By now you’ve been flooded with a host of hot and not-so-hot takes about what happened in the mid-midterm elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Especially Virginia, where Trump-endorsed Republican plutocrat Glenn Youngkin defeated former Democratic Clinton-retread Terry McAuliffe by 2.5 points. McAuliffe spent too much time running against Donald Trump, not Youngkin. A phony and orchestrated panic over critical race theory propelled Republicans to the polls. The Democrat-on-Democrat attacks on Capitol Hill left McAuliffe without a look-what-Democrats-can-do-for-you sales pitch. Youngkin managed to pump up the Trump base without being too Trumpy and gave independents and suburban Republicans an easy path back to the GOP. COVID-19 exhaustion and rising gas and grocery prices put pissed-off voters in an anti-status-quo mood. McAuliffe wasn’t progressive enough. And the Democrats have gone too far with their massive multi-trillion-dollar social infrastructure package.

Did I miss anything? Probably. Clearly, there’s not one thing, and figuring out the mix would be like sorting through sewage. You have a good idea of what’s in the mess, but not the precise proportions. Still, let me throw something else on to the heap: anger.

Republican voters in Virginia seemed to be angrier and, consequently, fired up. They were enraged over critical race theory (which is not taught in Virginia public schools), transgender accommodations, LGBTQ-friendly books in school libraries, mask and vaccine mandates, COVID-related school shutdowns, and more. An unorganized movement of conservative suburban moms dubbed “mama bears” led this crusade of ire. Youngkin gave them a shoutout on Election Night: “Way to go, mama bears! You guys were awesome.” These folks were furious at local schools, school boards, and, it seemed, all levels of government. Their motto might be: “You’re not the boss of me—or my kids.” Youngkin even cynically resurrected a dusty old fight waged by one ultra-conservative mom who had complained in 2013 about her son, a high school senior, having been assigned Toni Morrison’s Beloved. And all this fury was in sync with the usual exasperation with the party in power. (In 11 of the previous 12 elections, Virginians have elected a governor from the party that doesn’t control the White House.)

Moreover, this is the sort of anger that cannot be reasoned with or countered by, say, the promise of paid family leave or better health care benefits. Cultural resentment, especially when it exists in an us-versus-them context, is a powerful force. And the Republicans, as the Virginia election demonstrated, don’t need Trump to play this game. It’s in their DNA. Over the last year, they had tried to rile up their voters with various wedge issues: mask-wearing, crime, the border, Dr. Seuss. Finally, they seemed to strike gold with CRT. (For a good account of how one conservative activist invented this controversy, see Benjamin Wallace-Wells’ piece in the New Yorker.)

And what were Democrats angry about? At the national level, they appeared to be upset more with one another, as the ugly sausage-making negotiations on Capitol Hill dragged on. On social media, progressive Democrats focused their ire on the obstructionism of Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, not on Youngkin or the GOP. In the Old Dominion, McAuliffe attempted mightily to tap lingering voter disgust with Trump and aim it at Youngkin. That didn’t work.

There sure are plenty of reasons to be livid with Trump and his Republican helpmates, even if he’s been booted from the White House. At least 400,000 Americans suffered preventable deaths during the pandemic due to Trump’s inept and narcissistic handling of the crisis, and the economic collapse prompted by COVID-19 was far worse because of Trump’s incompetence. With lies and conspiracy theories, he inspired and incited an attack on the US Capitol and plotted to overturn the 2020 election. He did all of this with the support of Republicans, and despite these betrayals, the Republican Party still embraces Trump. (Youngkin didn’t campaign with Trump, but he accepted his endorsement.) None of this, though, triggered the sort of visceral wrath that was witnessed at school board meetings in Loudoun County and elsewhere in the state.

Certainly, independents bore no grudge against the GOP for enabling Trump’s failures and treachery. In 2020, independent voters in Virginia went big for Biden over Trump, 57 to 38 percent. On Tuesday, they bear-hugged Youngkin 54 to 45 percent. That’s a massive swing of 28 points. (While Trump in 2020 pulled in 90 percent of the Republican vote, Youngkin raked in 97 percent.) Democrats, beware: Trump’s massive failures have not done permanent damage to the Republican brand.

