It’s hard to write this post because I believe that Governor Glenn Youngkin is an excellent governor. I’m a fan of his rhetorical style and can’t recall a policy position that I don’t agree with. Although he’s not achieved as much as I had hoped, I understand that he must deal with a General Assembly dominated largely by Democrats who are intransigent. The dozens (or was it hundreds?) of bills he has vetoed may have been his most significant contribution. He has vetoed dozens (or is it hundreds?)

Youngkin may have held back the tide but he hasn’t reversed it. It appears that his tenure will be a brief interregnum before Virginia is inexorably transformed into New Jersey. Youngkin, unlike Ron DeSantis, who transformed Florida from a swing-state to a solidly RED state, has not made a lasting impact on the correlation between political forces in Old Dominion. Why? He has refused to fight the other side.

Virginians were instead witness to the spectacle of Youngkin firing on his own supporters.

Bert Ellis was the first, an entrepreneur from Virginia who lived in Atlanta and served on University of Virginia Board of Visitors. Youngkin appointed him with the task of regaining control of Virginia’s flagship University from an administration which had redesigned it from top to bottom according to “social justice” principles. Youngkin threw Ellis out of the house when he found that Ellis was a little too demonstrative with his language.

John Reid is the man in question. He was a Richmond talk show host who quit his job and ran for lieutenant-governor. Reid’s sin? As a homosexual man, posting three photos of yourself at a drag-show (horrors!) And allegedly posting photos of nude male model on a Tumblr five years ago. The Governor did not ask Reid for his response to the charges that came from an opposition research group, whose agenda was yet to be revealed. Instead, he demanded Reid withdraw from the race.

Do you treat your allies and friends the same way?

Youngkin does not treat his political opponents in this way. Some of them have been relentlessly critical, and have blocked his initiatives at all turns. For them, Youngkin’s Christian charity is at the forefront and he turns the opposite cheek. Name one Democrat that Youngkin has criticized for their personal behavior. I cannot think of any.

Yes, as an abstract principle it is important to hold political allies and friends to high standards. You don’t need crooks or incompetents to carry your banner. This is not the case for either Ellis or Reid.

Youngkin’s non-confrontational style is his trademark. He avoids conflict. He is a gentleman living in a world that is loud and uncivil. This makes him a good person. It’s not helping him as a political figure.

Politicians who are able to move the needle in politics focus on their adversaries, making them the problem, and put them defensive. Virginia Democrats have a lot of targets. There are endless opportunities. The Democrats are not on the offensive in Virginia. They are licking their lips in anticipation of taking Richmond by storm this fall.

In my humble opinion, Youngkin, while he has governed very well, has not created political conditions that will lead to a Republican victory in the fall. It’s not possible to achieve that by shooting your friends who are positioned against a wall. The firing of Ellis was a cause for great concern among conservatives that cared deeply about UVA. Youngkin’s political fallout was minimal – there weren’t enough conservatives who cared deeply about UVA to influence an election. Youngkin’s actions did send a clear message to activists. This governor is not on your side.

Youngkin’s attacks on Reid are likely to be far more damaging. Reid has many conservative friends in Virginia who really don’t mind that he is gay. They don’t even care about what he posts online. And they will support him no matter what the Governor says. This could change if it is discovered that the images are truly graphic and disgusting. However, there is no proof of this. The controversy, which Youngkin started without any justification, could sink the Republican ticket as the story develops.

What a morale-killer. Virginia had a last-ditch effort to stop the permanent slide into blue state senescence. What a tragedy.