by Paul Goldman

This trashing of Levar Stoney’s over his loss should be a cautionary tale to Democrats and commentators. Is everyone becoming infected with the Trump gloating and belittling disease? One of the most damaging aspects of the MAGA crowd is the joy they take kicking people when they’re down. Indeed, they take so much joy in it, they can’t wait to kick people down, so then they can stomp them again.

There was a time when real Democrats, indeed Americans, knew we were better than that. Gloating is a sign of weakness, not character. There was a time when we didn’t see politics as a zero-sum game: when the only way to feel happy was when someone else felt miserable. Is this where we’re heading? Maybe it’s where we already are. 

No one in RVA publicly fought Mayor Stoney on key issues more than yours truly. I led the three voter referendums fights he lost: in 2017 on education, in 2021 on the Casino and in 2023 on the Casino again. On Stoney’s I’ll-fated Navy Hill project, the key proponent sent his top paid people to see me and basically promised me whatever I wanted if I would stop trying to defeat it. I said, no way, Stoney is wrong on this one.

Indeed, in the second Casino referendum, the key proponent came to me and offered me several million dollars in stock options if I would just give Stoney a break and not try to defeat him on it. That’s true — a lot of people know it. I even asked my son what I should do. It’s ultimately your money I said. He told me to follow my conscience and hell with the money. Stoney got crushed on that one too. 

But I didn’t gloat. As people in Richmond know, eventually the pro-casino forces played the antisemitic card against me. Called me a Judas Jew. The pro-Casino side lost 62 to 38. I didn’t go out gloating on their loss either. But I was surprised no members of the Jewish community came to my defense. People don’t think I’m the proper kind of Jew I guess. 

All of which gets me to ask what the hell is happening to our country? This identity politics simply isn’t working. One would think the election of Donald Trump not once but twice would prove it. 

Let’s be honest: Stoney was a lousy mayor. Because he’s not a democratic leader. He’s a top-down guy not a bottom-up guy. Like Trump, it’s always about him. Everything is personal. But in that regard, he is simply reflecting a dangerously trend in American politics. In Richmond, for example, young Democrats are more passionate about trying to get the city to subsidize their rent and bike lanes then trying to get the city to give equal educational opportunities to poor black children. How the heck did this happen?

To be honest, I’m not surprised Stoney only got 20% of the city vote. By contrast when Tim Kaine, the former RVA mayor, ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, he got 67% in Richmond. His statewide margin of victory came from the Richmond media market. Ironically, I wrote the law creating Stoney elected mayor position. But instead of using it for the good of the city, as I hoped, he used it for his own personal political ambition. 

And, yes, it’s clear Mr. Stoney has an inflated view of himself since he actually first tried to run for governor! 

So yeah:  the bragger got hoisted on his own flagpole. Poetic justice for sure

But stomping a man when he’s down? I’m sorry that’s just plain wrong. To the extent it appears so many in our political arena don’t agree with me, that is scary big time. Way more dangerous to America than some mythical Iranian atomic bomb, which they will never get, a policy first introduced by Democrats. Iranians are brilliant people just read your history. But in politics if you’re not careful you can create a situation where people are convinced to lead themselves down a self-defeating road. 

I repeat: When did life in the Democratic Party become a zero-sum game, that In order for people to feel happy someone else has to feel miserable? This is already the equation in one major party. To keep Trump happy you gotta sacrifice everything else. Is that what people want the Democratic Party to evolve into?

There was a time in America when Democrats had a vision. Which meant we didn’t have time to waste energy on things that didn’t matter. Like kicking a man when he was down. 

Democrats used to believe achieving equal educational opportunity for everyone was the basis of our philosophy. That’s why I led the 2017 education referendum against Levar. I knew despite his rhetoric he was not going to do it. He was more interested in pleasing the donors he hoped to fund his future run for higher office .

He openly opposed me, as did city council. I got no help from the school board. But the public backed the referendum with 85%. Yet Stoney and the Council refused to implement with the public warning.

 What mayor gives the finger to 85% of his constituency at the beginning of his term? If he had simply done what 85% of his constituents wanted, he sworn have been sworn-in as Lieutenant Governor next year. 

Having run a few winning campaigns my time, I read the results of the election differently than the Stoney haters and other commentators.

Identity politics now has an unshakable grip on the Virginia Democratic Party. If Senator Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, had not run, Stoney would have won the primary election in a landslide over the actual winner Senator Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield. If Stoney had not run, Rouse would have won in a landslide. 

There’s no indication issues mattered much to any significant group of voters.

This type of politics is hardly new in America. Whether it’s beneficial or self-or not to those most in need, I’ll let people decide that for themselves. 

The great irony of course — in terms of kicking Stoney — is he is likely the leading Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor four years from now. Running second in their first outing hardly hurt Terry McAuliffe, Justin Fairfax and now Jay Jones. A losing runner-up — if not seen as a sore loser – gains a lot of favorable name recognition. In today’s politics, it costs millions of dollars to get name recognition. Thus, the losing runner-up actually banks a huge political asset.

So, I would recommend the gloaters max out their gloating credit card. History says Stoney is down, but he’s not out. Particularly as long as he has a loyal friend in Terry. I must say you have to admire someone who is as loyal as Terry. That’s a rare commodity in today’s politics. Extra extraordinary.

Former president, Harry Truman famously said if you feel the need for a friend in politics, then get a dog. It’s a great quote, but it might very well need an asterisk for Terry.

Paul Goldman is former Chair of the VA Democratic Party, a former candidate for mayor of the City of Richmond, and author of “Remaking Virginia Politics.”