If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools. — Plato
In Part 1, we learned about Glenn Youngkin’s campaign stop in Salem on October 4. He mentioned the incredible honor of occupying the same position as Governor of Virginia that Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry once occupied, if the voters entrust him with that responsibility.
Since Virginia is the most high-profile election in the country this year, he said the eyes of the nation are on the Old Dominion and “America wants Virginia to lead.”
After his stump speech outlining his priorities and promises for Virginia if elected, he added: “The leftist, liberal agenda that wants to make us California-East is not welcome here.”
In closing, Youngkin told the enthusiastic crowd he had a list of four action steps for all his supporters to take.
- Vote now. He noted that many Republicans are traditional people who like to vote on the actual election day, but now that the laws have changed, they need to vote early. Instead of viewing November 2 as “Election Day,” they should instead view it as “the very last day to vote.” The same way most people do not wait to do Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve, likewise people should not wait to vote till November 2 to go to the polls. Furthermore, make a list of ten friends and get them to commit to vote early. Then, call them again after three days to ask if they have voted. If they have not, offer to drive them to the election office that day.
- Volunteer. “Voting is not enough,” Youngkin added. He urged his supporters to go door-to-door, give out sample ballots outside polling places, and serve as a poll watcher during this long voting season that goes from September 17 to November 2.
- Put a red “Youngkin” sign in your yard. He claimed even “deep blue” places like Old Town Alexandria are now awash with such red signs.
- Pray. “I don’t know what your prayer life is like,” he explained, but added that if his supporters are people of faith, he asked them to keep him, his running mates, and their families in prayer during this grueling yet crucial season.
After the rally many stayed around to greet the candidate and get a photo with him, while others mingled about speaking with friends old and new. I asked two people in the crowd why they had attended the rally and what they thought of it.
Diane Ribble of Salem holds two master’s degrees and dedicated her entire career as a teacher and guidance counselor in the Roanoke County School System; she is also this columnist’s sister and she explained why she attended the rally. “We need a change of leadership in Virginia and in the country; Virginia is set to be an example for the rest of the country to respect Constitutional rights and individual liberties. Youngkin is a solid individual who will do what he says he will do.”
I also spoke with a physician-professor who teaches in the area. Explaining why he attended the Youngkin rally he had this to say: “Our country is in the grips of a very anti-Christian and anti-Constitutional worldview that is seeking to impose a Marxist government on the United States. There are a lot of things weakening us. The powers that be are weakening us economically by destroying our energy independence, weakening our national defense by shaming us internationally and turning $90 billion in military assets [in Afghanistan] over to our enemies, weakening the family, and forcing curricula into schools that are antithetical to our Judeo-Christian and Constitutional founding and on and on.”
“We need to push back, we need people who hold to the worldview that made this country what it is. We need these people here at this rally in office. The recent mandate by [President Biden’s] Attorney General against parents [claiming parents who complain against school boards may actually be ‘domestic terrorists’] is actually the beginning of hard totalitarianism, where the government is issuing decrees which are definitely not of, by and for the people, and threatening to back them with the full might of the state’s law enforcement agencies. This is the culmination of years of effort by the left, who have been mal-educating our young people away from our Judaeo-Christian and Constitutional foundations and towards secularism and socialism. College grads have taken what they have been taught out into their workplaces and have gotten into positions of influence in academia, media, politics, law, the court system, corporate boards, school boards, city councils, unions, government bureaucracies, the military and police departments – virtually everywhere – and shifted our whole culture to the left. Now we need to recognize how we have been lied to all that time and return to our Judaeo-Christian roots, upon which our founding ethos and Constitution are based. That alone will heal our land.”
With the race between Glenn Youngkin and Terry McAuliffe basically a toss-up, Youngkin compared this election to a nail-biter game in overtime. “The team that wants to win the most will win.”
Early voting began on September 17 and the last day to vote is November 2.
Sources:
Volunteer to be a Poll Watcher
iVoter Guide to Virginia Elections
iVoter Guide to Virginia’s 3 Statewide Races and 100 House of Delegates Races
