Top 100 Most-Viewed* Blue Virginia Posts of 2018

With about two weeks left in 2018, it’s a pretty good time to look at what Blue Virginia’s top posts were this year. First, though, according to Google Analytics (note: I’ve been told by the techies that Google Analytics is a conservative estimate, also that it doesn’t necessarily match up with what our server is showing), we’ve had about 1.5 million pageviews on Blue Virginia this year – not too shabby. In terms of most-viewed articles, also per Google Analytics, see below for the top 100.

Looking at this list, it’s interesting that the top two stories were gun-related (the Karen Mallard and Storm Durham stories, both of which drew a LOT of gun…er, “enthusiasts”). Other popular topics in 2018 were the pipelines/Dominion Energy (I count 30 out of the top 100 stories about these topics); the Democratic Congressional and local primaries (but more on “horse race”/polls than on debates or substantive policy issues, which is kind of disappointing IMHO) and general elections; audio and video of Dave Brat saying and doing crazy s***; etc. What I’m *not* seeing in the top-100 list are articles about a gazillion other topics we covered in 2018, including detailed coverage of the General Assembly session (note: one of the highest-rated stories was Cindy’s VAPLAN scorecard, just out of the top 100), Medicaid expansion (the highest-rated story on that subject clocks in at around the 200th most-viewed story of 2018, even though was a highly significant story), the ERA, and many other important subjects. Why do you think that is?

With that, let us know what you think the most important Virginia stories of 2018 were, and what you’d like to see more/less of in 2019. Oh, and of course thanks to all our readers, advertisers, sponsors, and contributors, including of course tech whiz Brendan Lilly, who keeps the site looking great and humming along in 2018!

1. VA02 Dem Candidate Karen Mallard Responds to Gun “Trolls” Alleging She Violated Law by Destroying AR-15
2. City of Roanoke on Storm Durham Story: “The dismissal in question was not based upon anyone’s exercise of [Constitutional] rights.”
3. Pipeline Bombshell: Even Dominion Energy Says Mountain Valley Pipeline Contractor Is Incompetent
4. POLL: Who Do You Support for the VA-07 Democratic Nomination? [FINAL: Spanberger 60.4%-Ward 39.6%]
5. POLL: Who Do You Support for Mayor of Alexandria? City Council?
6. Live Blog: Virginia Election Results 2018
7. Women’s March on Washington — January 20, 2018
8. Leaked Audio: Dave Brat Admits That He, Paul Ryan, and the Republicans “Lie All the Time”
9. VA Republican Resigns: “I can no longer stomach those who support nativism, or their apologists and enablers.”
10. Secret Sellout or Pay to Play? Terry McAuliffe’s Parting Gift to Dominion Energy and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
11. Video: Panicked Dave Brat Almost Knocks People Over Running Away From College Student Asking Him About His History of Plagiarism
12. With 1,000 Votes Exactly, Final Results of VA-05 Dems Poll: Cockburn 41.3%, Huffstetler 40.2%, Sneathern 13.2%, Cullop 5.3%
13. FINAL Results: Blue Virginia Readers Think Winners Tuesday Will Be Santana (VA01), Luria (VA02), Volosin (VA06), Spanberger (VA07), Flaccavento (VA09), Wexton (VA10)
14. VA-10 Dems Poll FINAL RESULTS: Wexton 55%, Stover 13%, Friedman 9%, Biggins 9%, Helmer 7%, Ayyas 5%, Pelletier 3%
15. Updates From VA-05 GOP Freak Show, aka 19 Hard-Right Party Insiders Choose Replacement to Rep. Tom Garrett [UPDATED: GOP Nominates Riggleman in Stunning Upset!]
16. Virginia Election Day 2018: Open Thread
17. Running Tally of Results for the VA-05 Democratic Caucuses 
18. Video: Virginia LG Justin Fairfax Walks Out as Republican Senator Pays “Tribute to the Memory” of Confederate Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson
19. The Mighty Pen Prevails: In the Digital Age, Handwritten Voter Contact Is a Powerful Secret Weapon
20. BREAKING: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling Deals Dominion Huge Blow In Its Efforts to Build Risky, Unnecessary, Destructive Atlantic Coast Pipeline
21. Final Results of VA-02 Dems Poll: Elaine Luria 45.0%, Karen Mallard 41.3%, David Nygaard 10.2%, Gary Hubbard 2.1%, Shaun Brown 1.0%, Ernest Porter 0.4%
22. The Last Gasp of Massive Resistance: Richmond’s 2019 Coliseum Scheme
23. Raving Anti-LGBT Bigot “Sideshow Bob” Marshall’s Closing Argument Is…Yep, Raving Anti-LGBT Bigotry
24. FIASCO: Mountain Valley Pipeline Drops Rock-Hard Erosion Control Pellets From Helicopter on Kids’ Heads as Pipeline Cost Skyrockets to $4.6 Billion
25. Study Finds Postcard Writing a Powerful Political Engagement Tool in Virginia’s 2017 House of Delegates Elections
26. Virginia Primary Day 2018 Results: Live Blog
27. Three-Time Sellout: Terry McAuliffe’s Secret Mountain Valley Pipeline Deals and The Smoking Gun They Reveal
28. VIDEO: Denver Riggleman campaigns with White Supremacist in VA-05
29. Video: Sen. Majority Leader Norment STUNNED As Finance Chair Sen. Hanger Rules His Motion Out of Order, Abruptly Adjourns Committee
