VICTOR JOECKS: Virginia governor’s race provides roadmap to turn Nevada red

What’s happening successful Virginia should springiness Nevada Republicans anticipation — and a roadmap to follow.

On Tuesday, Virginia voters volition determine connected their adjacent governor. This shouldn’t beryllium a competitory race. President Joe Biden won the authorities by 10 points conscionable a twelvemonth ago. Virginia hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide bureau since 2009.

Yet, polls show the contention betwixt Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin is simply a virtual tie. A shocking canvass from Fox News connected Thursday had Youngkin up 8 points. Just 2 weeks ago, Fox had McAuliffe up 5 points.

Biden’s mediocre show is evidently hurting McAuliffe. But Youngkin has made this contention adjacent by leaning into societal issues, particularly those involving education.

Across the country, parents person shown up astatine schoolhouse committee meetings outraged implicit the teaching of captious contention theory. Parents successful Virginia person been immoderate of the astir vocal.

“Critical contention mentation is racist. It is abusive. It discriminates against one’s color.” Shawntel Cooper, an African-American mom, said astatine a Virginia schoolhouse committee gathering successful May.

She’s right. In classical Marxist fashion, CRT divides radical into groups. Your tegument colour determines if you onshore among the oppressors oregon the oppressed. A foundational rule of CRT is that racism is inherent successful governmental institutions and our founding principles.

All sorts of extremist and destructive beliefs stem from these premises. White teachers and students are told their tegument colour makes them racist and beneficiaries of un­deserved privilege. The accusation for number students is that they are incapable of succeeding connected their own. They archetypal request achromatic allies to alteration the inherently racist strategy that oppresses them.

All this stands successful opposition with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiring imaginativeness of judging radical based connected their character. CRT demands radical obsess and specify themselves by tegument colour and unfortunate status.

Some Republicans would person shied distant from this issue, fearful of being called racist. Not Youngkin. He’s been vocal astir his absorption to CRT, putting McAuliffe connected the defensive.

An interviewer asked McAuliffe to specify CRT. He wouldn’t oregon couldn’t supply a definition, contempt repeated prodding. He insisted it wasn’t taught and lazily smeared those opposed to it arsenic “racist.”

Another acquisition contented emerged, too. In immoderate nationalist schoolhouse libraries, sexually explicit books were disposable to students. In 1 case, a Virginia schoolhouse committee subordinate criticized a ma for speechmaking from a publication disposable successful the room astatine the committee meeting.

Youngkin made program an issue. He stood up for parents and their rights to beryllium progressive successful their child’s education.

McAuliffe past said what galore successful the acquisition constitution really think. “I don’t deliberation parents should beryllium telling schools what they should teach,” helium said successful a debate. He adjacent doubled down connected that sentiment.

There’s polling showing that acquisition is the 2nd astir important issues successful that race, down the economy. Youngkin has gone from being down McAuliffe connected that contented to a tiny lead.

This contented could substance to Nevada parents, too. Asked if helium agreed with McAuliffe’s connection connected parents and schools, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s bureau refused to answer.

Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Sheriff Joe Lombardo and Dean Heller some powerfully supported the rights of parents.

Lombardo said parents “must play a captious role” successful decisions astir program and wants to empower parents with schoolhouse choice.

“McAuliffe is wrong, and his remark reflects a misguided and elitist presumption of education,” Heller said.

That’s a start. Republican candidates should beryllium proactive successful uncovering opportunities to item these differences, particularly arsenic Democrats, specified arsenic Sisolak, enactment to debar discussing them.

As Youngkin has shown successful Virginia, these issues substance to parents, immoderate of whom would different ballot Democrat. Even if Youngkin can’t propulsion retired the upset, he’s acceptable a people Nevada Republicans would beryllium omniscient to follow.

Victor Joecks’ file appears successful the Opinion conception each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him astatine vjoecks@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks connected Twitter.