Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of the party

I suspect a few of us “Boomers” used to type the above sentence on a manual, yes, a manual typewriter not a personal computer, in typing class of  a different era. Yes, there was an actual class on how to type for prospective secretaries and others destined for the clerical field or for those like me who entertained the thought of going to college someday. Mr. Charles Weller, a typing teacher,  came up with the phrase and later modified it to read come to the aid of their “country”. It turns out that his change with the period made the sentence exactly 70 characters long which was the entire length of one complete line on a typewriter. Well, those days may be long gone but recent events in the Old Dominion brought this phrase of a bygone era back to mind.

The last four years we were blessed to have Governor Glenn Younkin as our Governor. As extremely successful and savvy business professional during his term he was responsible for unparalleled economic growth and prosperity in the Old Dominion. He leaves behind the legacy of an unheard budget surplus an improved primary and secondary education system among his many accomplishments. It is unfortunate but Virgina’s state constitution precludes him from serving two consecutive terms. I can only hope our loss  will mean that he will serve at the national level.

Those “recent events” that brought back a memory from a distant typing class are the inauguration of our new Governor and the Democratic majority that now controls the Virginia legislature. Yes, I understand that “elections do have consequences” but Governor Youngkin did attempt to reach across the aisle and reach compromise for the good of his constituents. Unfortunately, we will never see Ms. Spanberger and her majority do the same. 

With the Spanberger Administration now in power and the Democratic Party now holding a majority of both houses in Richmond, the tables have clearly turned. Yes, unfortunately elections do have consequences, and I get that but as we progress through the next four years, I suspect many in Virgina will not be happy with the Governor Spanberger’s and her Party’s stance on many issues. To wit the proposed Congressional Redistricting used to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts to produce a 10–1 Democratic majority in our congressional delegation, the Right to Life, personal protections afforded by the Second Amendment, and what is taught in our public school system to name a few. All of this is happening while the same time Democrats say their focus is “affordability” – a claim that is simply a distraction. 

Republicans that sat on the sidelines during the gubernatorial election will wish they had taken a stand when they had the opportunity to vote. One of my good friends remarked that Republicans are not like those who line our highways and overpasses every Saturday morning waving signs proclaiming their “patriotism,” but what many fail to realize is that in Virgina the world has fundamentally changed – the mindset of our State Legislators is now the same as our local “No Kings” protestors. Yes, Republicans tend to shy away from direct engagement but while many of us dither and prefer not to get involved our world in the Old Dominion is fundamentally changing beneath our feet.  Yes, like it or not now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of the party before it is too late.