Inconveniently, I have some things to get done early today before trying to digest the … Good News!
Two points about the VA election.
First, the Culture Wars are back, and this time it’s fracturing the Dems. That’s the message from McAuliffe under performing where he needed to max his votes.
Second—and this is a theme that Shipwreckedcrew has been stressing most of the week—the election will fracture the Congressional Dems even further. This has the potential for a sauve qui peut dynamic. Every man for himself as each Dem seeks electoral refuge from the feared Red Wave in 2022. And that means almost certainly the end of Zhou’s agenda.
If Manchin and Sinema were in the driver’s seat before last night, they are now in the position of being able to say, We told ya so!
If Ciattarelli pulls out a victory in NJ all of the above will be magnified. And it may even embolden the GOPers, especially those inclined toward Culture War. The 56/43 defeat of Abolish The Police in Minneapolis adds weight to all of the above.
Finally, to make matters much worse, the economic debacle is unlikely to get measurably better any time soon. In fact, the likelihood is that life is going to get even more unpleasant for ordinary Americans. And the polling data shows that Americans will be blaming the current regime. Time for GOPers to distance themselves definitively.
No one has mentioned, but the forever asleep at the wheel Republican Party got "woke" for this election, both the VAGOP & on high from National. Imo, it wouldn't have happened had the grassroots everyday people of VA not insisted thru their activism in the precincts & as poll watchers, but VAGOP & the NRP got on on board enthusiastically. We had an election/poll query hotline staffed w/an army of lawyers. Instances where election rules weren't followed, were addressed immediately. That is a BIG difference from what we've seen in the past! Used to be, only the other side made voting & election challenges while our side sat quietly by. The NRP poobahs are saying VA will serve as a template for GOP election management going forward. WIN!
So, the Dems could try what they always do, but they weren't/aren't gonna just bulldoze over a bunch of helpless Virginians who voted R. I think that's a game changer. Also, it's very difficult to make everyone believe your statewide nominees won when your local delegates are dropping like sprayed flies.
Youngkin - he probably won't be as perfectly conservative as I'd like, but two things come across clearly when he speaks - 1) he listens to God 2) he loves Virginia & Virginians. That'll do for this SW Virginian.
Sahil Kapur
@sahilkapur
Replying to
@sahilkapur
Digging a little deeper on this 
WHITE WOMEN COLLEGE GRADS
VA 2020: 58% Biden, 41% Trump
VA 2021: 62% McAuliffe, 38% Youngkin
WHITE WOMEN NON-COLLEGE
VA 2020: 56% Trump, 44% Biden
VA 2021: 75% Youngkin, 25% McAuliffe
(via @NBCNews Exit Polls)