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Northam vs Gillespie: An overview of the first Governor’s debate

Stephen Wood | July 24, 2017

Topics: Debate, Ed Gillespie, Elections, Governor, Ralph Northam, Virginia Elections

The first debate between Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates took place at the Virginia Bar Association’s summer meeting on Sat., July 22.  RVA Mag was on the scene to bring a blow by blow account of the sparring match between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie.

The Opening Salvo: Pipelines and Guns

The first attack on Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam did not come from Republicans, but the progressive base of his own party.

Northam had barely started his opening statement when a protester interrupted him with cries of “No pipeline!” The project he was referencing, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), has become an internal flashpoint between establishment party members and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Northam, Gillespie, and Dominion Power all support the ACP.

The audience laughed as the activist shouted, “This stage is owned by Dominion Power!” before being escorted away, but the incident highlighted the extent to which both candidates have distanced themselves from the more vocal elements of their own parties.

Unfazed, Northam immediately linked his opponent Ed Gillespie to President Donald Trump.

Ralph Northam. Photo by Norfolk Democrats.

“I believe the president is a dangerous man,” said Northam, adding that Trump “lies like a rug.” This was a familiar refrain, as his campaign has dedicated much of its energy to linking Gillespie with the deeply unpopular president.

On that issue – as well as on issues like the Second Amendment – Gillespie stuck to his proverbial guns, saying that he would work with the Trump administration, but that the gubernatorial race should be about Virginia, not Washington.

“I don’t agree with everything the president says or tweets,” said Gillespie. “But my focus is on Virginia.”

The Chase: Immigration, Healthcare, Weed, and Guns 

Gillespie cautiously sidestepped his personal opinion of the president. Instead, he pivoted instantly to defense spending when asked if he would continue to support Trump in the event he fired Robert Mueller – special counsel for the investigation into the president’s ties with Russia.

Northam then attacked Gillespie on reproductive rights and gun control. This earned him applause for the assertion that “legislators, most of whom are men, continue to tell women what to do with their bodies.”

Early and often, Gillespie argued that Virginia had fallen behind economically during Northam’s tenure as lieutenant governor.

Gillespie also mentioned several times that he is the son of an immigrant, claiming he “can relate” to those who are here “through no fault of their own.” Yet in the same breath, he echoed the president’s harsh stance on immigration.

When pressed by the moderator, Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour, he eventually revealed he would not challenge the Trump administration’s deportation policies.

Northam seized on this opportunity to draw a contrast between himself and Gillespie.

“Virginia has to be inclusive, our lights have to be on. Our doors have to be open,” Northam said. Not long after his message of inclusivity, he seemed to double back by adding, “ICE should be allowed to do their job.” It was a sentiment he shared with Gillespie, but clearly not with the more progressive wing of his own party.

As the two went back and forth over relatively minor points on immigration, Woodruff bluntly asked both to explain where they differed on the issue. Gillespie stated that he was opposed to allowing undocumented immigrants to attend state universities, likening Northam’s education plans to those of Bernie Sanders who called for undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition – a common Republican tactic.

When it was time to debate healthcare, Northam leaned on his experiences as a doctor and the unpopularity of Trump’s recently failed healthcare initiatives, as he has for most of the campaign. Northam repeatedly emphasized how many Virginians are in imminent danger of losing medial coverage.

Gillespie, of course, decried Obamacare as being costly and inefficient. Noticeably omitted was any answer to one of the major questions hanging over the debate: should Republicans repeal Obamacare without having a replacement ready?

         Ed Gillespie. Photo by Ed Gillespie

Northam, usually a firm centrist, every now and then did go full progressive. This was especially true when it came to criminal justice reform and one of the more sweeping elements of this platform – decriminalizing marijuana.

It is no secret that Northam wants to end the prohibition of marijuana, however, it still felt like a watershed moment to hear a major-party candidate (with a calm Eastern Shore voice) say, “We need to sit down at the table and talk about decriminalizing marijuana.” More than once during the primary he spoke about the disproportionate rate of incarceration for African American communities over marijuana usage.

