Tag: Shaun Kenney
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Virginia Democrats Are in Serious Trouble
State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) announces a Democratic “Civil War” over the budget, while nationally Democrats aren’t exactly pivoting well. by Shaun Kenney Let’s start with the basics. As of this moment, the generic congressional ballot is D+5. Which isn’t great for Republicans. Yet when compared to other midterm elections? Democrats enjoyed a D+10 environment…
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These Virginia Constitutional Amendments Need Opposition, Not Neutrality
A 32-30 vote to remain “neutral” where Republican State Central Committee members couldn’t even put their names to their votes? Unacceptable. by Shaun Kenney Now I will grant this. Never has a unit committee or state committee endorsement swung an election, at least not in recent memory. This is how inconsequential votes from the Republican…
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Virginia Is One Month Away from a Government Shutdown
Virginia Democrats hold both branches of the General Assembly and the Executive Mansion — and still can’t govern effectively. by Shaun Kenney Virginia still doesn’t have a budget. Instead of working on a budget, Senate Democratic leadership is now openly threatening a government shutdown unless they get what they want. Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is unapologetic on…
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This Memorial Day, Maybe We Need to Read the Federalist Papers Again
As politicians threaten the independence of the judiciary and arrogate the power of the legislature over all other branches, maybe some remedial reading is in order? by Shaun Kenney After a rather shocking — and by shocking, I mean disappointing — exchange on social media with a sitting Virginia state senator regarding his misuse of…
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Spanberger Isn’t Moderating, She’s Muddling
Vetoing the collective bargaining bill, observing court orders, and honoring MOUs on data center tax exemptions isn’t pivoting to the center — it’s muddling through. by Shaun Kenney The Washington Post — alternately condemned for being a fascist propaganda machine now that it no longer reflexively agrees with the political left, alternately praised as defending democracy behind…
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Lies, Damned Lies, and VPAP: the Myth of Nonpartisan Institutions
There’s a reason why nonpartisan anything is the most partisan voice of all, because it always defends a status quo. — “If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer.” — Hannah Arendt by Shaun Kenney I’ll start with WTKR 6…
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The Day Grant Saved America
As Virginia celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there’s another anniversary we should honor as well: the Wilderness Campaign. by Shaun Kenney “They came to a crossroads in the track out of the eastern reaches of The Wilderness. If they turned left it would mean they were heading north. If they turned…
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Virginia Democrats and Their Dysfunctional Election
Four hours is one thing, but 45 days? See a (juris) doctor. by Shaun Kenney Color me just a tiny bit surprised that the Great Seal of the Supreme Court of Virginia hasn’t been cancelled just yet. For those who have always wondered, Iustitia is holding the scales of justice in her left hand and petting what…
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Guess Who Won on Redistricting?
The Rich Men north of Richmond may have won for a day, but they cashed out every ounce of public goodwill they had to do it. by Shaun Kenney First and foremost, let’s knock down all the pretended olive branches from those who voted “yes” on Tuesday to impose some sort of federal anti-gerrymandering law.…
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We All Failed Justin Fairfax
The murder of Cerina Fairfax is inexcusable, but the calculated political destruction of Justin Fairfax deserves both scrutiny and culpability. by Shaun Kenney The past is never dead. It’s not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history…
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Good News for Virginia Republicans
Governor Spanberger’s repudiation of the political center combines with national trends to give redistricting opponents a massive boost in Virginia. by Shaun Kenney Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) emerges from the mists and announces that he has more to give in the political arena, which is welcome news to Virginians who are staring down…
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Redistricting Unfairness Started in Democrat- Controlled New York, Not Texas
The problem isn’t Republican states, but Democratic states where unfairness has prevailed for so long that Democrats cannot recognize the word fair anymore. by Shaun Kenney Tension between Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and the renegades in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly is flaring up yet again, only this time it isn’t taxing data centers to death but taxing Virginia’s…
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One Man’s RPV Advance is Another Man’s Valley Forge
Virginia Republicans have a lot to consider as they select their new RPV Chairman. by Shaun Kenney First things first — if you haven’t watched Ken Burns’ American Revolution on PBS, I hope you have a few history books at your side to confirm whether or not the good guys actually won the war, because…
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Democracies and Its Friend/Enemy Distinctions
by Shaun Kenney The University of Virginia enjoys a near-exact copy of Raphael’s School of Athens — nearly a copy only because the original is owned by the Vatican which has a certain allergy regarding exact copies of their collections. In their wisdom, a near-exact copy was produced that is precisely four inches smaller than…
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The Virginia Election: a Repudiation, But No Endorsement
If the voters were upset with the way things are, it sure didn’t come with an imprimatur for stupid. by Shaun Kenney A few key takeaways: Victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan. So goes the old saw about who to blame as Virginians have been drowned in a series of self-crafted…