They are talking about enthusiasm with eight days to go
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Democrats and Republicans tout enthusiasm in the final days of the gubernatorial race
Gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe (D) and Glenn Youngkin (R) are focusing on touring the commonwealth and touting the enthusiasm behind their campaigns in the final days of this race. In addition to the gubernatorial candidates, their surrogates and down-ballot candidates are also out in force speaking to voters — when allowed.
After winning the state in 2020 by 10 points, Virginia Democrats are bringing in the big names to boost turnout as poll numbers show a tie ballgame heading into the ninth inning.
President Barack Obama, recording artist Dave Matthews, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison all hit the trail across Virginia on the second-to-last weekend in this race to pump up enthusiasm in the base. President Joe Biden already campaigned for McAuliffe once earlier this year and is slated to headline an event on Tuesday. Recording artist Pharrell is also slated to appear for McAuliffe later this week.
Youngkin is also touring the state but he is typically the biggest name at each event recently drawing large crowds with no national figures to headline.
In a strategy call with Republicans across the state, Youngkin’s team advised their surrogates across Virginia that they might not be given speaking opportunities on his 50-stop bus tour this week.
“I just want to condition everybody at the front end so that you are kind of in tune with the plan and hopefully nobody is taping this and giving it to the Washington Post,” said Jeff Roe, the architect behind Youngkin’s campaign. “This is not going to be a Republican revival commonwealth tour. It’s not got pictures of all the former presidents on the side of the bus rolling down the interstate. This is a messaging tour — every stop is going to have a message assigned to it.”
Youngkin’s surrogates have made statements at times in the past during the course of his campaign that have not always aligned with the messaging from the top of the ticket. During a stop with Prince George County Republicans in August, state Sen. Frank Ruff (R) spoke ahead of Youngkin and accused Governor Ralph Northam of trying to use federal relief funds to bribe Virginia voters at the polls. Election integrity has been one of McAuliffe’s biggest attack pieces against Youngkin since the start of this race.
At a Youngkin event in Henrico earlier in the summer, state Del. John McGuire asked the crowd if they were “okay with a department of education that uses words like equity?” The crowd responded with a loud “no.”
“Depending on what that looks like will be who we will highlight and I just want to make sure that you all kind of understood because we will be assigning people to speak, and not speak,” Roe continued on the strategy call Friday. “When we, as we come into territory in your neck of the woods, everybody is gonna wanna speak and I want to make sure that everybody understands, if you’re not able to speak, it’s not because we don’t want to hear your lovely voice. It’s because we have a narrative and a message driving to the persuadable voters that we want to hear.”
Youngkin and McAuliffe both drew large crowds over the weekend at their events giving both campaigns ammunition to push the narrative that enthusiasm is behind their candidate. “Politics is about storytelling, and every campaign’s chief goal is to control the narrative about their candidate, and the election as a whole,” said Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College. “So the last days of a campaign are traditionally focused on telling a story of ‘building momentum.’ This story is promoted by candidates whether they are ahead or behind in the polls. I think that campaigns hope to mobilize voters to the polls, although I don’t think there’s much evidence that there’s any effect.”
Both campaigns claimed on Saturday that 2,000 people attended their biggest event of the day, with staffers pushing videos and pictures showing large crowds from the best possible angle.
A poll released last week showed a 46-46 tie in the race, with just over a week until election day. Both candidates and their party surrogates have scheduled stops each day in different parts of the commonwealth.
“I think campaigns also promote the momentum narrative because they believe in it, or at least they want to,” Meagher said. “Studies show that even underdog candidates have some belief that they can win; otherwise why would they run? Momentum narratives help campaigns tell a winning story, but also the story even they want to hear.”
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Dave Matthews stumps for McAuliffe
Famous recording artist Dave Matthews held a concert in his hometown of Charlottesville for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Sunday.
“I don’t like the bickering of politics and the small-mindedness that is so often there so when there is people like this and I feel compelled to stand up with them, it is because I do think that even in all of that there is just such a profound threat to our democracy right now,” Matthews said to the crowd of more than a thousand. “And there always is, it is just so important that we show up this time because even though it is a pain in the ass, we got to show up for Terry because we need to change the future for the better.”
Matthews talked about a few specific issues that are important to him.
“We can’t deny climate change, we can’t deny that we need to look after each other, we can’t deny that we need to look after each other, we can’t deny that people are suffering,” Matthews continued. We cant deny that schools are not what they could be and that medicine is not available to everybody in a fair way.”
He was introduced on the stage by Stacey Abrams, the former gubernatorial candidate in Georgia. “It is a huge honor to share the stage with Stacey,” Matthews said. “She can certainly change the mood in a room or in a state or country and we need more people like her.”
More gubernatorial links
Youngkin says McAuliffe is 'making up a candidate' to run against in razor-thin governor's race
Youngkin goes solo, McAuliffe leans on surrogates in home stretch of Va. governor's race
Dominion Energy declines to say if PAC returned money as requested
McAuliffe, Abrams warn Virginians that commonwealth could look like Texas, Georgia with Youngkin win
Listen to Stacey Abrams and Dave Matthews talk about Virginia's November elections
Youngkin outlines vision, makes voter turnout push during Henrico rally
‘We don’t have time to be tired’: Obama tries to jolt Virginia Dems at McAuliffe rally
Ayala or Sears: Both would make history in Virginia election
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Campaign Geography
Glenn Youngkin will be in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, and Suffolk today. (Times and specific location are here.)
Dorothy McAuliffe, Del. Hala Ayala, and DPVA Chair Susan Swecker will be in Halifax, Danville, Martinsville, and Blacksburg today.
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is campaigning for McAuliffe in Fairfax.
Hala Ayala, Winsome Sears face off in race to be lieutenant governor, make history - Daily Progress
by Dave Ress
If Virginia tradition holds on Election Day, the winner of this election ― one candidate a member of the House of Delegates, the other a former member — will be auditioning for governor four or eight years down the pike.
Regardless of who wins or their future political aspirations, either will make history as the first woman as well as the first woman of color to hold the office.
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