Gillespie made no comment about marijuana decriminalization, but there’s little doubt where he stands. Republican Attorney General Jeff Sessions has already started taking steps to re-enforce mandatory minimum sentencing over non-violent drug offenses.

Northam also noted that he differed from Gillespie and, for that matter, Governor Terry McAuliffe in his opposition to the death penalty – referencing the high-profile execution of William Morva on July 6.

One of the most jarring moments came as the conversation turned to the Second Amendment.

Northam described the flow of guns into Virginia as another “pipeline” that needs to be shut down. As the audience reacted to his sobering reminder about the Virginia Tech massacre and the importance of keeping guns off campus, Gillespie responded by proudly referencing his A rating from the National Rifle Association.

The Grand Finale: Establishment, Establishment  

Much of the first gubernatorial debate boiled down to a checklist of establishment viewpoints on various issues important to both parties in the Commonwealth.

In fact, the furthest either candidate strayed from the base of their own party was Northam’s support of the natural gas pipelines, something many Virginia Democrats, liberals, activists, and progressives actively oppose.

“It was exactly what we expected, and excruciatingly disappointing,” said Richard Averitt, an anti-pipeline activist who also attended the debate – in reference to Northam’s stance on the ACP. “He’s lieutenant governor, and a huge percentage of his down-ticket candidates have all taken the right position on this, which is a no-pipeline position, and he is staying the course.”

“We’ll write in ‘No Pipeline,’” said his wife, Jill Averitt, when asked if either candidate had won their support.

After the debate, Northam reiterated that he did oppose fracking, but would allow fracked oil to enter the state via the ACP if it could be done responsibly. A short time later, he left to join his opponent and their respective entourages at a reception sponsored by Dominion Power.

A neutral observer would have a hard time deciding who won, a predictable outcome for a debate between two establishment candidates. While Northam hit his predetermined talking points and fired off a few memorable quotes, he came off stiff next to Gillespie, whose conversational tone provided cover for his refusal to give straight answers on some fairly important questions. Nor does it bode well for Northam that the pipeline protest – which he inexplicably referred to several times throughout the later stages of the debate – was the most memorable event of the afternoon, highlighting the internal schism between the different wings of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Opinion: A dissenting take on RVA Mag’s Northam endorsement

Matthew Conover | July 11, 2017

Topics: Dominion, Governor, politics, Ralph Northam, virginia

“While contentious issues like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline still exist internally for Democrats, we believe Northam will work with stakeholders to ensure that all voices, progressive and moderate alike, will have a say in the future of the Commonwealth.” –  an excerpt from the article, RVA Mag Endorses Ralph Northam in the 2017 Governor’s Race. 

So, RVA Mag is throwing themselves headlong into political coverage by endorsing Ralph Northam for Governor. Well, at least cautiously, like the last person in a group of friends to jump from one rock to another in the James River, but here we are on the rock above the polluted water nonetheless.

Right on y’all; it is high time we recognize and act on the interconnectedness of policy making and cultural consensus. After all, it is this recognition which has allowed the right wing to congeal and metastasize in our country. We can all agree there would be no Trump presidency if not for websites like Drudge Report and Breitbart, which are as much culture outlets as they are news sites.

RVA Mag’s Northam Endorsement

That said, the centrist direction chosen by the RVA Mag editorial staff is highly disappointing. Northam, is far from an ideal candidate, and we should acknowledge his glaring faults. He is as much Dominion’s politician as he is the voters. And after taking more than $100,000 from the for-profit energy conglomerate, he remains beholden to their influence.

Because of this compromise, he – like Terry McAuliffe – will never be able to offer a complete moral platform that the Virginia left-wing can get behind. Point by point, he is much better better than Ed Gillespie – one of whose top individual donors is none other than war criminal, former President George W. Bush (with another 25k chipped in from neocon overlord Karl Rove). Northam is no one to cheer, however. He is the lesser of two evils that has gone too far down the corporate-sponsored river to fully recover.

