Ralph Northam Is Stumbling Towards Election Day And Disparaging Virginians Along The Way

TOP TAKEAWAYS

A day before the election and Ralph Northam's campaign is in trouble as his poll numbers and support have fallen or remain stagnant.

Northam angered liberals by flip-flopping on sanctuary cities, leading a progressive group, Democracy For America, to denounce Northam's campaign as "racist."

Former Democratic Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder has refused to endorse Northam.

An ad approved by Northam's campaign portrayed a Gillespie supporter as a racist who runs down minority children in the street, implying that Gillespie supporters are "genocidal" racists that want to "kill minority kids." Even as the inflammatory ad was roundly criticized on both sides of the political spectrum, Northam's campaign refused to condemn it and misled the public about his campaign's involvement. Northam's campaign distributed a flyer, which conflated Gillespie with white nationalists, that received widespread criticism for politicizing the Charlottesville tragedy and ignoring the fact that Gillespie was quick to condemn the events in Charlottesville.

In a stunning act of insensitivity and "tone-deafness," the Northam campaign removed an image of Justin Fairfax, the African American Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, from campaign literature- a move that has been labeled "subtle racism.

AS THE CAMPAIGN DRAWS TO A CLOSE, NORTHAM IS RAPIDLY LOSING THE SUPPORT OF VIRGINIANS

Tomorrow Virginians Will Pick Their Next Governor

On November 7, Virginia Will Hold An Election To Replace Governor Terry McAuliffe. "Virginia will hold an election for governor on November 7, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election." ("Virginia Gubernatorial Election," Ballotpedia , Accessed 10/31/17)

The Current Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, Republican Ed Gillespie And Libertarian Cliff Hyra Are Running. "Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D), former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie (R), and patent attorney Cliff Hyra (L) are running for the open seat." ("Virginia Gubernatorial Election," Ballotpedia , Accessed 10/31/17)

Northam's Popularity Continues To Drop As The Race Has Tightened Significantly

According To Real Clear Politics, The Race Has Tightened Since The Beginning Of October. ("Virginia Governor - Gillespie Vs. Northam," Real Clear Politics , Accessed 11/5/17)

According To A Poll Conducted June 15 To June 20 By Quinnipiac, Northam Led Gillespie 47 Percent To 39 Percent. ( Real Clear Politics , 1145 RV, 3.8% MoE, 6/15 - 6/20)

According To A Poll Conducted August 12 To August 19 By Roanoke College, Northam Led Gillespie 43 Percent To 36 Percent. ( Real Clear Politics , 599 LV, 4.0% MoE, 8/12 - 8/19)

According To A Poll Conducted September 28 To October 2 By The Washington Post-Schar School, Northam Led Gillespie 53 Percent To 40 Percent Among Likely Voters. ( The Washington Post , 720 LV, 4.5% MoE, 9/28 - 10/2)

According To A Poll Conducted October 29 To November 2 By The Institute For Policy And Opinion Research, Both Gillespie And Northam Are Tied At 47 Percent. "With just days remaining in the campaign, Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie are tied (47%-47%), while Libertarian Cliff Hyra garners three percent of likely voters, and only three percent remain undecided, according to The Roanoke College Poll. The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research interviewed 781 likely voters in Virginia between October 29 and November 2 and has a margin of error of +3.5 percent." ( Roanoke College , 781 LV, 3.5% MoE, 10/29 - 11/2)

Throughout His Campaign, Northam Has Struggled To Win Over Rural Virginians, As They Continue To Feel Left Behind By The Democratic Party

On The Campaign Trail, Northam Has Focused His Campaign On Northern Virginia, Richmond, And Hampton Roads. "But when it comes to active campaigning, Northam is more often found in Northern Virginia, Richmond or Hampton Roads." (Gregory S. Schneider, "'Malevolent Neglect': Are Virginia Democrats Letting Rural Areas Slip Away?," The Washington Post , 10/8/17)