At Vox, Zack Beauchamp contends that the trumped-up, Fox-fueled outrage of critical race theory was not the determinative factor many pundits are claiming: “Youngkin didn’t win because he ran up the score in areas where voters heard a lot about CRT; he won by doing better everywhere, with a statewide message that was a lot less immersed in culture war themes than you’d expect.” Perhaps. But the CRT line of attack did juice up portions of the GOP electorate, and, no doubt, overlapped with other we’re-mad-as-hell issues, such as anti-mask and anti-vax rage. And look at this interesting question in the Virginia exit polls: Should Confederate monuments be removed or left in place? Fifty-three percent sided with the treasonous generals; only 41 percent wanted to tear down these tributes to defenders of slavery. What does this tell us about the racial attitudes of this electorate and its propensity to be moved by anti-anti-racism hysteria?

From the outside—that is, a Maryland suburb gazing across the Potomac at Virginia—it did seem there was more fight on the Republican side. Anti-government, anti-Biden, anti–school boards, anti–public health experts, anti-transgender, anti-anti-racism—there was a lot for an angry Republican or independent voter to be against. And Republicans are usually well-skilled at channeling resentment—particularly racial resentment and paranoia—into votes. That’s how Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan did it. George W. Bush attempted to marshal evangelical disgust with marriage equality to win reelection in 2004. John Boehner and the Republicans gained control of the House in 2010 riding the angry Tea Party tiger. And, of course, Trump in 2016. His whole campaign was anger, resentment, and grievance. Trump hatred did power the Democrats’ wins in 2018 and 2020. But in Virginia this year, though Democratic turnout was up (but not as up as GOP turnout), the octane level on the D side dropped.

The best and most noble politics, we know, mobilizes people with hope. (See Barack Obama in 2008, though the guy got a lot of help from an economic crash.) But fear and anger can be easily transformed into fight. And often the force with the most fight prevails. Looking at Virginia, one can wonder whether the Democrats are on the wrong end of a fight gap. That’s a dangerous place to be, heading toward the 2022 midterms.

Got a comment on this piece? Any tips or leads? Something else on your mind? Email me at thisland@motherjones.com.

Dumbass Comment of the Week

At first, I thought this not-well-known duo of conservatives was going to walk away with this week’s honors with their conspiracy nuttery, claiming that Sen. Lindsey Graham is a communist sympathizer who possibly ordered the shooting of QAnon supporter Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 riot as part of a plot to hunt down and assassinate pro-Trump patriots.

Lauren Witzke is herself a QAnon devotee who won the GOP senatorial nomination in Delaware last year. During the campaign, she accepted the endorsement of a white nationalist. Witzke lost to incumbent Democrat Chris Coons, but she collected 40 percent of the vote. (This shows that Republicans will vote for anyone.) Stew Peters is apparently a far-right talk show host whom I had previously never heard of. I’m sorry to have introduced him to you.

But this pair could not beat out Newsmax White House correspondent Emerald Robinson this week. She was booted off Twitter for posting this message: “Dear Christians: the [COVID-19] vaccines contain a bioluminescent marker called LUCIFERASE so that you can be tracked. Read the last book of the New Testament to see how this ends.”

That would be the Book of Revelation, where there is an apocalyptic battle between Satan and God. Apparently—though it’s not quite spelled out in the Bible—Lucifer has an easier time in this titanic clash if he can tell who’s been vaccinated.

Robinson’s inanity was even too much for Newsmax, which has been the home of the most outlandish phony election fraud allegations. The far-right outlet took Robinson off the air, pending a review, and distanced itself from her tweet, noting it had never reported these “false claims.”

Got a nomination for Dumbass Comment of the Week? Email me at thisland@motherjones.com.

