The current political environment in the Commonwealth of Virginia today can only be described as being a state of "opposition".
Competing views, philosophies and more importantly interpretations of the United States Constitution in the public square and social media relating to the current Virginia political dynamic has not been at this fever pitch since Revolutionary era.
It may seem hyperbolic but the truth is the level of contempt for the Virginia Progressives dominating the Democratic Party of Virginia that exist today rivals that of the Tories and the fact that the majority of these Progressives come from the same region once dominated by those favoring allegiance to England is not lost on those paying attention.
The "opposition" in Virginia held a massive State House rally last month where close to 80,000 citizens rallied before the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond only to be all but ignored by the new majority in Virginia. This majority much like its brethren in Congress north of the Potomac is being led by an angry Progressive minority. The Republicans had controlled the majority in the General Assembly in Richmond for almost three decades and lost it last November in a decisive defeat.
The election in 2019 proved just how outmatched the Republican Party of Virginia has become. After years holding the majority the party morphed left in truth and having the opportunity and the votes to pass sweeping legislation to limit government, reduce spending, call for formal audits of the bloated State Government and especially hold the Governor to the fire for ever increasing budgets the Republicans hardly mustered much of a fight or any "opposition" to the Governors Terry McAuliffe (D) or Ralph Northam (D).
During the 2019 General Assembly session the Republicans controlling both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate failed to demand of itself oversight over the Executive. Governor Northam was found to have worn "blackface" and his Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax was accused by two respected women from his own party of sexual assault and the Republicans did nothing. No hearings and no investigations. Republican leadership sat on its hands.
Meanwhile, Virginia Republicans witnessed a never ending assault on President Trump by Democrats in Washington that by 2019 had gone on almost two full years. Virginia Republicans could not even muster a hearing. Republican leadership is said have feared backlash by voters in the 2019 elections had they pressed the issues formally in Richmond. Not only did many Republican campaigns fail to even mention the Governor in their ads and direct mail pieces but many even ran away from the successes of Trump and how his tax cuts benefited Virginians.
The establishment types today will cry out that it should be the Democrats that Virginians focus on and not blame the Republican leadership or Party for the result of 2019, however most Virginians understand given Virginia history that when you are so soundly defeated by the opposition that leadership must change.
Virginians with their long history of fights and battlefields a plenty understand the purpose of duty and the solemn oath of honor. How many times did Lincoln change his commanding General in the face of Virginians during Virginia campaigns during the Civil War? How many times did Jefferson Davis replace Robert E. Lee? Republican leadership saw little to no consequence whatsoever for its failures in 2019 but the fact is these failures were foretold years prior.
The Republican Party today now must redefine itself in the face of defeat. The same leaders that oversaw the majority are now operating in an environment they are unaccustomed. Now the minority party in Richmond, Republicans are forced to be the opposition. However, no such leader has step forward in Richmond as of yet to command the messaging for the Republicans. A vacuum is developing with each passing day the Assembly remains in session without an unifying leader stepping forward.
Meanwhile, outside Richmond throughout Virginia there is a two front battle being waged.
On one front, Virginians are mobilizing and utilizing the very vehicle that the Republican Party of Virginia has been so inept at utilizing; social media. Literally dozens of "Gun Sanctuary" and pro Second Amendment groups have formed that did not exist before the November elections. The total number of citizens engaged in this groups is growing and has eclipsed over one hundred thousand from all parts of the Commonwealth.
This front is an opposition movement to Governor Northam's and Michael Bloomberg's gun control doctrine. Bloomberg now seeking the Democratic nomination for President is using states like Virginia has a springboard highlighting the success of his gun control advocacy groups he has personally funded with millions.
Given that Super Tuesday is mere weeks away in Virginia, the Bloomberg campaign is the most organized and funded of any of the potential nominees. Most of the Democrats in the running have not even been to Virginia yet while Bloomberg's Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety are out in force. Bloomberg is bent on securing the nomination at a brokered convention this summer and will accumulate Super Delegates the old fashion way; he will buy them. Super Delegates are traditionally elected officials who also have campaigns of their own to run that require funding. Virginians understand all to well the power of Bloomberg funding.
The second front is being launched against the Republican Party itself. Many believe that the leadership of the party must go. They have ignored the will of the rank and file for far too long and yet at the same time taken them for granted. Whether justly or unjustly, the leadership is being held to a very different standard that it has in years past. The failure to run candidates in over 30 Assembly races illustrates a defeatist attitude that Virginians refuse to accept. Many of these races that failed to have a Republican on the ballot were in Fairfax County. The perception now is that the party leadership ceded Fairfax to the Democrats who now hold every single seat in the Assembly represented by Fairfax residents.
