Yesterday, following the Iowa caucus results, on MAGA/far-right radio (WRVA), far-right-extremist Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05) basically wrote off Ron DeSantis – who Good had endorsed for president – pledged fealty to Donald Trump and ripped his Trump-loving, insurrectionist Republican primary opponent John McGuire as a Cantor/McCarthy-backed “swamp” candidate.
The fun continued this morning, as McGuire went on MAGA talk radio (WRVA again) to fire back at Good, including blaming Good (in part) for Virginia Republicans losing in November 2023. According to McGuire:
“I believe [Good] is the one that’s dividing our party and that’s why you’re going to see as the endorsements come out, you’re going to be overwhelmed…You know, we lost by the [VA State] Senate by 2,000 votes, which is not a lot, and you know you know [Good and the Freedom Caucus] got rid of the speaker [Kevin McCarthy]…now the the new Speaker…they’re talking about getting rid of him as well…[this] could have cost those votes that would have made the difference [in Virginia’s November elections]…Virginia is a blue State, purple State at best, and it’s the the Independents and the moderates that we’re trying to win in the middle and that did not help…let me get this straight, you’re gonna partner with [Democrats] to take out our best fundraiser [Kevin McCarthy].”
Meanwhile, in related news, Markus Schmidt of the Cardinal News reports:
“the Trump campaign, which is notorious for keeping track of former supporters who have turned disloyal, is very much aware of Good’s defection to DeSantis. While Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump adviser who was recently tapped as campaign manager alongside political strategist Susie Wiles, stopped short of announcing Trump’s endorsement of McGuire, he put Good on notice. “Bob Good won’t be electable when we get done with him,” LaCivita said in a text message.”
So how serious is this threat? According to UVA Professor Larry Sabato – who is very well aware who LaCivita is (the guy who “Swift Boated” John Kerry; also worked for George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Mark Earley, Jerry Kilgore, etc.), having been around Virginia politics for decades:
“I’ve never known Chris LaCivita to make an empty threat. Sounds like all-out GOP war. Chris won a Purple Heart in the Persian Gulf war. Just sayin’.”
So yeah, Bob Good is in bad shape politically at this point, and it really couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, given how nasty, irresponsible, bigoted, anti-democracy, etc. Good is. On the other hand, the guy (John McGuire) who Team Trump is backing to replace Good is really no better, given that McGuire literally was outside the US Capitol among the violent, pro-Trump mob of insurrectionists attempting to overthrow our democracy and keep Trump in power. So…yeah, either way – whether Good or McGuire ends up getting elected to Congress – VA05 (which, sadly, is deep-“red”) is screwed.
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