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, people standing and suit

It is a huge mistake to write off the proposed Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines as some sort of internal issue for Virginia Democrats. This is a putridly banal analysis and it is morally reprehensible to minimize this issue to one dependent clause at the end of an otherwise decent, if cheerleaderish endorsement (it is also a mischaracterization, a couple of the GOP homoxenophobes who lost to the lobbyist Gillespie were also anti-pipeline).

The fight over these proposed pipelines is a struggle between two distinct sources of power: That of for-profit Virginians, and that of social solidarity Virginians, the latter of which holds the notion that home is more valuable than any dollar amount.

In this fight, economic might is only as valuable as the culture it can control. It is a great shame that RVA Mag, now that they have taken sides, will not fully commit to the struggle against the proposed pipelines and exploiting powers that are pushing pipelines on the land of unwilling Virginians. RVA Mag could be a great player in this struggle.

The only way to really get on board, morally speaking, with the proposed pipelines, is if you’re really absorbing Dominion’s marketing efforts (or you’re on their sediment-polluted gravy train). The other option, once you have heard the voices of the farmers and landowners whose lands are being rendered unusable – for the sake of the pipeline – is to simply not pay attention and to write off this tremendous struggle as a squabble that does not affect you.

Either believing Dominion at their word, or choosing to look the other way from the suffering this issue will cause is highly influenced by the culture in which we live.

Public approval of these pipelines, thus becomes a question of who can make their case more broadly or more powerfully. If RVA Mag knows about the proposed pipelines, but chooses not to comment on them – taking the Richmond Times Dispatch route of reporting without condemnation – then they let Dominion’s agenda go unchallenged and their power unchecked. Not that any single publication can halt the agenda of a company as powerful and profit-hungry as Dominion, but if we’re choosing sides then let’s be clear about whose side we’re on.

This publication has been too easily appeased by access to Northam’s campaign, by mere pleasantries and apparent vocal affirmations. An appearance in alternative media is no sure sign of a good policy maker.

Excerpt from RVA Mag’s Northam Endorsement

Power reveals real human decency. It is easy to be decent when you’re just hanging out with Richmonders who are into good shows, beer and food – we hedonists are a good time. But by being appeased, RVA Mag risks becoming part of the centrist, status-quo accepting establishment in Richmond, losing whatever “alternative” cultural cache it might have had.

I greatly appreciate RVA Mag offering a platform for dissenting voices. But if they are going to just tow the Virginia Democratic Party line in their editorials, then the sway and reach of this rag will remain limited, which would be a great shame. Because a magazine like this could help push issues like the proposed pipelines to the forefront of the cultural and political discourse in Richmond.

That would not only be truly counter-cultural, but also the moral thing to do. Because right now, Northam and the monied powers aren’t going to do anything to help our friends in the counties whose lives would be majorly fucked up by these pipelines, nor are they going to protect the James River.

Not unless we, in unison, demand they do so.

RVA Mag endorses Ralph Northam in 2017 Virginia Governor’s race

RVA Staff | June 14, 2017

Topics: election 2017, Ralph Northam

Both Democratic candidates ran a great race this primary season. Tom Perriello, brought an intellectual rigor and energy to Virginia politics that was sorely needed, and there is no doubt that his influence will be felt throughout the coming months. However, in the end, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam carried the day and RVA Mag is proud to endorse Northam in his bid for Governor.

While these pages have typically focused on arts and culture, given the uncertainty in these complex times we have a responsibility to extend our voice into areas that impact our city and Commonwealth. Therefore, this endorsement should not only be viewed as a recommendation for Northam, but a rejection of ideas and rhetoric that run contrary to the values of this publication.

