(#4658) I was wrong, McAuliffe didn't prevail in Virginia

     Much like President Biden who said before the votes were counted that McAuliffe would prevail, he and I were both wrong like millions of like minded democrats who are somewhat taken aback by this outcome in Virginia. It seems that the republican party is immune to awful previous behavior. The centrists voters in Virginia gave this win to the republicans and for that I am embarrassed for our nation. Women in Virginia it seems were the main drivers of bringing a trumpian lite republican back into power. I am still having a hard time getting my head around this. Not only that but the makeup of the state legislature is about to go back into republican control.
     What that means is abortion, voting rights, gender equality, etcetera will now be in jeopardy of being diminished and constricted. I just don't get how voters can be so narrowly focused on the shiny object and lose sight of the big picture. But here we have it in Virginia. As to New Jersey a bullet was likely dodged because not as many voters were fooled into thinking the republican party is still a viable entity for sustainability and improvement. That situation is still being determined but the signs look better for the democrat Phil Murphy to hold onto his seat as governor. Which is a relief given the outcome that is looking highly likely in Virginia.
     If I have one flaw that is a continuum in my character it is that I keep thinking the the American electorate is intelligent enough to understand their role in American democracy. Every time a republican is elected to a public office another opportunity for them to overthrow our democracy is made available to them. The voters who keep voting for republicans are in need it seems of some education about how democracy is supposed to work because they are not good defenders of it. If they did know that defending our democracy is greater than their own narrowly focused reasons for not defending it then they would never vote for a republican and instead would tell the democratic party that problems exist that we all need to fight to correct. Voting for republicans will only make those problems worse!