In the last two years Rep. Denver Riggleman (R) VA-05 has been one of the most productive servants in the Virginia Congressional Delegation in the House of Representatives in Congress. Rep. Riggleman and Rep. Rob Wiittman (R) VA-01 have an ability to reach consenus and work in so many bipartisan efforts where they can find common ground on issues impacting Virginians all across the Commonwealth with Democrats.
Rep. Riggleman is very outspoken on the issues and never shies away from confronting elements in both political parties that he deems on the wrong side of issues or a threat to the founding doctrines of the Republic. This of course makes Riggleman a target for both sides especially on social media who seek to use him as a rock to break their own views against.
There is a great interaction in the movie "Braveheart" where Robert the Bruce is speaking with William Wallace and states :
"If you make enemies on both sides of the border, you will end up dead" and William Wallace responds "We all end up dead; its just a question of how or why"
This is really the story of Rep. Denver Riggleman (R)) venture into the sphere of Virginia politics. The truth is Republicans continue to lsoe in Virginia similarly as the clans of Scotland because the clans would not stand together just like today in Virginia where the warring "clans" or "wings" of the Virginia GOP can't unite. No more was this more evident than in the VA-05 in 2020. A district that appears to have a large contingent of Never Trumpers than any other GOP controlled Congressional district in Virginia whose allegiance appears more closely aligned with Senator Red Cruz (R).
Riggleman is an outspoken limited government conservative who believes that the individual should be free to engage in the opportunities provided within a free society and a functioning democracy with limited involvement by the government or its powers. At his core Riggleman is a free thinker and could aptly be described as more of a Libertarian Republican than any other elected official in the Virginia Congressional Delegation. Having himself served in the U.S Airforce for fifteen years and the intelligence community as well as operating a small craft distillery business in Virginia. Riggleman worked vigorously to deregulate the distillery industry in Virginia. Furthermore, Riggleman has a firm grasp of the various dynamics that impact both domestic and foreign policy. Even though the outspoken Riggleman has his own voice he still maintained a 93.9% voting record in line with President Trump while serving in Congress.
While many have taken to social media in recent weeks to attempt to discredit Rep. Denver Riggleman after his loss in his re-election bid during the nomination process last summer it is important to note that Riggleman had the full support of President Trump which did not help him in one of the most pro-Trump Congressional districts in Virginia. After the nomination of Bob Good through some rather nefarious actions in the VA-05 nominating process, Trump of course flipped his position on Riggleman like so often Trump does. Keep in mind, Riggleman had conservative approval rating of about 94% the last two years representing the VA-05. The battle raged in the VA-05 all summer and regarding Riggleman and appears to have nothing to do with policy or votes rather it has to do with the fact many have made it personal based on things that frankly are totally irrelevant or at least should be in the context of performing the duties of office. Trump recent attacks on Riggleman are nothing more than the fact Trump has always had a "winners and losers" mentality. Remember the "Apprentice"?Trump stating that Riggleman lost his re-election bid for not being "Trump enough" is simply not born out by the facts yet none the less Trump is known for jettisoning anyone who moves from his winners consideration to losers and the fact remains Riggleman lost.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/us/politics/denver-riggleman-virginia-primary-bob-good.html
Everyone knows of course "how" Riggleman lost. The VA-05 nominating process in 2019/20 was plagued with corruption. Committee members were taking payouts while they worked behind the scenes to unseat their own Congressman. This is not the role of a district committee in truth and the fact is it very well may ultimately lead to the Republicans losing the seat in Congress to Dr. Cameron Webb (D). The fact remains the committee was successful in removing someone with broader appeal in the general electorate that attracted support from libertarians, moderates, conservatives and even "blue dog" Democrats replacing him with a far right "biblical red" conservative in Bob Good. A candidate that has not denounced the alt right or QAnon going into an election less than two weeks away that appears now to have moved from "solid red" or "safe seat" to now "toss up".
Its ironic that as the Good campaign attempts to attract support from the extreme right of the Virginia GOP, Rep. Denver Riggleman has been working to expose the truth with regard to some of these groups than apparently even President Trump is not fully versed on. Recently, Riggleman introduced bipartisan resolution condemning QAnon in Congress. QAnon is well known as a movement that promotes unfounded conspiracy theories as truth or fact on social media that began in 2017 that are meant to undermine the public trust Americans have in their democratic institutions.
Rep. Denver Riggleman recently stated that "QAnon and the conspiracy theories it promotes are a danger and a threat that has no place in our country's politics...I condemn this movement and urge all Americans to join me in taking this step to exclude them and other extreme conspiracy theories from the national discourse."
The Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy has stated that "QAnon is arguable no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed".
The problem is Riggleman appears alone in his condemnations. Campaigns such as Bob Good for Congress and Amanda Freeman Chase for Governor refuse to condemn QAnon.
Why is it that Good and Chase refuse to condemn the movement? Recently USA Today reported on a Yahoo! News poll (see above) that half of President Trump's supporters believe in QAnon. The result simply has been a fear in condemning the movement by candidates. Riggleman has never displayed such fear in terms of doing the right thing regardless of the political ramifications. Riggleman is right in his condemnation of QAnon as much as he was right to marry a gay couple in 2019 who asked the Congressman to marry them.
So while Riggleman's bipartisan resolution (H.R. 1154) to condemn QAnon passes the House of Representatives in a 370-180-1 vote. The resolution was joined by Rep. Elaine Luria (D) from the VA-02 as a co-sponsor.