As a publication that looks for innovative ways to tell stories and report on what is happening in Virginia, we pride ourselves on elevating under-represented voices in our print and digital media. We also believe that engaging in hard conversations and acknowledging unpleasant truths is the foundation of all progress, which Northam has demonstrated a willingness to do.

The decision to endorse Northam has also been measured against some of the following issues, which this publication also supports:

Support for LGBTQ:

People deserve to love who they choose and identify with who they are. The antagonism towards the LGBTQ community, specifically those who identify as transgender, no longer has any place in our political discourse. The values we share with the LGBTQ community as the publisher of GayRVA remain non-negotiable.

Criminal Justice Reform:

Virginia’s criminal justice system disproportionately impacts people of color at an alarming rate, along with sentencing laws that are extremely retributive. The failure to address these disparities has criminalized entire communities, destroyed families, and ruined countless lives. Reform of this system starts with the Governor and this publication has been deeply supportive of the ongoing restoration of felon rights. We also support the decriminalization of marijuana as part of the overall platform for criminal justice reform, a policy Northam champions.

Climate Change:

Climate change is real and the science, research, and threat posed to the coastal regions of the Commonwealth can no longer be disputed. Investing in renewable energy as a means of reducing carbon output and diversifying the economy should become a priority for Virginia. This publication will continue to support the efforts of our Mayor and Governor in keeping Virginia in alignment with the Paris Accords to combat the very real effects of climate change.

Healthcare:

Not expanding Medicaid and obstructing access to affordable healthcare due to political expediency lacks courage and is detrimental to the overall well-being of Virginia. Additionally, this publication supports the rights of women to interact with their healthcare provider without a moral agenda that prevents access to contraceptives and reproductive services. The assault on women’s healthcare remains the vestige of a bygone political era that no longer has a place in Virginia politics.

General Human Decency:

Northam has engaged with partners, editors, writers, interns, and various staff members at RVA Mag in a way that has been transparent and conscientious. While this might seem frivolous to some, in today’s political climate having an elected official that is willing to take the time to engage with alternative media and take the concerns of younger Virginians seriously has proven him worthy of an endorsement in our pages.

Moving Forward:

Virginia was the only southern state to not vote for President Trump and we are better off because of it. We have maintained a progressive pace that has been gradual, measured, and at a speed that has not broken down all avenues of cooperation within the General Assembly. Northam is the right person to maintain this political balance and protect us from the worst excesses of fringe conservative politics. While contentious issues like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline still exist internally for Democrats, we believe Northam will work with stakeholders to ensure that all voices, progressive and moderate alike, will have a say in the future of the Commonwealth.

Virginia Primary 2017 Rundown

Lana Ferguson | June 12, 2017

Topics: Corey Stewart, Ed Gillespie, election, Frank Wagner, Glenn Davis, Jill Vogel, politics, Ralph Northam, Tom Perriello, VA voting, Virginia primary

Despite Virginia’s gubernatorial race taking place during a non-presidential year, the ballot is packed and the competition is tight for the primary election, which takes place Tuesday, June 13. Candidates vying for governor, lieutenant governor and several seats in the Virginia House of Delegates will be on the ballot.

Here is a rundown of who is on the ballot, some of GayRVA.com’s and RVA Mag’s coverage of the candidates and where you can vote. Check it out below:

Statewide elections:

2017 June Democratic Primary, governor

  • Ralph S. Northam (current Lt. Gov.)
  • Tom S. Perriello

2017 June Republican Primary, governor

  • Edward “Ed” Gillespie
  • Corey Stewart
  • Frank Wagner

2017 June Democratic Primary, lieutenant governor

  • Justin Fairfax
  • Gene Rossi
  • Susan Platt

2017 June Republican Primary, lieutenant governor

  • Bryce E. Reeves
  • Glenn R. Davis, Jr.
  • Jill H. Vogel

GayRVA sat down with both Democratic candidates on the governor ballot, current Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello to press them on issues facing the LGBTQ community.