Northam's Internal Polling Has Shown He Has Been "Coming Up Short Of A Big Improvement" From 2016 In Reaching Out To Rural Virginians. "Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Ralph Northam looked like the perfect candidate to help Democrats regain traction with rural voters after a disastrous 2016, with his Southern drawl, upbringing in the state's rural Eastern Shore and military background. But despite substantial efforts in the far reaches of the commonwealth increasingly ignored by Democrats, Northam appears to be coming up short of a big improvement, according to his own internal polling." (Kevin Robillard, "Democrats' Dream Candidate Can't Crack Rural Voters," Politico , 11/3/17)

Northam's Stances On Sanctuary Cities And The Natural Gas Pipelines Are "Possible Reasons" Why His Campaign Has Struggled To Gain Rural Support. "Critics point to Northam's stances on sanctuary cities and natural gas pipelines as possible reasons for the struggles." (Kevin Robillard, "Democrats' Dream Candidate Can't Crack Rural Voters," Politico , 11/3/17)

In An Act Of Protest, A County Democratic Chairman In Virginia Announced He Would Resign Due To "Misinformation, Lack Of Communication And Shabby Treatment Of Rural Voters From The Democratic Party Of Virginia." "A county Democratic chairman resigned in protest Thursday afternoon over what he described as misinformation, lack of communication and shabby treatment of rural voters from the Democratic Party of Virginia." (Patrick Wilson, "Worried The Dems Are Ignoring Rural Virginia, Local Party Chairman Briefly Resigns In Protest," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 9/29/17)

In Announcing His Resignation, The Rockbridge County Democratic Chairman Claimed There Were "Months Of Neglect" From The Democratic Party Of Virginia. "With Election Day looming, the Rockbridge County Democratic chairman resigned last week after what he says were months of neglect of rural voters by the Democratic Party of Virginia." (Jessie Knadler, "Some Rural Democrats Feel They're Being Forgotten Ahead Of Election Day," WVTF , 10/3/17)

AS THE CAMPAIGN DRAWS TO A CLOSE, NORTHAM HAS BEEN BESIEGED BY A SERIES OF SELF-INFLICTED ERRORS THAT REFLECT HIS POOR JUDGEMENT

A "Series Of Stumbles" Has Threatened Northam's Campaign In The Last Stretch Of The Campaign

A "Series Of Stumbles" Has "Threatened" Ralph Northam In The Final Weeks Of His Campaign . "Now, a series of stumbles in the race's final week have threatened his campaign -- potentially hurting Northam with some of those minority voters and energizing President Donald Trump's supporters who had been lukewarm about Republican candidate Ed Gillespie." (Eric Bradner, "Controversies Harm Northam's Effort To Turn Out Minority Voters In Virginia Governor's Race," CNN , 11/3/17)

Northam Has Changed His Position On Sanctuary Cities, A Flip-Flop That Has Earned Him The Moniker Of "Racist" From A Former Progressive Ally

In February, The Virginia State General Assembly Considered Legislation That Would Ban Sanctuary Cities In Virginia. " The Republican-controlled General Assembly considered legislation in February to ban sanctuary cities, or localities that refuse to help detain and deport people who are in the country illegally." (Fenit Nirapill, "Did Ralph Northam Cast The Deciding Vote To Allow Sanctuary Cities In Virginia?" The Washington Post , 8/30/17)

Northam Voted Against The Bill. "Northam voted against the bill, and Gillespie's campaign promptly put out a statement condemning him for it." (Fenit Nirapill, "Did Ralph Northam Cast The Deciding Vote To Allow Sanctuary Cities In Virginia?" The Washington Post , 8/30/17)

During A Gubernatorial Debate, Northam Claimed He Was "Proud To Be Able To Break The Tie To Make Sure That [Sanctuary City Ban] Didn't Happen In Virginia." RALPH NORTHAM: "The Republicans this year put a bill that came through the Senate to ban sanctuary cities, it was nothing more than a message that they were trying to say, because we don't have sanctuary cities in Virginia, and I was proud to be able to break the tie to make sure that didn't happen in Virginia." (Ralph Northam, Remarks At A Gubernatorial Debate , Richmond, VA, 10/9/17)

