Glenn Youngkin- Naked Ambition and Political Ineptitude Writ Large
But at least you'll be free of the Chinese Commies, no??
Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.
Frank Zappa
It would be difficult to argue with the contention that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. But, of course, he WAS intelligent enough to sufficiently pander to the fears and prejudices of Virginians and win the Governor’s race in 2020. His fear-mongering over Critical Race Theory (CRT) was a master stroke in propagandizing, even if it was dishonest and pure BS. CRT isn’t taught in secondary schools in Virginia or elsewhere, but that didn’t stop Youngkin from beating the drums and getting parents all fired up over a problem that doesn’t exist.
And his reign of mediocrity has been predicated on having parents call a hotline to report other nonexistent problems, but that at least keeps them scared and stupid and not thinking about the actual issues Virginia faces.
Like the fact that the Commonwealth has WAY too many good-paying jobs.
Wait…that’s a problem??
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told Ford to take its plan to build a massive, 2,500-job EV battery plant in the state and shove it, all because Ford’s partner in the project is a Chinese battery manufacturer—the largest such manufacturer in the world.
In what can best be described as a pissing contest with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over who can hurt their constituents more with meaningless virtual signaling, Youngkin rejected Ford’s plans for a lithium iron phosphate battery plant in Berry Hill, Virginia in late December. Ford invested serious time and money into the spot—$200 million in the site over the last 15 years, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. It’s all gone now.
Well, that meaningless virtue signaling may have two purposes:
Republican Governors have this thing about demonstrating who can do the most harm to their constituents. So, of course, while no one can hold a candle to Greg Abbott of Texas, Youngkin is climbing up that list rapidly.
There’s a lot of unspoken jockeying going on concerning the 2024 GOP Presidential nomination. Donald Trump is the only declared candidate, but the air has gone out of his balloon. And while no one is willing to risk crossing swords with the old bull just yet, neither is anyone ready to ride it out on the sidelines. Thus we’re being treated to the spectacle of the unspoken and unacknowledged jockeying for position. Call it the Dance of the Dickheads.
Youngkin pulled the plug on the Berry Hill project because he didn’t want to give the impression that he was pro-Chinese at a time when being hard on China is a real plus for Right-wing hard-ass Republicans:
Youngkin put a stop to development on the plant due to Ford’s partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology, a Chinese company that reigns as the largest battery manufacturer in the world.
Yeah, those 2500 jobs? It turns out Virginia has WAY too many good-paying jobs, right? Especially in rural areas like Berry Hill, where the locals are fairly rolling in cash.
Besides, if Youngkin’s going to run for President, he can’t very well be seen as sucking up to the Chinese Communist Party, can he?
“While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy,” Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter said in a statement to The Detroit News.
“Virginians can be confident that companies with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party won’t receive a leg up from the Commonwealth’s economic incentive packages,” she added. “When the potentially damaging effects of the deal were realized, the plant proposal never reached a final discussion stage.”
So, do good, God-fearing, White Conservative Christian heterosexuals want to get paychecks signed by the Chinese Communist party?
DO THEY, Comrade??
And Youngkin’s decision certainly doesn’t hurt him in the 2024 GOP Presidential horse race. Or does it?
The late December decision came just as DeSantis demanded the Republican legislature in Florida ban China from purchasing real estate — especially farmland — in the Sunshine State. Youngkin, who fancies himself in the running against DeSantis for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, followed suit. That’s despite China owning less than one percent of agricultural tracts in the U.S., the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
At least those policies didn’t directly hurt the people of Virginia or Florida. Rejecting thousands of new jobs with a storied American car manufacturer, slated for an economically depressed community, sure does impact Youngkin’s constituents.
I’m sure the good folks of rural Virginia have plenty of good alternatives for stable, well-paying union jobs, right? And Youngkin’s participation in the Dance of the Dickheads won’t adversely impact rural Virginia…until it does, of course.
Oh, wait; you mean to tell me that rural Virginia isn’t awash in good-paying jobs?? Well, damn. Then it does suck to live in rural Virginia, doesn’t it? Especially when your Governor is more concerned with his Presidential aspirations than the economic welfare of his Virginia constituents, eh?
As might be imagined, Virginia’s Democrats were less than thrilled about Gov. Youngkin’s decision to kill off the Berry Hill project and tell Ford where to stick their $200 million:
“During his campaign, the Governor made a promise to bring economic development and manufacturing jobs to our communities that are struggling — especially in rural Virginia — to attract industries that offer competitive wages,” wrote Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, in an email on Monday. “The Governor’s decision to pull Virginia out of the competition for the new Ford facility puts the Commonwealth at a severe disadvantage.”
Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said in an interview that “to deny [people in the community] jobs because you’re in last place in Republican presidential primaries [is] gubernatorial malpractice.”
“I mean, this is clearly just obvious to me that the governor’s in some kind of out-China-bashing-contest with [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis and Governor Greg Abbott out of Texas,” he added.
Instead of creating jobs for Virginia, Gov. Youngkin is trying to positively position himself to claim the 2024 GOP nomination, which seems, at best, a long shot. His name recognition outside of Virginia is minimal, and he lacks credibility in anything but hot-button social issues. Flogging the culture wars might work well during the GOP primary season, but it’s unlikely to be successful during a general election. That’s when moderates want to know what candidates stand for.
And no one seems to know what Youngkin stands for.
China-bashing may be red meat for the über-Conservative wing of the GOP, but it’s not likely to be well-received on Main Street, where pocketbook issues tend to take top billing.
Not only that, Youngkin isn’t savvy enough to grovel and pander with as much skill and shamelessness as Greg Abbott. And he’s not the proud and unapologetic fascist that Ron DeSantis is. No one knows where (or if) Glenn Youngkin fits in a GOP that demands red meat during primary seasons and then wonders why Republicans struggle in general elections.
Youngkin’s problem is that he lacks Abbott’s shamelessness and lack of responsibility to his constituents. He also doesn’t have DeSatan’s devotion to creeping fascism and autocracy. He seems to want to be the smiling face of self-interest and one-person rule, but he lacks the will (or the ability) to puts the screws to those who get in his way as Abbott and DeSatan have and will.
From the perspective of a non-constituent, Glenn Youngkin looks like someone who’s not politically gifted enough to camouflage his self-interest and portray it as the best thing for Virginia. After all, you can’t argue that rural Virginia is suffering from a surplus of stable, well-paying union jobs, can you?
And thus, Youngkin just killed off an excellent chance at securing a bunch of those jobs for the people in and around Berry Hill, Virginia, by giving the Ford Motor Co. a $200 million enema. All so he could score some cheap political points.
Not only is he unlikely to win the 2024 GOP Presidential nomination, but he’ll also be lucky if he wins re-election as Governor. If he keeps shooting himself in the foot (metaphorically speaking), rural Virginians might send him back to whatever beltway country club hatched him.
Wottamaroon, eh??
