happy and enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame. Those one-way helicopter trips are looking more likely every time another trumpist wins office.
2022 is gonna be a blowout…. meaning there is no way a dem will be allowed to “win” in 2024 regardless of the vote. Not like biden has a prayer for reelection.
Thanks, vote blue no matter who…. ya delayed the total fascist takeover by 4 years. I’m buying a bunker.
Agree with Ben. Blue dog has his head up his ass. Its all about base turn out. Republicans get it. Democrats are still wondering in the centrist wilderness.
What ‘base’ is gonna turn out to vote for a Clintonian retread like McAuliffe? He won in 2017, and Northam won in 2019, because voters were motivated to keep the Trump stench from overwhelming Virginia. Particularly minority voters.
Absent that, McAuliffe morphed into what he always had been: A centrist D who stood for nothing. This race was easily predictable. It’s why I predicted it last week.
Every fb ad I saw for Terry started with “History says we’re gonna lose” …. even when he was “polling” 10 points ahead.
Too bad about Virgina. They were looking so promising. NJ sucks.
Dems did ok in PA (go kraz!) Losing ground on the state house there would have been pretty bad. I think there’s still time to avoid oblivion next year, but it’s gonna require a change in management that probably won’t happen.
A dem working hard in VA told me that 10 months of the DNC’s fundraising emails screaming “WE ARE LOSING!” were real momentum killers.
Way to go DNC!
They are not “centrist” Democrats. They are corporatist Democrats. Let’s stop giving them cover with a flattering label.
Yes, that distinction is the real issue.