Top 100 Most-Viewed Blue Virginia Posts of 2022: The (Mis)Adventures of Glenn Youngkin, Midterm Elections, etc.

With just under two weeks left in 2022, it’s a pretty good time to see what Blue Virginia’s top posts were this year, through December 18th, according to Google Analytics.

Looking through the following list, a lot of the top posts are on Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 (mis)adventures, including his less-than-stellar cabinet picks, policies (e.g., his “culture wars”; attacks on public education, the environment, LGBTQ kids, teaching the history of slavery and racism in America, etc.) and far-right candidates he campaigned for (most of whom, thankfully, lost!). Other topics making the top 100 list include key 2022 US House races; looking ahead to key 2023 elections; the shakeup in Virginia House Democratic leadership; etc. And just as with the top stories last year, people seem to care a LOT less, relatively speaking, about the substantive work of the General Assembly, which IMHO is very important and which people should pay a LOT more attention to.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for reading, contributing,  and commenting this year! Stay tuned in 2023, when the entire Virginia General Assembly, and MANY important local offices (e.g., chairs/members of county boards, school boards) will be up for election, with new lines for the General Assembly and all the progress we’ve made in recent years VERY much on the line.

1. After Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, Loudoun GOP Chair Claims Historically African American Sorority Delta Sigma Theta Is “taking control of our country at all levels of govt”
2. The ONE Math Textbook Company Deemed Acceptable in Ron DeSantis’ Florida, “Accelerate Learning,” Was Acquired by Youngkin’s Carlyle Group in 2018
3. “An official account of [Gov. Youngkin] is attacking a child. A grown man bullying a kid. I don’t even think Trump did that.”
4. Live Blog: Virginia Election Results 2022
5. Audio: Gov. Youngkin’s New Appointee to the VA Board of Historic Resources Says Robert E. Lee Was a “Morally Fine Human Being”; “Secession Was NOT Treason”; the North’s “Invasion” of the South Was “just like we see Russia invading Ukraine”; etc.
6. New Poll Finds Youngkin at Just 44%-42% (+2 pts) Approval; In Contrast, Northam Was +18 pts in April 2018, +35 pts in December 2018
7. 17-Year-Old Virginia High School Student Ethan Lynne: “We all know that Youngkin has an agenda to attack and endanger students, and last night proved that.”
8. “What happened in Buffalo is not just about some isolated shooter, some deranged sociopath. He was fueled by an ideology of hate promoted by…an entire US political party”
9. UVA Students Rip Gov. Youngkin Pick of Bert Ellis to UVA Board of Visitors as “either negligent or willfully rewarding behavior that endangers students”
10. Thursday News: “Europe Thinks Putin Is Planning Something Even Worse Than War”; “Why Democrats Keep Losing Culture Wars”; “Black History Is American History”; “As Virginia GOP targets clean energy, advocates hope Senate wall holds”; “Virginia AG Rattles Higher Ed”
11. Glenn Youngkin Tries *Really* Hard For an Even Worse Pick Than Andrew Wheeler. That’s Right: Faaar-Right Elizabeth Schultz for Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction!
12. With Just Over Three Weeks Until the Crucial 2022 Midterm Elections and the Fate of Our Democracy on the Line, “We decide. You will decide.”
13. Virginia Students At Nearly 100 Schools Announce Walkouts In Response To DOE Draft Transgender Policy Guidelines
14. 63 Republicans, Including Two From Virginia (Bob Good and Ben Cline) Vote Against Rep. Gerry Connolly’s Resolution in Support of NATO, Democracy
15. Photos: Glenn Youngkin Campaigns for Unhinged Extremist, Virulent Racist, Climate Denier Paul LePage in Maine
16. Video: “Governor, where is your mask?…look around you governor, you’re in Alexandria. Read the room buddy!”
17. [UPDATED] “GOP Chair of the Hampton…Electoral Board has called two well decorated American Military men ‘the N-word’ & suggested their lynchings”
18. VA10 Republicans Nominate Hung Cao, Who Backs “Off-Label Alternatives” to Treating COVID, Is 100% Anti-Reproductive Freedom, Rails Against “Insidious Grooming…of Students” by “government-backed organizations,” etc. to Take on Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10)
19. [UPDATED: Superintendent Apologizes] Swastika-Style Logo on (Deep-“Red”) Hanover County, VA Schools T-Shirt; Youngkin Sign in Classroom. WTF Is Going On?
