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'Everyone should be very worried': Dems seek wake-up call as Virginia goes to the wire
PoliticoA creeping sense of worry among Democrats about the Virginia governor's race spilled into the open on Wednesday, after the release of a new Monmouth University poll showing former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe deadlocked with Republican Glenn Youngkin less than two weeks before Election Day.
And the panic may be a good thing, some of them say.
The Monmouth poll was the latest in a series of data points to increase concern about McAuliffe's prospects. While other recent polls in Virginia have shown McAuliffe staked to narrow leads, President Joe Biden's national ratings have slid into majority disapproval of his tenure, with his agenda still stalled in Congress. Democrats' internal polling elsewhere is similarly bleak, as they look to keep their slim majorities in Washington. And turnout among early and mail voters, which Democrats often look to as a barometer of enthusiasm, paints an uncertain picture two weeks out.
Despite — or because of — the warning signs, Democrats hope the news will wake up slumbering supporters the way it did in California last month, when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared to be slipping into dangerous territory in polls before generating high turnout to beat back a recall attempt with ease.
"There's going to be panic. There's going to be consternation. But what I would tell donors and operatives is, 'You should be worried, so pay attention and put resources into this,’" said Tim Lim, a longtime Democratic strategist. "The same thing happened in California. Once Democrats started paying attention and keyed into it, the numbers shifted. The same can happen in Virginia."
And the panic may be a good thing, some of them say.
The Monmouth poll was the latest in a series of data points to increase concern about McAuliffe's prospects. While other recent polls in Virginia have shown McAuliffe staked to narrow leads, President Joe Biden's national ratings have slid into majority disapproval of his tenure, with his agenda still stalled in Congress. Democrats' internal polling elsewhere is similarly bleak, as they look to keep their slim majorities in Washington. And turnout among early and mail voters, which Democrats often look to as a barometer of enthusiasm, paints an uncertain picture two weeks out.
Despite — or because of — the warning signs, Democrats hope the news will wake up slumbering supporters the way it did in California last month, when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared to be slipping into dangerous territory in polls before generating high turnout to beat back a recall attempt with ease.
"There's going to be panic. There's going to be consternation. But what I would tell donors and operatives is, 'You should be worried, so pay attention and put resources into this,’" said Tim Lim, a longtime Democratic strategist. "The same thing happened in California. Once Democrats started paying attention and keyed into it, the numbers shifted. The same can happen in Virginia."
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