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Northam Subsequently Claimed That If A Bill Reached His Desk That Would Ban Sanctuary Cities, Northam Would Sign It Stating "I've Always Been Opposed To Sanctuary Cities." WAVY NEWS 10: "We asked Northam, if governor, will he sign a bill to ban sanctuary cities in Virginia?" RALPH NORTHAM: "If that bill comes to my desk, Andy, I sure will. I've always been opposed to sanctuary cities. He knows that." (WAVY News 10, 11/1/17)

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After Northam's Comments, Democracy For America Announced That They Would No Longer Do Any Work "To Directly Aid" Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Ralph Northam. "This afternoon, following comments backtracking from support for immigrant families, Democracy for America announced that it was no longer doing 'any work to directly aid' Democrat Ralph Northam's Virginia campaign for Governor." (Press Release, "DFA Announces End Of 'Direct Aid' For Northam In VA Gubernatorial Race After Anti-Immigrant Comments," Democracy For America , 11/2/17)

Charles Chamberlain, The Executive Director Of Democracy For America, Called Northam's Flip-Flop On Sanctuary Cities A "Gutless, Politically Senseless and Morally Debased Decision." "Full statement from Charles Chamberlain, DFA's Executive Director, announcing the decision to end any direct support for Northam: Ralph Northam's gutless, politically senseless, and morally debased decision yesterday to openly backtrack on his commitment to standing up for immigrant families is a picture-perfect example of why Democracy for America never endorsed him in the primary and focused the entirety of our efforts in Virginia on down-ticket races, like Justin Fairfax's campaign for Lieutenant Governor. It's also why, today, we're announcing that we will no longer do any work to directly aid Northam's gubernatorial efforts." (Press Release, "DFA Announces End Of 'Direct Aid' For Northam In VA Gubernatorial Race After Anti-Immigrant Comments," Democracy For America , 11/2/17)

"Full statement from Charles Chamberlain, DFA's Executive Director, announcing the decision to end any direct support for Northam: Ralph Northam's gutless, politically senseless, and morally debased decision yesterday to openly backtrack on his commitment to standing up for immigrant families is a picture-perfect example of why Democracy for America never endorsed him in the primary and focused the entirety of our efforts in Virginia on down-ticket races, like Justin Fairfax's campaign for Lieutenant Governor. It's also why, today, we're announcing that we will no longer do any work to directly aid Northam's gubernatorial efforts." (Press Release, "DFA Announces End Of 'Direct Aid' For Northam In VA Gubernatorial Race After Anti-Immigrant Comments," Democracy For America , 11/2/17) Chamberlain Called Northam's Opposition To Sanctuary Cities "Disastrous, Racist, And Voter-Turnout-Depressing." "Chamberlain called that a 'racist action' but said DFA didn't discuss it publicly 'for the sake of Democratic comity.' But opposition sanctuary cities was too far, he said, calling Northam's campaign 'disastrous, racist, and voter-turnout-depressing.'" (Eric Bradner, "Controversies Harm Northam's Effort To Turn Out Minority Voters In Virginia Governor's Race," CNN , 11/3/17)

In An Act Of "Subtle Racism", Northam's Campaign Purposely Removed From Campaign Literature Justin Fairfax, The Democratic Candidate For Lieutenant Governor Who Is African-American

In Campaign Literature, Ralph Northam Removed Any Mention Of The Democratic Party's African American Candidate For Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, A Move That Fairfax Called "A Mistake." "Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ralph Northam omitted any mention of Justin Fairfax, the party's African American candidate for lieutenant governor, from about a thousand pieces of campaign literature, which Fairfax called a 'mistake.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17)