20. Wednesday News: “Five vile things Trump did to Zelensky and Ukraine that you forgot about”; “Biden vows to check Russian aggression, fight inflation”; “John Bolton: Trump Is a Putin-Loving Moron Who Thought Finland Was Part of Russia”
21. New Poll in VA02, an R+6 District, Finds Rep. Elaine Luria (D) Up 5 Pts. Before Pro-Choice Messaging, Up 7 Pts. After
22. 2021 Falls Church School Board Right-Wing Candidate’s “Lesser Black Woman” Comments “Objectively the worst tweet I’ve seen today”
23. UPDATED: “Shameful” – “Historian tasked with teaching about slavery at the Virginia Governors Mansion just resigned after finding the Youngkins converted her classroom into a family room”
24. [UPDATED 4/13] Now That the Filing Deadline Has Passed, Here Are ALL the 2022 Dem, GOP Candidates for Congress in Virginia
25. After Replacing Highly Competent and Professional VA Elections Commissioner, Youngkin Names…Former Legislative Aide to “Big Lie” Promoter Sen. Amanda Chase (R)
26. Meet the Three Leading Faaaar-Right Contenders (Yesli Vega, Bryce Reeves, Derrick Anderson) for the VA07 GOP(Q) Nomination on Tuesday
27. Analysis: Here Are the Likely “Majority Makers” for Virginia Democrats to Hold the State Senate, Win Back the House of Delegates in 2023
28. By Far, Glenn Youngkin’s Worst Cabinet Pick Yet: Trump’s Appallingly Bad, Anti-Environment EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
29. Video: Roland Martin Schools Loudoun GOP Chair Who Falsely Claimed Historically African American Sorority Delta Sigma Theta Is “taking control of our country at all levels of govt”
30. Former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R): Gov. Youngkin “does not have unchecked authority”; Cannot Overturn State LAW on Masking in Schools
31. BREAKING: Holly Seibold Wins the Democratic Nomination to Fill the Seat of Former Del. Mark Keam (D-HD35), Who Resigned to Join the Biden Administration
32. Dr. Janice Underwood (Virginia’s First Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Has a LOT to Say – On the “Monster Minority Machine,” the Importance of DE&I, Her Successor, “People who were so easily manipulated,” Democratic Messaging Failures, etc.
33. Video: Del. Don Scott Tells Virginia Republicans to stop using “Critical Race Theory” and “Black folks as props in your quest to retain power”
34. Video: New Ad Highlights “How Extreme” Hung Cao Is ; After 1/6 Insurrection, He Said Violent Extremists “are my people, set them free”
35. Yoga Mats, Crayons, and Microwave Containers, Oh My! What the Virginia Department of Education is Buying for Private Schools with Federal COVID Money
36. Saturday News: “The tainted Olympic Games”; “Mike Pence Grows a Spine, Says Trump’s Election Ravings Are ‘Un-American’ and ‘Wrong’”; “GOP to Defenders of Democracy: Drop Dead”; RNC “going full insurrectionist”; For VA GOP, “it’s 1885 again”
37. Video: On CNN, Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Talks About the “Horror” He Found in 1/6 Investigation; “QAnon and other conspiracy theories had inundated the Republican Party all the way up to the top levels”
38. Right-Wing Republican Virginia AG Jason Miyares Removes UVA Counsel Tim Heaphy, Who *Just Coincidentally* Is on Leave to Work as Chief Investigative Counsel for the 1/6 Committee
39. New Wason Center Poll: Youngkin Underwater at 41%-43% Approval; Majority Disagrees with Him on Teaching About Racism/”CRT”; Masks in Schools; Clean Energy/Climate Action; Abortion…
40. Judge DENIES Envigo’s Motion; All 4,000 Surviving Beagles May Soon Be Bound for Adoption
41. “Glenn Youngkin and his administration are already showing the absolute moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party on DAY ONE! Stop ‘giving them a chance!’”
42. Build Back Better: Why the Green Card Recapture Needs to Happen?
43. VA House Republicans Release Budget That Will Devastate Virginia’s Public Schools
44. VA House Republicans Release Budget That Will Devastate Virginia’s Public Schools
45. “Can you imagine the reaction to a Veterans Community Center for Dem veterans only?” “In what ways is [this]…even remotely acceptable?”
46. Fairfax City Mayor’s Race Pits Democrat Catherine Read Against Youngkin-Supported Conservative Republican Sang Yi. The Choice Is Crystal Clear.