The Speaker of the House in Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) and Majority leader of the Virginia Senate Dick Saslaw (D-35) both come from the Fairfax County allocation of representation now in Richmond. Fairfax currently has (17) Delegate seats and (9) Senate seats controlled by Fairfax Democrats. The majority of the extreme gun control legislation being proposed and supported in Richmond is being patroned by officials from Fairfax. State Senator David Marsden (D-37) with Delegate Marl Levine (D-45) are some of the most extreme Progressives on the Democrat side joined by Kathy Tran (D-42) who authored the late term/infanticide abortion bill in the 2019 session.
The power of Fairfax County and Northern Virginia in general has led to great suspicion by Virginians living outside the region. Just suspicion and opposition to the very proposals being advanced has led to many Virginians to consider the growing movement in western Virginia called "Vexit". If Northern Virginia is going to control the direction the Commonwealth of Virginia's future, many Virginians consider leaving Virginia for West Virginia a viable option given the culture and politics are more similar to West Virginia than Northern Virginia. There are many hurdles to over come of course for "Vexit" to take root but the West Virginia legislature has already approved the acceptance of those Virginia counties wishing to join West Virginia.
Most Virginians have given little consideration to leaving the Commonwealth but with each passing bill this session in Richmond sentiment grows. The perception in rural Virginia is that Richmond no longer represents its interests let alone even listens to it. It does not help that you have a national Democrats continuing the "deplorable" narrative coupled with the "white nationalist" theme while they see a Governor who wears "blackface" with no consequence. It reinforces the notion there truly are two classes; the Richmond political elites and the rest of Virginia. At no time has the Governor of Virginia defended rural Virginians. This failure on Northam's part is fueling the contempt rural Virginia that is growing that will result in the transitioning from "opposition" to "resistance".
Democrats largely ignored the rally on Lobby Day in Richmond. Given the majority they now have many would see this as inevitable but what Democrats are underestimating is just how far Virginians are willing to resist Richmond. Its one thing to oppose the direction Richmond is going but resistance is entirely a different scenario. In many ways the Progressives of Northam's party have provided a road map of sorts to Virginians. Progressives are masters of the "protest", the "boycott" and dare one say "doxxing" anything and anyone they oppose.
Northam and the Democrats expect the opposition to return to normalcy. The expectation is post rally in January that the opposition will wither away and die and Virginians will simply just accept the new laws and direction that the Progressives are taking Virginia into. Many Democrat officials have pointed to the example of the Tea Party movement and question the sustainability of any "resistance".
The question remains whether Virginia Republicans have learned anything from the Tea Party movement but one thing is certain and that is there has not been this level of engagement in decades. What this level of engagement will translate into or whether it transitions from mere "opposition" to "resistance" remains to be seen. The result will depend on each and every individual remaining committed and staying engaged in a new movement sweeping Virginia and see the new political paradigms before them. It is clear that while Northern Virginia continues to prosper other regions of the Commonwealth continue to lag behind with little to no assistance from Richmond.
While there exists loud outrage via social media today coming for the opposition, the fear for Virginia Democrats is that a unified voice takes root throughout Virginia or Virginians may coalesce behind a new leader from their ranks that will unite the movement. A leader for example with the will to transition the movement from opposition to resistance. In the face of Northam ignoring Virginians and the Democrats in Richmond calling pro-2a Virginians "delusional" and referring to them as mere "children", calls by some to defund the government very well may be heeded.
The issue Democrats face is that over one hundred counties and cities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia have passed or affirmed "gun sanctuary" status in direct opposition to the Northam Bloomberg Doctrine. Consider if every citizen living in these areas in protest sought extension to pay income taxes or withheld the filing all together. True Virginian resistance.
The reality is that Richmond only recognizes two things; power and money. The question remains just how determined Virginians are in truth and just how deeply they believe in their Constitutional rights. As it stands the opposition to truly transition to resistance will have to move from social media to action. Democrats are betting that as they strip more and more rights and assault liberty with every bill that the stomach for real resistance will never materialize.
It is anyone's guess just how far the Democrats in Richmond are willing to alienate a significant number of Virginians to achieve absolute power over Virginia. This November will demonstrate the true strength of the opposition in Virginia given every all eleven Congressional Districts are on the ballot as well as the Presidential race.
"There is snakes in the garden" and the questions remains just how long many Virginians will wait for the Virginia awakening.
#2AStrong in Virginia:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/578238489390036/