Fairfax Stated That The Removal Of His Image "Should Have Not Happened" And That There "Needs To Be Robust Investment In Making Sure We Are Communicating With African American Voters And We Are Engaging Our Base." "In an interview Wednesday, Fairfax called the move to exclude him a 'mistake' by the Northam campaign but wouldn't call it racism. 'Everyone who is looking at this will make their own judgments about this particular instance,' he said. 'This should not have happened, and it should not happen again, and there needs to be robust investment in making sure that we are communicating with African American voters and we are engaging our base.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17)

Fairfax's Removal "Stoked Tensions" Within The Democratic Ticket Which Threaten To "Alienate African American Voters" Three Weeks Before Election Day. "The incident has stoked tensions within the Democratic ticket, threatening to alienate African American voters three weeks before Election Day." (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17)

Quintin James, The Founder Of Collective PAC That Supports African American Candidates Including Fairfax Claimed That Removal Of His Image Was Act Of "Tone Deafness" That "Reeks Of Subtle Racism" And That It "Sends The Wrong Message." "'It reeks of subtle racism, if not a tone deafness about how we are going to win in November,' said Quentin James, the founder of Collective PAC that supports black candidates, including Fairfax. 'Leaving Justin Fairfax off . . . even if it's only for a small universe of union members, still sends the wrong message.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17)

"'It reeks of subtle racism, if not a tone deafness about how we are going to win in November,' said Quentin James, the founder of Collective PAC that supports black candidates, including Fairfax. 'Leaving Justin Fairfax off . . . even if it's only for a small universe of union members, still sends the wrong message.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17) Phillip Thompson, President Of The Loudoun County NAACP, Called The Action A Reinforcement That "The Democratic Party Sees Him [Fairfax] As An Outsider" And That "The Virginia Democratic Party Has Never Been A Very Inclusive Group." "Phillip Thompson, president of the Loudoun County NAACP, said the exclusion of Fairfax from literature reinforces a perception that the Democratic Party sees him as an outsider and is taking the black vote for granted. 'A lot of us feel the Virginia Democratic Party has never been a very inclusive group, and they always kind of marginalize African Americans without providing any grounds for advancement,' said Thompson. 'Hillary [Clinton] won the state of Virginia because of the African American, Hispanic and minority vote. . . . Justin is a perfect person to help them do that again, and they still don't support him.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Black Democrat Omitted From Some Democratic Campaign Fliers In Virginia," The Washington Post , 10/19/17)

Northam's Removal Of Fairfax May Have Cost Him The Support Of Former Virginia Democratic Governor Doug Wilder

Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder Has Not Endorsed Northam. "Wilder has also not endorsed Northam." (Norman Leahy, "Ralph Northam's Campaign Stumbles Toward The Finish," The Washington Post , 11/3/17)

Wilder Was The First African American In The Nation To Be Elected Governor. "A quarter-century after he became the first African American in the nation to be elected governor, and nearly seven years after he left the Richmond mayor's office, Wilder still commands attention and wields influence - at times to the chagrin of fellow Democrats." (Laura Vozzella, "Doug Wilder: At 84, The Virginia Maverick Is Still Bucking," The Washington Post , 11/28/15)

"A quarter-century after he became the first African American in the nation to be elected governor, and nearly seven years after he left the Richmond mayor's office, Wilder still commands attention and wields influence - at times to the chagrin of fellow Democrats." (Laura Vozzella, "Doug Wilder: At 84, The Virginia Maverick Is Still Bucking," The Washington Post , 11/28/15) In An Interview With The Washington Post, Wilder Highlighted The Fact That The Virginia Democratic Party Slighted Fairfax By Denying Him A Speaking Slot At The Democratic Party Convention And Northam's Blatant Removal Of Fairfax On Campaign Flier. "Wilder pointed to two incidents that appeared as slights of Fairfax by the state Democratic Party and the Northam campaign. The party denied Fairfax a speaking slot at its convention (for which the party later apologized) and the Northam campaign did not include Fairfax on a flier at the request of the Laborers' International Union of North America because the union had not endorsed Fairfax." (Norman Leahy, "Ralph Northam's Campaign Stumbles Toward The Finish," The Washington Post , 11/3/17)

