Republican Ed Gillespie tried to mimic Donald Trump’s rhetoric, as Trump himself turned up his bigoted rhetoric, and the result was a big win for Democrats in Virginia.
Democrat Ralph Northam is currently up by 5 points and is the projected winner in Virginia.
Gillespie’s decision to mimic Trumpism linked him to the President, even though he tried to keep his distance and never campaigned with Trump. The reality is that Democrats were energized. They were motivated, and unlike other elections, they showed up.
Trumpism, which can be described as dividing voters and relying on a core base of support to win elections, was soundly rejected in Virginia. Trump’s politics of division caused Democrats to turnout and voters to unify against this president.
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Voters have been aching to send a message to Trump and the Republican Party from the moment that this president took office. Trump never tried to unify the country, and as a result, massive numbers of voters unified against him.
The message to Republicans all across the country who were thinking that could mimic Donald Trump is clear. Any Republican that embraces Trumpism outside of dark red areas is going to lose.
Democrats already had momentum on their side heading into 2018, the results in Virginia suggest that a Democratic wave is building and that embracing Trumpism won’t save the Republican Party.
Donald Trump went all in on his support for Ed Gillespie and had his head handed to him as Virginia voters rejected this president and his style of politics.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