All three Republican candidates, including frontrunner Ed Gillespie, condemned transgender individuals and their use of the bathroom. 

On the other side, both Democratic candidates Northam and Perriello disagreed and said they’d veto any anti-LGBTQ legislation. 

Rep. Gillespie, and Democrats Northam and Perriello all condemned the torch-lit march protesting the removal of Confederate statues in Charlottesville last month.

Stewart, on the other hand, has been a staunch supporter for the monuments and Confederate symbols.

Del. Glenn Davis (Virginia Beach), a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, took time recently to chat with RVA Mag and give us a tour of his infamous Mellow Yellow RV. He gave his views on the monument controversy, how his party is reaching the younger community, and his thoughts on Trump.  

The deadline to register to vote has already passed, but you can check your registration status here. 

You can find your polling place at the official government website here or if that’s too formal for you, there’s also Your Fucking Polling Place. It’ll tell you where to go to vote and what’s on your ballot with cleverly inserted f-bombs.

So get out there tomorrow, June 13, and VOTE!

 

 

Virginia Democrat, Libertarian gubernatorial primary candidates win highest marks on marijuana policies by national advocacy group

David Pettyjohn | May 24, 2017

Topics: community, Corey Stewart, Ed Gillespie, marijuana police project, marijuana reform in Virginia, Ralph Northam, Tom Perriello

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) has released a report card for the marijuana policies of the six candidates running in the 2017 Virginia race for governor. The report gave each politician a letter grade, similar to the report cards given out by the advocacy groups. MPP wrote a survey of three questions which was sent to each candidate, who were then scored based on their responses (or lack thereof).

The questions were:

Whether to reduce the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana to a reasonable civil fine;

Whether Virginia should establish a program allowing seriously ill patients with qualifying conditions to consume medical marijuana with the permission of their physicians;

and

whether they support creating a reasonable system for taxing and regulating marijuana production and sales for legal use by adults 21 years of age and older in Virginia.

Republican Ed Gillespie earned a D, the lowest grade. Libertarian Cliff Hyra, on the other hand, scored the highest grade of A+.

The Democratic candidates, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam and former Congressman Tom Perriello both support the decriminalization of marijuana, earning them a B and an A-, respectively.

MPP appreciated Northam’s support for “decriminalization and the establishment of a comprehensive medical marijuana program,” but his grade was lowered to a B for not saying what his position on the adult use of cannabis is, as well as not replying to the survey.

Perriello was the only candidate out of all six to answer all of the questions provided. In response to question one, he answered in the affirmative, saying that “the decades old war on drugs has failed.” He denounced “racially biased drug laws,” and declared that “We have to fix our broken criminal justice system and put a stop to the school-to-prison pipeline and pattern of ruining lives over non-violent marijuana possession.”

Perriello answered question two with a yes, as well. He said that “Virginia must join the majority of jurisdictions” by creating a medical marijuana program. He supported this statement by referencing the benefits of medical marijuana use. Perriello answered question three by claiming that he would eventually support a tax on marijuana use by adults 21 and older, citing the success of Colorado’s tax on recreational marijuana.

On the republican side, Gillespie – the party’s current front runner – performed the most poorly out of the three, receiving a D for opposing “decriminalization and adult-use,” as well as having an unknown stance on medical usage. He did not answer the survey.

Stewart, the Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, received a B for telling “an MPP staffer that he supports decriminalization and medical marijuana,” but having an unknown policy towards adult use. He, too, did not reply to the survey.

Wagner, who serves in the seventh district in the Virginia Senate, was given a B for the same reasons as Stewart.

The only Libertarian candidate in the race, Mechanicsville lawyer Cliff Hyra, was the conly candidate to receive an A+ for his responses. He threw his weight behind “decriminalization, the establishment of a medical marijuana program, and allowing responsible adults age 21 and older to consume cannabis,” according to MPP.