Governor Wilder, A Democrat, Did Announce His Endorsement Of Lieutenant Governor Nominee Justin Fairfax, Who, In His Opinion, Has "Has Not Been Dealt A Good Hand." "There was one more hit, and this one might actually draw blood. It came from former governor Doug Wilder, who helped organize a 'People's Debate' at Virginia Commonwealth University on Thursday evening. In an interview, Wilder endorsed Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Justin Fairfax, but also said, 'Justin, in my judgment has not been dealt a good hand.'" (Norman Leahy, "Ralph Northam's Campaign Stumbles Toward The Finish," The Washington Post , 11/3/17)

IN THE WANING WEEKS OF HIS CAMPAIGN, NORTHAM LAUNCHED FALSE AND DISGUSTING ATTACKS AGAINST GILLESPIE DESIGNED TO STOKE FEAR AND ANGER

In An Attempt To Help The Northam Campaign, The Latino Victory Fund Produced A Campaign Ad That Depicted Gillespie Voters As "Racist Murderers Who Attack Minority Children"

In The Last Month Of The Campaign, The Latino Victory Fund Released A Campaign Ad That Depicted Supporters Of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Gillespie As "Confederacy-Supporting, Truck-Driving Racist Murderers Who Attack Minority Children." "The progressive 'Latino Victory Fund' (LVF) released a new ad Monday which depicts supporters of Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie as Confederacy-supporting, truck-driving racist murderers who attack minority children." (Tim Hains, "'Latino Victory Fund' Ad Depicts Ed Gillespie Supporter Terrorizing Minority Children," Real Clear Politics , 10/30/17)

The Ad Depicts A "White Man Chasing Children Through A Neighborhood In A Pickup Truck With A Bumper Sticker For Republican Ed Gillespie On Its Tailgate." "The minute-long ad posted on YouTube by the Latino Victory Fund shows a white man chasing children through a neighborhood in a pickup truck with a bumper sticker for Republican Ed Gillespie on its tailgate, a tea party license plate and a Confederate flag billowing behind. Just before the frightened-looking children are about to be run down against a fence, the ad cuts to the children jolting up in their beds." (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Group's Ad Depicts Confederate-Flag-Waving Gillespie Supporter Chasing Down Immigrant Children," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/30/17)

"The minute-long ad posted on YouTube by the Latino Victory Fund shows a white man chasing children through a neighborhood in a pickup truck with a bumper sticker for Republican Ed Gillespie on its tailgate, a tea party license plate and a Confederate flag billowing behind. Just before the frightened-looking children are about to be run down against a fence, the ad cuts to the children jolting up in their beds." (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Group's Ad Depicts Confederate-Flag-Waving Gillespie Supporter Chasing Down Immigrant Children," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/30/17) The Latino Victory Fund Has Touted Their Support For Northam. "Ed Gillespie and Donald Trump promise the American dream, but can only deliver an American nightmare. No more. Vote @RalphNortham." (Latino Victory, Twitter Feed , 10/30/17)

Cristóbal J. Alex , The President Of The Latino Victory Fund, Claimed That The Organization's Goal Is To Make Sure "Our People To Turn Out In Force And Stomp Out That Fire" To Ensure A Northam Victory. "In the weeks since the poll was conducted, progressive groups have worked to tie Gillespie to Trump, whose approval rating among Latinos nationwide hovers in the teens. They worry that if Gillespie wins, his campaign ads - which raised concerns about illegal immigration and 'sanctuary cities' and voiced support for Confederate-era monuments - could be replicated nationwide next year by GOP candidates eager to turn out conservative voters. 'If we can respond in a very hard way right now, that causes our people to turn out in force and stomp out that fire. Hopefully we will do that,' Latino Victory Fund (LVF) President Cristóbal J. Alex said in an interview." (Ed O'Keefe, Fenit Nirappil, Gregory S. Schneider, "New Anti-Gillespie Ad Sparked By Worries About Northam's Appeal To Minorities," The Washington Post , 10/31/17)