30. BREAKING: Rep. Tom Garrett Quits After All; Who Might Replace Him On the Ballot?
31. POLL: Who Do You Support in the VA-10 Democratic Primary?
32. New VA-07 Democratic Primary Poll: Abigail Spanberger 27%; Dan Ward 7%; Undecided 62%
33. Paige Perriello: “Why would anyone – particularly state authorities – go out of their way to block a doctor from talking to someone who is clearly at risk of dehydration, hunger and physical harm?”
34. Polls: Who Do You Want As Next VA House Dems Leader; How Public Should This Election Be? [UPDATED with Del. Rip Sullivan Now in the Race]
35. How to Vote on Virginia’s Two Constitutional Amendments on the Ballot this Year.
36. Pipelines Bombshell: Terry McAuliffe Held Secret Meetings for 18 Months or More to Negotiate $58 Million Liability Waiver Agreement with Dominion and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
37. BREAKING: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Issues “Stop Work Order” on “All Portions” of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline [UPDATED: FERC Partially Approves MVP Stabilization Plan]
38. VA-07 Dems Poll Final Results: Spanberger 90%, Ward 7%, Alli 3%
39. Crowded Field for Alexandria City Council: Meet the Democratic Candidates
40. I Can’t Breathe: Ralph Northam Takes Off the Mask and Reveals He Works for Dominion Energy
41. We Read Andrew and Leslie Cockburn’s Book on the US-Israeli Intelligence Relationship. It’s Not Anti-Semitic in the Slightest.
42. Video: Sorry, Del. Keam, Glad You Apologized to Del. Carter, But That Really Was NOT Funny
43. Pipeline Bombshell Part 2: Worse Than We Thought – 50 Landslides Show Mountain Valley Pipeline Contractor Is REALLY Incompetent
44. Jennifer Wexton for Congress in VA-10
45. BREAKING: Virginia State NAACP Calls for Halt to All Construction Activities on Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines
46. BREAKING (Video): Following Court Order, “Red” Terry Comes Down From Tree After More Than a Month
47. U.S. District Court Rules that Tree Sitters Must Descend by May 5 and “leave the boundaries of MVP’s Easements” or Face Fines, Arrest
48. Virginia GOP Has Serious Issues, Including a Pronounced Tendency Towards Racism: Barack Obama Official Portrait Edition
49. “Massive [Mountain Valley Pipeline] Water Breach” at Farm in Rocky Mount, VA; “It is SO much water, really unbelievable”
50. BREAKING: Shaun Brown Off Ballot in VA-02 Due to “Out and Out Fraud”; Scott Taylor Staffers Plead the 5th Amendment [UPDATED: Elaine Luria Statement]
51. Video: Dem Congressional Candidate and Teacher (Karen Mallard) in VA-02 Destroys AR-15
52. Virginia Primary Day 2018: Open Thread
53. The Clown Car Has Arrived- Analyzing the Republican Contenders In VA-05
54. Barbara Comstock Blows Up At Kojo Nnamdi, Callers Over Questions About Her Record On Gun Violence Legislation and Hate Crimes
55. Current Percentage Chances of Democrats Winning Virginia Congressional Races
56. Final Results of VA-01 Dems Poll: John Suddarth 63.5%, Edwin Santana 30.2%, Vangie Williams 6.3%
57. No More White Guys? Vangie Williams Seems to Question Edwin Santana’s Ethnicity (Also, Response by Vangie Williams’ Campaign)
58. Video: Heavy Rains Turn Pristine Streams to “River of Sediment” Thanks to Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Activities
59. Henry Howell III: Why aren’t the Governor and the Attorney General stepping up to help Red and the other tree sitters?
60. 1Q2018 Virginia Candidates’ Campaign Finance Numbers Coming In… [UPDATED 4/23]
61. Very Bad Day for Dominion: Fourth Circuit Ruling Stops All Work on Atlantic Coast Pipeline as Virginia Pipeline Resistance Goes National
62. Best and Worst Bills Introduced So Far for the 2018 Virginia General Assembly Session
63. Shades of Valerie Plame! GOP Super PAC Doxxes Spanberger to Help Desperate Dave Brat
64. “I’m a Christian, ready to help anyone – EXCEPT a Democrat.” Religion and Politics in the Time of Trump.
