According to Simon Vance, a McAuliffe data adviser, “the comparison to 2020 isn’t really a good one.” It’s not a drop-off that you’re seeing, but people reverting back to their old habits.”
It was noted by the McAuliffe campaign that approximately 175,000 mail ballots had been requested but had not yet been returned. Vance said, “We know those are our people, and we’re pursuing them aggressively.”
Former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will campaign with McAuliffe in the coming days in order to help him increase turnout.
Last Sunday, Georgia voting rights activist Stacey Abrams visited three Norfolk, Va., churches and appeared alongside McAuliffe at a rally outside an early voting site. This election is about getting everyone out to vote, McAuliffe said.
On that particular day, there were 370 people who came out to vote early in person in Norfolk. That was dubbed anaemic by the Youngkin campaign. There should have been at least three times as many people in attendance, Davison argued.
Vance was unconvinced. He predicted a high turnout for McAuliffe’s reelection bid.
“The real story will be told if we see 70, 65 percent of the total electorate voting on Election Day,” he said.
Republican Priorities can be the Economy and the Education.
Some party officials credited Youngkin with illustrating what could work for Republicans in statewide, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns in the 2018 midterm elections, and Republicans around the country were monitoring Virginia for lessons that could apply.
As a result of Youngkin’s personal fortune, which is not easily duplicated, we were able to help. Commercials on television helped him establish who he was before McAuliffe transformed him into “Trumpkin.”
One Republican strategist believes that his speech, which emphasises the actions he would take at the state level to combat crime, the economy, and education, might be effective nationwide, especially if Biden continues to face a sluggish economy and a stalled Capitol Hill.
Youngkin not only took the time to define himself early on, but he also addressed economic challenges that have arisen during Biden’s presidency without bringing Trump into the conversation. According to the strategist, education was Youngkin’s most important issue in Virginia, while immigration or other topics could be more important elsewhere.
Of course, for Republicans in 2022, the biggest question may be whether candidates like Youngkin, who can create their own brands independently from Trump, can win primaries against staunch Trump allies who might be dragged down by their loyalty to the former president.
The Covid-19 Vote may No Longer Carry Much Weight with Voters.
The coronavirus outbreak, which Trump’s denial and poor handling made national news a year ago, now seems to be losing its sway as an electoral issue.
According to exit polls, only 14% of Virginia voters ranked the coronavirus epidemic as the top issue confronting the commonwealth. That was last on the list, after the economy (33%), schools (24%), and taxes (15%).
McAuliffe received the support of 83% of the voters who ranked coronavirus as the most pressing problem in Virginia, but he lost the popular vote to Youngkin by double digits among voters who ranked every other issue higher.
