From what I hear on my liberal podcasts is that McCaulife focused too much on Trump and those in the middle from both parties (the ones that elected Biden by 10 points) didn't like some of his flippant commentary about school curriculum.
They actually bought an advertisement of Trump supporting Youngkin.
This is true but incomplete. Yes, the attempt to say every Republican is Donald Trump is a bad strategy most of the time. It might work if your opponent is Josh Hawley or MTG, but it's not going to work if the opponent is a state or local candidate who has never had a significant connection with national politics.
The "flippant commentary" was suggesting that parents have no right to influence what their kids are taught in schools. It's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard a politician say. Even if he believes that (and I think he does), saying it was moronic - worse than the 47 percent comment, on a par with "lay back and enjoy it." It's a career-killer. It especially doesn't help when he's publicly hanging out with Randi Weingarten, who personifies the comment more than pretty much anybody.
I think the CRT issue is a tough one for Democrats. Denying that it exists in public schools and then getting pedantic about what CRT means to insult the people who are concerned isn't smart. For starters, some school districts and agencies actually have it discussed as something to promote on their websites, and parents see it with their own eyes during virtual schools and on the agendas of school boards. Nobody buys the "it's fake" narrative. You all seem to think that if it doesn't perfectly match Kimberle Crenshaw's definition or if Derek Bell isn't on a reading list, then it's a phony issue. Thinking that is to your own peril. People see the preaching of the "systemic racism" and "America is white supremacist" crap pushed in public education, and they don't like it. It doesn't matter if it fits the academic definition of CRT, and getting caught up in that sort of nitpicking isn't going to work as a political strategy. It just looks smug and patronizing.
However, Democrats are in a tough spot. They know they need to tap the brakes, but how can they do that? They've latched onto and celebrated the pushers of the "America is white supremacist" narrative for several years. If they try to tap the brakes a little, then they are enabling white supremacy. There isn't an easy way through. You flew the freak flag too high and for too long.
well done.