The Ad Drew Public Outrage And Was Condemned On Both Sides Of The Aisle

The Washington Post Called The Ad "Vile" And Stated That It "Glossed Over The Fact That Gillespie Condemned The White-Supremacist Violence In Charlottesville." "The Latino Victory Fund ad was vile. Among other faults, it glossed over the fact that Mr. Gillespie condemned the white-supremacist violence in Charlottesville far more directly than did President Trump." (Editorial, "An Ad That Had No Place In Va.'S Governor's Race," The Washington Post , 10/31/17)

Rafi Uddin Ahmed, The Former President Of The Muslim Association Of Virginia, Called Out The Ad For Its Attempt To "Equate Ed Gillespie" To The "Very Same Racism And Hatred That He Quickly Spoke Out Against After The Events In Charlottesville." "I consider myself a civil rights activist and I am not shy of speaking up when I see racism and bigotry; those who know me can testify to that. The ad below is trying to equate Ed Gillespie, who is a candidate for governor in the Nov 7th Virginia elections, with the very same racism and hatred that he quickly spoke out against after the events in Charlottesville." (Rafi Uddin Ahmed, Facebook , 10/30/17)

Democrat State Representative, Sam Rasoul, Reacted To The Ad By Saying He Would Rather See Groups "Use Messages To Inspire Action, Rather Than Fight Fear With Fear." " State Del. Sam Rasoul, a Roanoke Democrat who has pushed his party to avoid demonizing Trump supporters, said he disagrees with the group's ad, 'but the fear is real.' 'I would rather see groups use messages to inspire action, rather than fight fear with fear,' said Rasoul, one of only a handful of Democrats left representing largely rural western Virginia in the statehouse." (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Group's Ad Depicts Confederate-Flag-Waving Gillespie Supporter Chasing Down Immigrant Children," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/30/17)

Within Days After Its Release, The Latino Victory Fund Decided To Cancel The "Controversial" Ad After A Truck Attack In New York City. "A Democratic-aligned advocacy group has canceled a controversial video showing a truck chasing down minority children after Tuesday's truck attack in New York City. The Latino Victory Fund, the group behind the ad that depicted a pickup truck with a Confederate flag and a bumper sticker for GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie, had come under fire from Republicans who said the ad implied that Gillespie supporters want to commit violence against children." (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Vicotry Fund Pulls Truck-Theme Anti-Gillespie Ad After New York Attack," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/31/17)

The President Of The Latino Victory Fund, Cristóbal J. Alex, Claimed The Ad Would "Ruffle Feathers," But Due To The "Recent Events" They Decided To Pull Their Ad. "'We knew our ad would ruffle feathers. We held a mirror up to the Republican Party, and they don't like what they see. We have decided to pull our ad at this time,' said Cristóbal J. Alex, the group's president. 'Given recent events, we will be placing other powerful ads into rotation that highlight the reasons we need to elect progressive leaders in Virginia.'" (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Vicotry Fund Pulls Truck-Theme Anti-Gillespie Ad After New York Attack," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/31/17)

The Washington Post Criticized The Group, Saying "It Is Sad That It Took Such A Tragedy For The Group To Realize How Out Of Bounds Its Ad Was." "It is sad that it took such a tragedy for the group to realize how out of bounds its ad was." (Editorial, "An Ad That Had No Place In Va.'S Governor's Race," The Washington Post , 10/31/17)

The Northam Campaign Refused To Condemn The Ad And Was Criticized For Not Doing So

The Northam Campaign Did Not Condemn The Ad And Suggested The Ad Was "Justified." "The Northam campaign did not distance itself from the ad, suggesting its message is justified because of the way Gillespie has run his own campaign." (Graham Moomaw, "Latino Group's Ad Depicts Confederate-Flag-Waving Gillespie Supporter Chasing Down Immigrant Children, Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/30/17)

