Tag: Paul Goldman
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Why Democrats Should Bail out Spanberger on April 21
by Paul Goldman If the current polls showing a close contest are correct, history says the redistricting referendum will be defeated. As a general rule, support for a controversial referendum diminishes as election day approaches. This is due to the unique dynamics of issue referendum politics: if the polls showing the pro-side lead barely higher than the statistical…
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Outfoxing Judge Thomas
An alternative redistricting strategy for VA Democrats by Paul Goldman On Friday, I showed how the recent U.S. Supreme decision on the GOP Texas redistricting put a fork in the Spanberger/Scott/Surovell mid-decade redistricting plan. The High Court made certain that Virginia and other states got the message: once the campaign season is in full swing, fundamental…
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Did U.S. Supreme Court Kill Spanberger’s Redistricting Plan?
by Paul Goldman The legal experts who say yesterday’s decision on Texas redistricting allows Virginia to do mid-decade redistricting are wrong. I warned months ago the Supremes would okay Texas but not Virginia. Those experts who think otherwise need to read prior election law cases. There is a long history of the High Court rejecting…
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Shutdown Vote: Why Kaine Went Right and Warner Went Left
by Paul Goldman Usually, U.S. Senator Mark Warner revels in being the deal-making, more conservative Virginia Senator, wearing liberal attacks as a badge of honor. Senator Tim Kaine is usually attacked by conservative Republicans for being too liberal and suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Kaine revels in those attacks. But on the congressional shutdown vote,…
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Will Virginia Become a One-Party State?
by Paul Goldman Virginia GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin is vowing to finish “strong.” With all due respect, it might have been better if he had started “strong.” His party just suffered its worse defeat in Virginia’s two-party era. If that’s finishing strong, I’d like to know what he thinks finishing weak looks like. Fact: No…
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Will Spanberger Sweep in the Democratic Ticket?
by Paul Goldman As a general rule, a big underdog like the VA GOP gubernatorial nominee would gain a few points as the campaigned closed. But the polls are indicating a move towards the Democrats. If true, this could be enough to lift the struggling Democratic LG and AG nominees to victory. Historical statistical analysis…
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Redistricting: Risky for Spanberger but Win-Win for Scott
By Paul Goldman We finally smoked out the truth about redistricting. As I have written, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, the presumptive Governor-elect, could win or lose depending upon how the politics play out. But House Speaker Don Scott wins no matter what. I didn’t think he had the cajones to do it. My bad. Not going…
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Outfoxed
The GOP had an opportunity to force Abigail Spanberger into a no-win position on redistricting. They blew it. by Paul Goldman General Assembly Democrats hope to speed a measure through the legislature that would allow voters to approve a constitutional amendment providing for redistricting in time for the 2026 congressional election. Democratic nominee for Governor…
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Redistricting Won’t Accomplish What Don Scott Wants
Look at the calendar. Amending the state constitution to draw new congressional districts will be a drawn-out process. by Paul Goldman I get what Democratic Speaker Donald Scott, D-Portsmouth, wants to do. When I was Democratic Party Chair, I helped create the districts that elected the first Black member of Congress and the first female…
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The Constitutional Amendment Democrats Should Be Pushing
by Paul Goldman House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, has done independent minded challengers to the political status quo like me a real “solid.” Inadvertently, of course, since I have been one of his leading critics. I admire Don’s political skills. His daring takedown of the previous Democratic Speaker is textbook Machiavelli. The man is a stone gamer.…
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Did Speaker Don Scott Just Elect a GOP AG?
by Paul Goldman Have Democratic Speaker Don Scott and Democratic General Assembly leaders thrown Democratic Attorney General nominee Jay Jones under the bus? Talk about the proverbial October surprise: Scott has announced an unprecedented move to do a super-partisan redrawing of the state’s congressional districts. Is this legal under the new Virginia Constitution redistricting provisions…
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Why Did Spanberger Undercut Jay Jones?
by Paul Goldman I see where my good friend Doug Wilder is calling for more kindness in Virginia politics. A most appropriate wish for sure. But Doug didn’t make history running for Lieutenant Governor in 1985 by emulating Pope Leo. He won by playing the hardball required. I know because he usually needed me to…
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As MAGA As Ever
John Reid’s endorsement by Joe Morrissey won’t fool voters into thinking he’s a political moderate. by Paul Goldman Radio show host John Reid got nominated by accident when the likely GOP Lt. Governor primary winner dropped out. Soon Reid, now the GOP LG nominee by law, chose to engage in a public feud with GOP…
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Please Get Kerry an Unabridged Copy of the Declaration of Independence
(Written in response to Kerry Dougherty’s column “Tim Kaine Needs a Copy of the Declaration of Independence.” — JAB) by Paul Goldman Kerry, you can’t trust AI. Let this be a good lesson. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence — later edited by Franklin and Adams to keep the…
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How to Craft a Happy Ending from the Ryan Saga
by Paul Goldman “[For] me, the promise of America is equal opportunity for every individual.” This is a core belief for axed University of Virginia President Jim Ryan. Read his best-known book. Most sensible Virginia Democrats would agree. Most sensible Virginia Republicans too. Ironically, the quote itself actually didn’t come from Ryan. Or any Virginia Democrat…