The Mailbag

There was a lot of feedback concerning my item in a recent issue explaining how Tucker Carlson’s latest project on Fox had all the “hallmarks of fascism.” Some readers thought I was too late in applying the f-word to Fox. Rick Schrenker wrote:

Now STOP with the cute f-word bullshit and call it what it is openly. Start giving the other even more timid members of your profession some cover so they stop calling the fascist rat bastards “conservatives.”

And Olivia Koppell agreed with Rick:

I don’t excuse your unwillingness, until now, to use the word fascism. It was so obvious with Trump’s election, if not before. This is 1930s Germany—exactly. Carlson is trying to use Jan. 6 the way Hitler used the burning of the Reichstag. Fox, Murdoch, Bannon, the Republicans/Trump are attempting to unite the country into a cult mentality, based on lies, disinformation, misinformation so they can finally complete their coup and take total control of the country... And the media, like you, were way too slow to explain the coup happening under our noses. And we are all complicit in not getting involved enough in fighting these traitorous acts; by people in office who took an oath to protect our country. It’s past time to stand up to Fox, et al. These next elections are our last, and only chance, to prevent our descent into a rerun of Nazi Germany. I know because my parents had to leave and they spoke of how it came into power. I participate in a book/discussion group that includes German American citizens; they are truly alarmed because they know what is coming if we don’t stop it.

Eric Smith was more appreciative of my piece:

Right-On! I believed T and his Flimflam were on the road to fascism back in 2016 while reading Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939 by Volker Ullrich. The parallels were/are breathtaking.

As was Aarne Aarchimedes:

I’ve been reading your columns for a while now, and found them bold, courageous—thoroughly refreshing! You’re quite right! Fox seems to have chosen to gin up the fascists—whether to boost viewers, or because they believe this poison, is hardly relevant. If we in the United States and Canada are to combat this threatened totalitarianism, we must speak out loud! We can’t shut down this cancer merely by hoping—we must speak, and we must act! As a retired journalist (I’m now just shy of age 80) I’ve been cheering you on since the first column I read. If you cock your ear to the northwest, you might just faintly hear me.

I’ll be listening, Aarne.

Suzanne Cloud had a suggestion after reading the recent item about the role of Christian nationalism in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol:

Don't know if you read this Atlantic piece by Peter Wehner about the schism in the evangelical churches: "The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart" because of nationalism, love of Trump, and racism. Check it out. Sounds like Trumpism is destroying American Christianity from the inside while these militant "Christians" threaten our democracy.

Agi Lukacs (also from Canada) directed my attention to the propagandistic film shown at the Trump-headlined rally that preceded the insurrectionist assault on Congress on 1/6, and he contended it had an anti-Semitic slant. I had not focused on this disturbing video. Lukacs cited a Just Security article that analyzed the film and compared it to standard fascistic propaganda. (“The message of the video is clear. America’s glory has been betrayed by treachery and division sown by politicians seeking to undermine and destroy the nation. To save the nation, one must restore Trump’s rule.”) Agi noted he is the child of two Shoah survivors, and he asked, “In speaking of the Christian right wing...please also include the anti-Semitic aspect of Jan. 6, and its importance in...rightwing organizing. This is an old ideological mix, but of course (sad to say) it is back.”

Penelope Harms wrote:

I read with fascination your article…regarding the January 6 "connection" to right-wing "Christian" nationalism and its underlying racism, prejudice, and personality cult. It reminded me to be thankful that the framers of our Constitution deliberately refrained from establishing a "state" religion. A great many of them were enlightened individuals, each with their own concept of what "faith" is, and recognized that this nation should not be restrictive when it came down to an individual's belief system.

Randy Hilfman emailed:

Are you familiar with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization I’ve been involved with for a few years? They’ve been covering the threat of Christian nationalism for years now.

I am, and I believe many moons ago I spoke about the religious right at one of its conferences. The group now has a spot featuring Ron Reagan Jr., in which he calls himself a “life-long atheist...not afraid of burning in hell.” I wonder what dad would say.

Chuck Rinaldi chimed in:

Excellent essay! I’ve loved each one you’ve written. This one hit the nail squarely! Keep up the great work.

Sometimes it’s nice to just get a compliment. Thanks, Chuck.

