Election after election, the Republican Party runs on the economy, taxes, and foreign policy. In the past, that could be a winning strategy. Today, that’s not enough. If Virginia proved anything, it’s that cultural issues matter to voters.
The irony of the GOP’s big day on Tuesday is that their blueprint was given to them by the radical left. The Democratic Party’s embrace of draconian mask and vaccine mandates, the influx of debased gender theories and CRT in public schools, and Terry McAuliffe’s full endorsement of all of that radicalism gave Republicans a winning strategy. A vital part of Glen Youngkin’s victory was making gains among independent and moderate voters. By taking a reasonable and moral stand on cultural issues that voters care about, the GOP blew out the Democrats. Unless the Democratic Party returns to any sort of sensible approach to policy, that blueprint will work again in 2022 and 2024.
My only concern going into the 2022 midterm elections is that Republicans will learn nothing from Tuesday and discard the blueprint handed to them. Political commentator Michael Knowles is also concerned. During his show on Friday, Knowles criticized the House GOP’s analysis of Youngkin’s win. A House GOP tweet attributed the Republican’s big night to American’s disapproval of socialism. Knowles correctly calls out how wrong this analysis is when he says, “Terry McAuliffe did not run on socialism. The reason Glen Youngkin beat him is not because of socialism—it’s because of kookie racial theory that the left was pushing. It’s because of psychotic sexual theories that the left was pushing. It’s because of justice and the right to raise your kids.”
That’s not to say Americans don’t care about the economy and taxes. The House GOP tweet is true. The majority of Americans don’t want socialism, but the majority of Americans are also concerned with crazy race and gender theories seeping into every corner of culture. Economic policies are important, but political policy flows from cultural ideas, and if conservatives won’t fight cultural battles, they won’t win political elections.
Common sense, morality, and justice won on Tuesday. That’s the blueprint that will resonate with voters and defeat leftist radicalism. Let’s hope the Republican establishment shows the courage to take that blueprint and put it to use.