It is very telling that the movement has about as much creditibility as the Russian Collusion hoax and yet candidates like Good and Chase cannot bring themselves to condemn it. It seems while Riggleman has been outspoken against far left and far right conspiracy theories that advance anarchist ideologies and anti-Semitic tropes that encourage domestic violence. I am not alone in questioning why it is both self -professed Christian "biblical red conservatives" Bob Good and Amanda Freeman Chase appear to embrace those elements on the alt right that advance some of the most anti-Semitic views and insight violence that our intelligence community and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have stated "very likely motivate some domestic extremists , wholly or in part, to engage in criminal or violent activity".
It really begs the question why many like Good and Chase refuse to condemn such a movement. Do they really believe that the movement is indicative of how most Virginia Republicans think? I did a recent unscientific test and reached out to about two dozen conservatives in the VA-05 and VA-11 Senatorial District that Chase represents that I am connected with on Facebook and ask them how they felt about the QAnon movement. ONLY 3 even remotely knew anything about the movement and could actually speak to its positions. These were people that I respect and know are engaged in Virginia politics. ONLY 3.
Riggleman has tapped into something that is growing especially in Virginia. Many Virginians are reaching their fill on the divisiveness that many like Amanda Freeman Chase are promoting on the campaign trails. Riggleman believes that "the vitriol and anger spewing from both sides of the political aisle, echoing around the darkest corners and caverns of the internet has led to violence and hate, divisiveness and anger". Riggleman has demonstrated and knack for pointing out what we all know to be true but have refused to admit.The extremes of both political parties have hijacked their respective parties and left the middle or centrists to reconsider the binary choice.
If you examine Rep. Denver Riggleman's actual record in Congress it is really hard to just dismiss is effectiveness to lead and to bring people together. Even after losing his re-election bid last summer, Riggleman has continued to roll up his sleeves and stay in the fight for conservatives.
This week supporters of Bob Good took to social media to condemn Riggleman for comments they deemed detrimental to their candidate and insinuated that Riggleman betrayed the GOP by meeting with Dr. Cameron Webb (D) recently but has never publicly supported Good since his nomination. Ironically, these people are the very ones who supported corrupt efforts to unseat Riggleman in the first place and now expect Riggleman to "fall in line". Clearly, these people do not know Denver Riggleman at all. The "fall in line" or "kiss the ring" mindset is not part of the Riggleman DNA.
Good supporters were upset that Riggleman would actually speak with Dr. Webb who stopped by the Congressman's distillery in the district coupled with the fact that Riggleman stated recently he would be "open" to "considering" any candidate. Many would likely find this dispute as petty however it is actually really indicative of the problem that the Virginia GOP faces with the selection of candidates that have been nominated in many areas of Virginia. To those like Good and Chase and their supporters "principled" means nothing more than agreeing with them.
What has a "principled conservative" become in Virginia? Is it Ted Cruz (R)? Is it President Trump? Does the Virginia GOP even know anymore? The more supporters of Good and Chase flex the more the tent shrinks and the issue of QAnon and the alt right is simply one more example of this. The very fact that many Republicans cannot publicly rebuke or condemn these movements is every bit as telling as the lefts inability to condemn Antifa.
Senator Chase is a prime example of this bipolar approach and hypocrisy. Chase continually has condemned Antifa but refuses to condemn QAnon and embraces the alt right fringe of the party and while supporters of Good and Chase rail against Riggleman for speaking with Dr. Webb they are silent on the fact that Chase herself met with Black Lives Matter/Antifa supporters in July in Richmond. So it seems appropriate for Chase to speak with designated domestic terror groups but not appropriate for Riggleman to speak with a candidate running for Congress from the Democratic Party who happens to be an actual constituent.
Much of what we have seen in 2020 regarding these movements and the rhetoric on the campaign trail and the fact that right now the Virginia GOP faces even further decline in representation on the Congressional Delegation after next months election will create a vacuum in the center of the Virginia political spectrum that Rep. Denver Riggleman is aptly able to fill in 2021.
Riggleman is currently weighing his options come January when his term expires. There is little doubt that Riggleman will continue his honorable service to the nation and may return to the intelligence community or potentially run for Governor of Virginia in 2021. It safe to say that whatever Riggleman decides to pursue he will remain unwavered in his commitment to his values in support of our Commonwealth, the Constitution and the Republic.
Many believe that the election next month may send the Virginia GOP into an even greater tailspin than the elections of 2019. The extreme far right has lost the Virginia center. With each passing Facebook post on pages of candidates like Amanda Freeman Chase the middle is further lost. The "center" is something Chase has portrayed for eight months as "liberal Republican" or "Democrat light" totally ignoring or even attempting to speak to these Virginians who are fiscal conservatives believing in limited government, lower taxes, equal justice, equal opportunities and have little appetite for social issues. While the center may not participate heavily in conventions or local committees it does in fact come to the polls in force.
Rep. Denver Riggleman whether intentional or not is speaking right now to the Virginia center. The center understands that Republicans can still win the Virginia Executive with the right candidates not unlike Gov. Larry Hogan(R) who has won two consecutive terms in highly liberal Maryland while all statewide Republican candidates have lost in Virginia since 2013. The chances for victory double in truth if Vice President upsets President Trump as Virginia historically moves counter to the holder of the White House.
The more the far right extremists use Rep. Denver Riggleman as a rock to break their own QAnon and alt right divisiveness against the more that the Virginia GOP loses even more ground and provides the opportunity for a sea change in the Virginia political universe in 2021. Again the "clans" are divided and have yet to identity someone they can all unite behind.
No Republican can win Virginia statewide without the support of the Virginia center comprised of libertarians, moderates and independents and yet as 2021 gets closer and closer the more these voters are alienated by the far right movements that embrace xenophobic, homophobic, anti-Semitc and anti- government rhetoric.
Guest Contributor
Jonathan Scott
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