Mo Winograd asked:

Does your newsletter go out on Facebook? If yes, do we find it under your name or "This Land"? I want to post it on my FB page.

The newsletter goes out via email. There’s no Facebook page yet for it. You can follow my own Facebook page and see posts about the latest issues of This Land. And feel free to cut-and-paste portions of the newsletter and share them on Facebook. If you do so, please tell your friends they can sign up for the This Land at www.davidcorn.com. One day in the metaverse, I am sure, you’ll be able to sit next to me as I write.

Michael Butcher had an important question:

I’m a longtime consumer of your work. Just wondering who does the sketches?

Thanks for consuming, Michael. The fabulous illustrations come from Rob Wilson. You should visit his Instagram page. Even Moxie loves the sketches, and she is quite particular. Speaking of which...

Got any questions, comments, complaints, or praise to share with your fellow This Land readers? Email me at thisland@motherjones.com.

MoxieCam™

“Is it too late for me to join the circus?” Moxie asked.

I hate to crush dreams, but...

Read Previous Issues of This Land

November 2, 2021: Whatever happened to Christian Nationalism and the January 6 attack?; thoughts and prayers for COP26; Rock ’n’ Roll Flashback: Bob Dylan, Jesus, and me; and more.

October 30, 2021: Is it time to use the F-word for Fox?; how politics really works; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more

October 26, 2021: How ABC News just helped Donald Trump; the GOP’s big con in Virginia; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Special Edition); new music from Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and from The War on Drugs; and more.

October 23, 2021: Joe Manchin, “bullshit,” and me; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

October 19, 2021: Who’s the most dangerous House Republican and why you might not know his name; why Squid Game hooks us; a new book on the history of xenophobia; Rock ’n’ Roll Flashback: a young and angry Elvis; and more.

October 16, 2021: Crunch time for Merrick Garland; Bannon, QAnon, and the Virginia governor race; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

October 12, 2021: How Donald Trump betrayed Trump country; one of the best books about survival and isolation ever; the disappointments of The Many Saints of Newark; and more.

October 9, 2021: Can Trump and the GOP be stopped from shoving 1/6 into a memory hole?; how you can join a This Land online salon; the world premiere of Jill Sobule’s new song, “You Better Not F*ck in Texas”; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

October 5, 2021: The Democracy Crisis: Could this be Joe Biden’s big mistake?; kicking Pat Robertson on the way out; Skyfall vs. Casino Royale; a Velvet Underground tribute; and more.

October 2, 2021: How we almost got that big Lewandowski scoop; Dumbass Comment of the Week; MoxieCam™; and more.

September 29, 2021: Note to Greta Van Susteren: The road to hell is paved with both-siderism; the value of Netflix’s Worth; a crazy CIA story; and more.

September 25, 2021: What do Common, Leonard Bernstein, and Dwight Eisenhower have in common?; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

September 21, 2021: The Trump-Russia scandal denialists are taking another desperate stab at gaslighting you; Netflix’s The Chair nails the assignment; and more.

September 18, 2021: Hey Marco Rubio and Glenn Greenwald, this is the real problem with Milley, Trump, and nuclear weapons; Dumbass Comment of the Week (did Barack Obama really kill rock ’n’ roll with racial politics?); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™ (a new toy!); and more.

September 14, 2021: Will the new Bill-and-Monica television series spur a reappraisal of the Clinton scandal?; a stunning new Holocaust movie you can’t see—yet; one of the best articles ever about a family and its dog; and more.

September 11, 2021: How Trump’s conspiracy theories are killing people in West Virginia and elsewhere; more 9/11 reflections; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Special Confederacy Edition); a look at HBO’s very odd White Lotus; MoxieCam™; and more.

September 8, 2021: 9/11 plus 20: a remembrance and a thank-you; the chilling climate crisis warning in HBO’s Reminiscence; and more.

September 3, 2021: Texas shows how Trumpism has become fascistic vigilantism; Dumbass Comment of the Week; Rock ’n’ Roll Flashback (how I was popped by Iggy Pop); MoxieCam™; and more.