65. VA-10 Democratic Primary Endorsements Piling Up; Donte Tanner Endorses Alison Friedman and Will Serve as Campaign Chair
66. Virginia 2019 Candidates for House of Delegates, State Senate, County Boards, Other Offices
67. BREAKING: Gov. Northam’s Advisory Council on Environmental Justice Calls for Stay on All Further Permits for Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines
68. Attempt to Provide Medical Care to Bent Mountain Treesitters Blocked
69. Far-Right Fairfax School Board Member: Gun Violence Prevention “Not a Job for Traumatized Children” (Audio)
70. A Visit to “Red,” “Nutty” and Two NFS Officers: My Name Is Henry Howell, Bar Number 22274, Write That Down!
71. Why a Primary Challenge Against Dick Saslaw is Inevitable
72. Tuesday News: “Hurtful, dehumanizing, visceral, guttural, ugly”; White Supremacists Happy with Trump Again; “Gov. Northam spends first workday watching GOP decimate Democratic bills”
73. Video: VA-02 Dem Candidate Karen Mallard on Why She Destroyed Her AR-15 After Parkland
74. Why Has Giuliani Been Inept? Here’s One Explanation I Don’t Buy
75. Online Poll: Who Should Dems Nominate for Governor in 2021?
76. Audio: On WRVA, Ralph Northam Asked, “Does Dominion Energy have pictures of you or are they just giving you a blank-load of money for selling out our state’s environment?”
77. A Few Thoughts on Congresswoman-Elect Abigail Spanberger Joining the “Blue Dog Coalition”
78. Video: John Oliver Talks About “Tronc,” the Company That Just Bought the Virginian-Pilot
79. Leadership Coup in the House of Delegates–Seriously?? Why Fix What Ain’t Broke?
80. Sen. Tim Kaine Calls for FERC Rehearing on Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines
81. “I just witnessed the most ugly, rude homophobic encounter at NICHOL’S Hardware in Purcellville Va.”
82. Photos: The Results of Northam’s Bull**** “Promises” on “The Science,” Stringent Environmental Protection, Blah Blah Blah
83. New Virginia Poll: Kaine Up 23 Points; Dems Up 19 Points for Control of Congress; Almost Nobody Wants General Assembly to Draw District Lines
84. Gov.-Elect Northam Announces Historic Legislation to Formally Join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Use the Proceeds for Public Benefit
85. Virginia Absentee Ballot Numbers Coming In…Looking Strong for the Democrats So Far, Particularly in VA-10
86. Open Letter to Virginia Democrats: Beware of “Union Jobs” Lies Delivered By A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing – A Fossil Fuel Lobbyist Posing as a Friend of Labor
87. BREAKING: VA House Dems to Hold Leadership Election 12/8; David Toscano to Step Down as Minority Leader on 12/31; Here Are the Candidates to Succeed Him
88. Video: Ralph Northam Walks Away from 2018 VA-06 Dem Nominee Jennifer Lewis After She Asks Him About the Pipelines
89. BREAKING: Mountain Valley Pipeline Loses Authority to Cross Streams and Wetlands in Virginia
90. Video: 2 Arrested “attempting to stop illegal logging on the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Bent Mountain, VA”
91. Democrats Lining Up to Take on Rabidly Anti-LGBT, Anti-Choice, Extremist Virginia State Sen. Dick Black Next Year
92. Video, Live Blog: Gov. Ralph Northam on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” [UPDATED: Northam’s Comms Director Says Anti-Pipeline Folks “not acting in good faith”]
93. BREAKING: Disenfranchised Voters in “Irreparably Tainted” Virginia House of Delegates Election Will Appeal to Fourth Circuit
94. Maps: Vihstadt Beats Howze for Arlington County Board 2014 vs. Vihstadt Loses to DeFerranti 2018
95. Rep. Barbara Comstock’s “radical anti-women’s group” attacks inspirational Parkland survivor as “irritating, entitled, and not well-informed young woman”
96. At 5:30 PM on Fourth of July Eve, Virginia DEQ and Their Mountain Valley Pipeline Masters Pull a Fast One
97. The Deadline Has Passed; Who Made the June 12, 2018 Virginia Democratic Primary Ballots?
98. Video, Photos: On a Rainy Saturday Afternoon, Packed House for VA-10 Democratic Candidates Forum
99. New Poll: Trump Approval in Virginia 37%-60%; Virginia GOP Senate Candidates Largely Unknown, but All Get Crushed by Tim Kaine
100. BREAKING: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Vacates Federal Approval for Atlantic Coast Pipeline to Cross Two National Forests, Parts of Appalachian Trail; Quotes “The Lorax”