Skip to main content
Politics

Virginia gubernatorial race takes on fake signs and a classic book


With just days until Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial election, polling indicates the race is neck and neck. The public mudslinging has taken on new forms, including involving Toni Morrison’s 1987 book, Beloved.

“When my son showed me his reading assignment, my heart sunk,” Fairfax County mom Laura Murphy said in a new ad from Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin.

The reading assignment in question involved Beloved. In the book, which takes place in the Civil War era, the mother kills her 2-year-old daughter to spare her from slavery.

Murphy, whose son was a high school senior in 2013, is now a lawyer for the National Republican Congressional committee according to the Washington Post.

Murphy went to Virginia’s state legislature with her concerns about the book and the Commonwealth passed a bill giving parents the option to opt out of certain reading assignments. Then-governor Terry McAuliffe, who is currently running for his old job, vetoed that bill as well as a similar one. 

This campaign strategy of saying McAuliffe doesn’t respect parents’ wishes, led McAuliffe to release an ad in response.

“Glenn Youngkin’s taking my words out of context. I’ve always valued the concerns of parents,” McAuliffe said in the ad.

In an election that is neck and neck, these ads are far from the only mudslinging activity.

A yard sign urging viewers to “Vote McAuliffe” has been making the rounds on social media.

But upon closer look, the yard sign doesn’t say who paid for it. Democrats have come out saying this is a fake yard sign, adding that based on Virginia campaign law, it’s also a campaign finance violation. 

A Republican running for state delegate responded that these signs are all over the D.C. suburbs.

THE RACE FOR VIRGINIA’S NEXT GOVERNOR IS HEATING UP, AND NO TOPIC IS SAFE. 

WITH LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL THE ELECTION – 

EVERYTHING FROM COVID, 

TO THE ECONOMY, 

AND EVEN EDUCATION IS BEING USED AS POLITICAL AMMUNITION.

Laura Murphy: <<”When my son showed me his reading assignment, my heart sunk.”>>

Annie Andersen: She’s talking about Toni Morrison’s Beloved.

The book was required reading for her son in 2013. and it’s now the focus of an attack ad from  republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin.

That mom took her concerns about the reading to the state’s general assembly.

But then-governor Terry Mcauliffee who is running for his old job, vetoed a bill that would have given parents the option to opt-out of certain reading assignments. 

As Youngkin uses that decision against McAuliffe, the former-governor is responding with ads of his own…

Terry McAuliffe ad:<<”glenn younkin’s taking my words out of context i’ve always valued the concerns of parents.”>>

Annie Andersen: THE MUDSLINGING GOES BEYOND THE AIRWAVES – TO THE FRONT LAWNS OF VOTERS. 

This yard sign has been getting traction on social media. 

Fits right into the narrative, right?

But take a closer look… It doesn’t say who paid for it.

Democrats have come out saying this is a fake yard sign… adding that based on Virginia campaign law, it’s also a campaign finance violation. 

A Republican running for state delegate responded that these signs are all over the dc suburbs

WITH JUST A FEW DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY – IT’S ANYONE’S GUESS WHAT WE’LL SEE NEXT. 

For more on why this race is such a hot ticket… check out Virginia as a mini united states on our website straight arrow news dot com