Why concerns over school curriculum in Virginia aren’t just a right-wing issue, via @jwpetersNYT:
“At the Youngkin events, it was unclear how many people were voters like Mr. Miller, the former Biden supporter now voting for the Republican. Many said they were committed Republicans, and the crowds were more diverse than Republican events typically are.”
Again: When a Republican in blue Virginia is seen as better equipped to handle education (a dominant D issue for years), it’s apparent there’s movement well beyond the R base.
Keep a close eye on those Loudoun County returns on Election Night.
For a worthwhile primer from a liberal-minded journalist on why the education wars are so potent, check out this G Packer Atlantic cover story from 2019: “When the Culture War Comes for the Kids”
Anticipated the deepening fights over schools/curriculum:
THREAD: Reupping my columns on why education was such a hot-button issue in VA.
Big early red flag: McAuliffe kicked off campaign in front of a closed Richmond school last December, and didn't say a word about school closures despite ample evidence of parental frustration.
Dec 2020: "The Growing Backlash Against Educational Extremism"
"Parents are growing dissatisfied with an educational establishment that prioritizes renaming schools over opening them up. It’s emerging as a top issue in next year’s VA governor’s race."
May 2021: "School daze: Why Democrats are vulnerable on education"
"Between the slow pace of school reopenings and divisive curricular changes taking place in Democratic jurisdictions, the party’s progressive wing is courting a backlash" njour.nl/s/713646?unloc…
"Biden’s job approval ratings have been sinking for months as voters increasingly see him as out of touch with their priorities & values. The coming clash over vaccine mandates might be another area where the president has misread the public temperament." washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
"The news that many employees are choosing to quit or risk being fired rather than submit to mandates could be the development that shifts public opinion. Nurses, police officers and others are already quitting their positions instead of getting the shots" washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
"It’s easy to be for something that places a burden on others. But human nature suggests opinions will change rapidly when people have to share the burden in ways they don’t like."
My weekend column: New polling shows deep, bipartisan opposition to race-centered curricular changes in K-12 classrooms — an issue that’s already percolating in local school board elections across the country and also in the #VAGOV race.
70% of respondents said it is not important or not at all important for schools to “teach students that their race is the most important thing about them”
NEW Against the Grain: “School Daze: Why Democrats Are Vulnerable on Education"
“Between the slow pace of school reopenings and divisive curricular changes taking place in Democratic jurisdictions, the party’s progressive wing is courting a backlash.”
“One of the few polls to examine the level of support for these hot-button educational issues, provided exclusively to National Journal, suggests the backlash to this type of educational activism is bipartisan.”
“Changing history classes to ‘focus on race and power and promote social justice’ was rejected by 59 percent of respondents—and 50 percent opposed it strongly.”
These quotes from Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes need to be seen to be believed. From the Rep. Omar playbook. (via @J_Insider) jewishinsider.com/2021/02/ben-rh…
1) "You have this incredibly organized pro-Israel community that is very accustomed to having access in the White House, in Congress, at the State Department. It’s kind of taken as granted, as given, that that’s going to be the way things are done.” jewishinsider.com/2021/02/ben-rh…
2) "I got so sick of hearing, ‘Palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.’ But when did we give them one?” jewishinsider.com/2021/02/ben-rh…
NEW Against the Grain: ""The Five Questions That Will Shape the 2022 Senate Map"
"The biggest unknown for the 2022 Senate landscape: Will mainstream Republicans win nominations in key races, or will Trumpians prevail?" njour.nl/s/712189?unloc…
1. NORTH CAROLINA: Will Lara Trump run?
"Holding Burr’s seat in North Carolina is shaping up to be a must-win if Republicans want to win back a Senate majority. They’ll need to avoid a civil war to accomplish that goal." njour.nl/s/712189?unloc…
2. ARIZONA: Can Republicans convince Doug Ducey to run for the Senate, even though he says he’s not interested?
"Without a brand-name contender like Ducey, Republicans risk nominating an extreme candidate unable to appeal to suburbanites" njour.nl/s/712189?unloc…