He responded to MPP’s survey, but not with as much detail as Perriello did. Hyra’s small-government colors show in his statement to MPP:

“A medical marijuana program should be unnecessary because I support full legalization, however I would support a medical marijuana program as a second-best alternative,” wrote Hyra. “Virginia must end its unjust and counterproductive prohibition on marijuana.”

The fact that Hyra was the only candidate to receive an A+ from MPP may raise an eyebrow, especially since his response was much less detailed than the one given by Perriello. He does not state what his potential medical marijuana program would look like, or how Virginia would end its prohibition stance on the drug.

MPP is the largest non-profit organization working to solely address marijuana policies, and most of the money donated by MPP 2016 election cycle went to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ profile on the organization. However, during all of the other election cycles, they have donated primarily to Democrats.

The more positive views of marijuana reform held by the Democrats and Hyra, however, do not reflect the policies endorsed by the Virginia legislature. While some reform bills have been passed, most legislation on the topic has been killed, as can be seen in the regular sessions from this year, 2016 and 2015, just to address the past few years.

Sentences for first time possession have been reduced in the past.

However, if history is any indicator, then reform minded politicians will have their work cut out for them, but beyond the political value of legalization, a 2016 study by VCU’s CNS program found Black people in Virginia continue to face higher arrest rates for possession vs. their white peers – if any candidate promises to work towards racial and economic equality, legalization could be seen as one way to reduce arrest rates across the state.

Virginia’s GOP gubernatorial frontrunner lags by double digits against Dems, majority disapprove of Trump

David Pettyjohn | May 23, 2017

Topics: community, Ed Gillespie, election 2017, Levar Stoney, Ralph Northam, Tom Perriello, trump

A new Washington Post/George Mason poll shows Virginia’s leading GOP candidate continues to struggle against Democratic opponents as Election Day 2017 draws closer.

Ed Gillespie, a former GOP National Party leader, is the front runner against his two opponents, Confederate Flag-Champion Corey Stewart and businessman Frank Wagner. While Gillespie is way ahead of his competition, he faces double digit losses against either Democratic candidate.

Current Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam beats Gillespie by 11 points, 49-38 with 9 percent unsure and 4 percent unwilling to vote for either candidate.
Against former Congressman (and ambulance smasher) Tom Perriello, Gillespie is down 13 points, 50-37, with a similar portion unsure or unwilling to vote for either candidate.

The poll does appear to lean Democrat, with 34 percent identifying as Dems and 24 percent identifying as Republican, but the 33 percent identifying as independents are what will decide the election and the totals in other questions from the poll seem to show a high level of dissatisfaction with the GOP-controlled Congress and White House.

58 percent oppose steps to roll back Obama’s signature Health Care bill while only 34 percent support it.

And Trump’s popularity continues to lag with 59 percent of voters disapproving of the Commander and chief’s “handling of the job of President.”

These factors and more don’t look great on paper for Gillespie, and Hillary won the state by by over 200,000 votes last year, but after 2016, who knows what polls to believe.

As for the Democratic Primary, the new data shows Perriello at the front of this very close race with Northam, though the two often poll neck and neck with a large margin of undecided voters. Perriello is ahead by only one percentage point in this poll, a similar showing to polls from March of this year.

The Democratic primary race has been particularly interesting as Perriello was endorsed by both Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), two progressive champs who have often pitted themselves against the establishment.

Northam, on the other hand, has racked up endorsements from the state party heavy hitters like Gov. McAuliffe and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.

The poll also reports that Perriello is more popular than Northam with the left wing of the Democratic Party, as well as women and young people. This could also be attributed to Perriello’s support for progressive policies, such as opposing the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley natural gas pipelines. Northam believes the pipelines are inevitable as federal projects, and claims he will work to ensure “property rights, safety and the environment are protected.”

Instead, Perriello favors clean energy solutions, and claims that Northam’s policies will take employment opportunities away from Virginians.

The Commonwealth heads to Primary polls on June 13th.

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