In the final days leading up to the Virginia statewide races, there continues to be plenty of cringe details for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. For instance, at a tour bus stop the candidate did in Arlington, Virginia, one of the bluest parts of the commonwealth, hardly anyone showed up.
In the final days of #VAGOV, @TerryMcAuliffe is struggling to generate crowds even in Democratic strongholds https://t.co/jfXX8uh4nN
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) October 23, 2021
Huge turnout for Terry in Arlington! pic.twitter.com/36fqTii88b
— Arlington GOP (@goparlington) October 22, 2021
Two dozen reporters. A dozen paid staff. Half-dozen elected Arlington Dems.
— Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) October 22, 2021
The rest are paid SEIU folks and maybe two dozen voters.
In Arlington.
If I’m @TerryMcAuliffe, I’m thinking the wheels are coming off my campaign bus. #VAGov https://t.co/45wqgPv3zB
Friday inbox from @matthewhurtt with @goparlington. In addition to the paltry amount of supporters there for Terry McAuliffe yesterday in bright blue Arlington, there were also Glenn Youngkin supporters with their own signs. pic.twitter.com/LF0xvz3vm3
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) October 23, 2021
A Friday email from Matthew Hurtt, the Communications Director for the Arlington GOP, noted with original emphasis:
Not counting reporters (~ two dozen), paid staff (~ a dozen), elected Democrats (half-dozen), and paid SEIU "activists," there's maybe 20 people here -- in Arlington... 11 days from Election Day.
If I'm Terry McAuliffe, I'm thinking the wheels are coming off the campaign bus. This is *not* a good look. It's getting so bad, he's bringing Sleepy Joe Biden back to Arlington next week.
Low-energy Terry can't even generate enthusiasm in the most far-left community in Virginia.
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This includes campaign stops from major national Democrats like former President Barack Obama, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and President Joe Biden. McAuliffe also has had some help from Georgia Democrats like Atlanta's Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
McAuliffe and Abrams have both engaged in claims of election denying, with McAuliffe as the then new DNC chair repeatedly questioning George W. Bush was the legitimately elected president, and Abrams repeatedly questioning Gov. Bryan Kemp (R-GA) had defeated her in the 2018 election.
Stacey Abrams and Terry McAuliffe have something in common: they both claimed elections were stolen.
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) October 16, 2021
McAuliffe's shameless embrace of Abrams is telling. It’s clear he’s a dishonest politician who says one thing and does the exact opposite. #VAgov pic.twitter.com/efLh6gCwVG
Harrison appeared in the commonwealth on Saturday.
Doesn’t look like everyone got the memo @harrisonjaime https://t.co/N4OAripUrK pic.twitter.com/2XRnRBuNis
— Elizabeth Ray (@elizabethrray) October 23, 2021
“Where is everybody?” -@TerryMcAuliffe #VAgov pic.twitter.com/vyaRtcKkeh
— Christian Martinez (@C_RMartinez) October 23, 2021
Matt Wolking, the communications director for McAuliffe's Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, highlighted that Saturday's events, which included a campaign visit from Obama, have a mask mandate even though it is an outdoor event.
The Chair of the Democrat Party is violating VCU's mask mandate https://t.co/MznZAZrj6K https://t.co/ebqCzErbN2
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) October 23, 2021
IMPORTANT: Everyone who attends tonight's outdoor event with Barack Obama and Terry McAuliffe at VCU in Richmond is REQUIRED to wear a mask.
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) October 23, 2021
I'm sure the McAuliffe campaign will be strictly enforcing this rule! ??https://t.co/HJwqze2wLs #VAgov #RVA #MaskUp pic.twitter.com/SQcwVumbsc
Most but not every person in attendance was seen properly wearing their mask. An estimated 2,000 people were set to attend the event.
BIG turnout for @BarackObama. See you soon, Richmond! ?????? pic.twitter.com/vi8kGhOo1J
— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) October 23, 2021
President Obama is on the stage https://t.co/KzQhQA0bGK pic.twitter.com/Ku8nYi3kEI
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) October 23, 2021
On Thursday, Vice President Harris came to the commonwealth to campaign. Her other campaign tactic has raised eyebrows though, since it appears to be in clear violation of IRS rules. On Sunday, a video message from the vice president was played in churches urging parishioners to vote for McAuliffe.
Hurtt in the email referenced above cited criticism over the ad from former Gov. Doug Wilder (D-VA), as reported by Katherine Doyle with the Washington Examiner on Friday morning. She also reported on Saturday morning that the former governor, who has had strong words for McAuliffe before, is not pleased with current Virginia Democrats, in large part because they have not done enough for the commonwealth's historically black colleges and universities.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) was supposed to campaign for McAuliffe, as Craig Mauger reported for The Detroit News. She had to cancel after receiving backlash, though. She had recently signed an executive directive for an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to addressing safe drinking water concerns in Benton Harbor.
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