I am a proponent of the idea that Americans have a civic duty and a democratic obligation to inform themselves and vote in both local and national elections. But I have to say, when it comes to the Virginia gubernatorial election, I’m at a complete loss.
Not only do I have no idea who will be receiving my vote — because I’m not thrilled about either frontrunner — but I’m also lacking my normal level of inspiration when it comes to the possibilities of politics. Virginia’s gubernatorial election has caused me to reflect not only on the lack of effective bipartisan ideas in politics but also on the un-electability of strong independent candidates.
This semester, I am a student in Politics Prof. Larry Sabato’s Introduction to American Politics course. Being in the class has afforded me the opportunity to do more than simply research Virginia’s potential governors on the Internet. I have had the chance to hear all of them speak and respond to student questions. Through these opportunities, I have acquired a good sense of each candidate. Neither impressed me as politicians.
As a fairly liberal democrat in Virginia, I found myself unable to relate to “my candidate,” the Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, and I was frightened by the extremism that Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli displayed on the other side of the political spectrum. The man who came closest to representing what I felt were wide-ranging and reasonable interests for the state of Virginia was Bill Bolling, who unfortunately announced his decision not to run as an Independent, although many thought and hoped that he would.
So where does that leave me? I want to vote, I feel strongly that I should vote, and yet I have faith in neither of my choices. From conversations with my friends, both Democratic and Republican, I have deduced that I am not the only one feeling lost. I don’t want this election — or any election — to feel like a choice between the “lesser of two evils.” I want to have more optimism than that. I want to believe in some sort of democratic ideal, and yet my idealism is quickly diminishing. But before I get too introspective, let me lay out my issues clearly.
Before his visit to Mr. Sabato’s class, I knew little of McAuliffe. I just knew that in some sense, he was supposed to represent me and my party.
After hearing him speak and doing additional research on his history and policies, I do not feel represented, and I don’t think many Virginia democrats will either should McAuliffe be elected. While McAuliffe may be able to market himself as a compromiser because of his focus on economic issues, I found his argument that “because I am a good businessman, I will be a good politician” to be tenuous at best.
I agree with McAuliffe that we need to improve our educational system and ensure fair treatment of women, among other things. But I find it problematic that McAuliffe’s ultimate motivation for all of his policies is to transform Virginia into an economic powerhouse. In videos posted on his official website, he referred to gender equality and fair pay legislation as “critical economic issue[s]” for Virginia. I, along with many others, would argue that they are moral issues first. I am not comforted by the fact that McAuliffe has for years “been helping to create opportunity in the private sector.” The government is not the same as a business, and we should not pretend that it is.
As for Ken Cuccinelli, he has endorsed such extreme ideas as outlawing oral sex, removing the sexual orientation and gender expression categories from Virginia non-discrimination policies, abstinence-only sexual education classes, stricter abortion laws, and more. It goes without saying that Cuccinelli does not represent me. But does he effectively represent anyone? It doesn’t seem that the far-right conservative and religious demographic to which he is catering is notably large in Virginia — so we shouldn’t want him as our governor. The decisions he makes as a public official will not be decisions that the majority of his constituents would approve of.
Which brings us finally to Bolling. Bolling identified with the Republican party prior to considering a run as an Independent candidate. Although his party identification was different from my own, I found that his speech made sense to me, and he seemed like a legitimate moderate — willing to listen and compromise to find the best solutions for his constituents when it came to a variety of issues. Yet because of the structure of elections in America — which necessitates huge campaign budgets and involves partisan voting tendencies — independent candidates are most often unelectable.
What was my point in all of this? Mostly, I just wanted to air my grievances. My overarching contention, however, is twofold. First, make sure you know who you’re voting for in this election. The governorship is an important position. Although I am personally discouraged by each of my choices, I am glad that I find myself conflicted rather than determined to mindlessly vote along party lines. Your candidate may not be what you expect, so consider carefully. Second, in future elections, open your mind to the idea of a third-party candidate. Such a straightforward and idealistic suggestion may not solve the problem, but I do think our attitude towards third-party candidates needs to change if we want strong, motivated and moderate representatives. Bolling’s failed gubernatorial campaign is a shame and can be attributed much more to partisan politics than his lack of qualifications or capabilities.
Ashley Spinks is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. Her column runs Mondays.
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