47. Former Loudoun Prosecutor Russet Perry Files to Run as a Democrat for Crucial 2023 VA State Senate Race
48. Eight of the Worst Youngkin Administration Nominations/Appointments So Far…
49. Delegate Mark Levine Files Mandamus Action in Virginia Supreme Court to Force Disclosure of Alleged Misconduct Records of Fairfax District Court Judges
50. US House Votes 267-157 to Protect Marriage Equality for Same-Sex and Interracial Marriage; All Dems Vote YES; 157 Republicans (Including All Four From Virginia) Vote NO
51. Nicole Merlene Is the First of Likely Many Democratic Candidates to Announce for the Newly Drawn HD02 in Arlington
52. Friday News: “Alito Mocks World Leaders Who Criticized Court’s Abortion Ruling”; “Surprise Senate deal on climate change should be only the beginning”; “Blindsided veterans erupt in fury after Senate Republicans suddenly tank PACT Act”; “Jan. 6 texts missing for Trump Homeland Security’s Wolf and Cuccinelli”
53. [UPDATED 2x] Virginia Association of School Superintendents Slams Youngkin’s Assault on Diversity; Warn It Could “set public education in Virginia back many years”; Says “the tip line needs to be terminated”
54. WaPo Publishes Yet Another Fawning, Credulous Whitewash of Glenn Youngkin, Who’s Now Supposedly a “friendly, can-do conservative,” a “GOP star,” an “inspirational winner” with a message of “parents, economy and faith,” etc.
55. [UPDATED] Video: Republican Del. Rob Bell Misgenders (as “the gentleman”) Del. Danica Roem, Who Corrects Him (“Excuse me? It’s *delegate*”)
56. Karen Duncan: Some Thoughts On the Virginia House of Delegates “Palace Coup” Against Former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn
57. Oh, Myyyy Is George Takei Correct: The Economy Really Does Perform Better on Nearly Every Metric Under Democratic than Republican Presidents
58. Anti-Abortion Extremist Slips Onto Governor Youngkin’s Commission to Combat Antisemitism
59. Judge Approves Plan to Transfer All 4,000 Surviving Beagles at Envigo to Shelters for Adoption
60. Thursday News: “Who is on Biden’s shortlist to replace retiring Justice Breyer?”; “Youngkin Won’t Stop Undermining Public Schools”; “How the Big Lie lives on in Virginia politics”; “Andy Parker makes his bid to oust Rep. Bob Good”
61. Sunday News: “This was the week when Trump revealed all”; “What the January 6th Papers Reveal”; “We are proud of our Co-Chair @ethanclynne and wholeheartedly stand with him”; Youngkin’s “counterproductive strategy” on Education
62. Video: “These are the types of deplorables that Governor Youngkin will attempt to stack our School Boards with. Beware.”
63. Video: At Event in Falls Church, VP Kamala Harris Touts “$5 billion we will invest in clean school buses over the next five years”
64. Ethan Lynne and Others Responds to Glenn Youngkin’s Non-Apology “Apology”: “While he acknowledged the situation, Governor Youngkin did not apologize and did not condemn what happened over the weekend.”
65. Video: Del. Sally Hudson, Who Has a PhD in Labor Economics from MIT, Demolishes Right-Wing Republican’s Argument That the Minimum Wage Supposedly Hurts Workers
66. Thursday News: “A hero of the Trump right shows his true colors: Whites only”; DOJ “Closing its Net Around Trump?”; “Did Manchin and Schumer Just Play Mitch McConnell?”; “Biden’s agenda is, in fact, back”; “Stoney: FBI hasn’t contacted him about origins of Fairfax allegations”
    
67. [UPDATED 4/12] Youngkin Signs 700 Bills, Vetoes 25 Bills, Amends More Than 100 Bills
68. Andy Parker Announces Run for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District
69. Audio: Glenn Youngkin Rants About “Privilege Bingo,” “Critical Race Theory,” “teachers’ unions and teachers associations and the left liberals”
70. Wayne Turnage, Who Served as Gov. Tim Kaine’s Chief of Staff, Calls Ouster of Eileen Filler-Corn as VA House Dem Leader a Huge Mistake
71. DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker on Glenn Youngkin: “We will remind Virginians that the ‘moderate from Northern Virginia’ is nothing more than a political puppet for the far right“
72. How Far Right Are the VA07 Republican Candidates? Who Might Be the Toughest/Weakest Opponent for Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) in November?
73. Andy Parker Announces Run for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District
74. IL Governor’s Chief of Staff Says Karen Tumulty’s WaPo Op-Ed Arguing Youngkin’s a “Sane” Republican Is “one of many reasons democracy is in such peril”
75. Wednesday News: “Putin’s Endgame Starts to Look Like Reducing Ukraine to Rubble”; Fox “News” Pushes “top 4 lies about gas prices”; “Jury Convicts Insurrectionist in First January 6 Trial”; Hanover School Board Asks “Hate Group” to Review Its “Equal Educational Opportunities” Policy
76. Monday News: “We Might Finally Be Free From the Madness of Bolsonaro”; “Don’t blame ‘both sides.’ The right is driving political violence.”; “Musk, right-wing figures push misinformation about Pelosi attack”; “District 5 must be represented by someone great, not Good”
77. Statement by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn After VA House Dems Vote to Oust Her as Leader: “I was proud of all that we accomplished after taking the majority in 2019…[and] look forward to working…to retake the majority”
78. [UPDATED] VA Sen. Scott Surovell: “What kind of governor makes fun of an…assassination attempt against the spouse of the third in line for the Presidency?”
79. Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Executive Director Adele McClure Announces Historic Candidacy for House of Delegates 2nd District
80. [UPDATED with Video] Late Last Night, the VA House GOP “reject[ed] every HB787 amendment that would ensure accurate history—the good & the bad—can be taught”
81. Monday News: “The Great Siberian Thaw”; “American and Russian Diplomats Meet in a Bid to Avert War in Ukraine”; “American democracy will die unless voting rights are protected”; “Youngkin is no moderate on the environment” (Or Anything Else?); “Northam proud of a lengthy list of accomplishments”
82. Right-Wing-Dominated Hanover County, VA School Board Strikes Again, as Speaker is Escorted Out By Police While Attempting to Speak Against Proposed Transgender Student Registry and Bathroom Use Policy
83. In Brutally Accurate Editorial, Daily Progress Rips Far-Right VA07 GOP(Q) Nominee Yesli Vega as “Dogma”-Based Candidate Who “wants to be like Bob Good. Or Marjorie Taylor Greene. Or Lauren Boebert.”
84. Video, Photos: Large Crowds Attend “Bans Off Our Bodies” Rallies in Richmond, Elsewhere in Virginia (and Across the Country)
85. Virginia’s Deputy AG Resigns Over Posts Praising 1/6 Insurrectionists; Jason Miyares Is Even Worse Than Many of Us Feared He’d Be
86. How Far Right Are the VA10 Republican Candidates? Who Might Be the Toughest/Weakest Opponent for Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) in November?
87. Mother’s Day News: “Luhansk school bombing buries up to 60”; “Putin’s choices filled with peril on eve of Victory Day parade”; “Jan. 6 was worse than you remember. It must define our politics.”; “McConnell says national abortion ban ‘possible’”; “‘SNL’ Goes Medieval on SCOTUS”
88. Virginians React to News of 300+ State Employees Resigning: “Despite our best efforts, Youngkin refused to reconsider his disastrous executive action and pressed forward”
89. Video: Virginia Parents, Democratic Lawmakers Blast Youngkin’s “Illegal Executive Order” on Masks in Schools; Say He’s “Becoming the Most Divisive and Authoritarian Governor” in Virginia History
90. Video: Fairfax County School Board Chair Stella Pekarsky Rips Attacks on School Board Members and on Public Education, Urges Support for “fundamental bedrock of our society”
91. Thursday News: “Flushed papers found clogging Trump WH toilet”; “Gazpacho Police”; “Ron DeSantis, ‘Don’t say gay,’ and the new GOP ‘snitch culture’”; On Far-Right Media, Youngkin “blasts media ‘misperceptions’ of his school masking policies”
92. Former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Responds to Speaker Todd Gilbert’s “Offensive” Attack on Gov. Ralph Northam: “your statement yesterday was not just wrong, but it was reprehensible”
93. Here Are Youngkin’s (Pathetic/Absurd) Rationales for Why He Vetoed a Bunch of Non-Controversial, Overwhelmingly Bipartisan Bills
94. DPVA Press Release: School Divisions Across Virginia Reject Glenn Youngkin’s Illegal Executive Order Banning Masks in Schools
95. VA GOP in Disarray: Trump Goes Racist on “Young Kin” (“Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?”); Amanda Chase Rips Tim Anderson Comments as “hurtful, divisive and quite honestly odd”
96. Youngkin’s Labor Secretary Pick Worked In Trump Administration; For Koch Brothers Network; For Group That Opposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research, etc.
97. Now That Gov. Youngkin Has Set the VA04 Special Election Date (2/21/23), Here’s What Dems Need to Focus On
98. “My email to Governor Youngkin’s ‘tip line’”: “It’s clear who is using divisive practices, and it’s not Virginia’s teachers; it’s Virginia’s governor”
99. Sen. Louise Lucas: 2013 Act of Assembly Youngkin, Miyares “are using to remove the mask mandate in school…is about *sperm donor rights*”
100. 8 of 9 Fairfax County Democratic Supervisors Send Letter to House of Delegates Delegation, Express “deep concern and disappointment” with Ouster of Eileen Filler-Corn as Leader