The Washington Post Criticized Northam For The Lack Of Clarity As To Whether He Wanted His Campaign To Stand Behind The Ad. "It behooves Mr. Northam, while he is offering criticism, to make clear that even though the anti-Gillespie spot was not a product of his campaign, his campaign wants no part of it." (Editorial, "An Ad That Had No Place In Va.'s Governor's Race," The Washington Post , 10/31/17)

The Washington Post : "It's Also Sad That Someone Who Promises To Be A Governor For All Virginians Didn't Call Them [Latino Victory Fund] Out Right Away." "It's also sad that someone who promises to be a governor for all Virginians didn't call them out right away." (Editorial, "An Ad That Had No Place In Va.'s Governor's Race," The Washington Post , 10/31/17)

Northam Refused To Condemn The Controversial Ad Twice On Local TV. REPORTER: "We asked Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, does he repudiate this ad?" LT. GOVERNOR RALPH NORTHAM: "He has run a campaign of negativity, of divisiveness, these MS-13 ads, and it's been offensive to a lot of communities in Virginia, and so these communities have responded, and that's their right." REPORTER: "We pressed Northam to clarify more, why he isn't distancing himself from the Latino Victory Fund ad." NORTHAM: "That commercial did not come from our campaign, and it's certainly not a commercial that I would have wanted to run." ( WAVY-NFK , 11/1/17)

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A New Development Regarding The Ad Shows That According To A Finance Disclosure Report Shows That Northam Has Given An In-Kind Donation To The The Latino Victory Fund. ("Ralph Northam," Virginia Public Access Project , Accessed 11/2/17)

Northam Has Attempted To Falsely Link Ed Gillespie With The Horrific Events That Took Place In Charlottesville

In Late October, A Mailer From The Northam Campaign Attempted To Link The Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Gillespie To The White Nationalist Rally That Occurred In Charlottesville. "Virginia's heated election cycle is becoming increasingly nasty, with the statewide Democratic ticket sending out a new mailer linking Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie and President Trump to the torch-bearing white nationalists who descended on Charlottesville over the summer." (Fenit Nirappil, "Virginia Democratic Mailer Links Gillespie To White Nationalists In Charlottesville," The Washington Post , 10/25/17)

The Mailer Featured Images Of Both President Trump And Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Gillespie And Stated That Virginians Can "Stand Up To Hate" By Voting On November 7. "The mailer features images of both Republican men above a photo of the white supremacists with the text, 'On Tuesday November 7th, Virginia Gets To Stand Up...To Hate.'" (Fenit Nirappil, "Virginia Democratic Mailer Links Gillespie To White Nationalists In Charlottesville," The Washington Post , 10/25/17)

The Virginia Democratic Party, The Northam Campaign And Various Other Democrat Nominees And Leaders Have All Approved Of The Mailer's Message. "The back of the literature features a prominent image of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam, along with Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring, with the message 'This is our chance to stand up to Trump, Gillespie, and hate.' All three Democrats approved the ad, and the Democratic Party of Virginia paid for the mailer." (Fenit Nirappil, "Virginia Democratic Mailer Links Gillespie To White Nationalists In Charlottesville," The Washington Post , 10/25/17)

The Daily Progress Called The Ad "Deliberately Provocative" And "Misleading" And An Attempt To "Politicize The Charlottesville Tragedy Of Aug. 11-12." "But now it's the Northam campaign issuing a deliberately provocative mailer, trying to smear Republican Ed Gillespie. This one hits very close to home, because it politicizes the Charlottesville tragedy of Aug. 11-12." (Editorial, "Northam Is Now The One Exploiting Fears," The Daily Progress , 10/27/17)

The Daily Progress Called The Literature "Stomach-Turning." "But to take the tragedy of Charlottesville and exploit it for political advantage is stomach-turning." (Editorial, "Northam Is Now The One Exploiting Fears," The Daily Progress , 10/27/17)

The Richmond Times-Dispatch Called The Mailer "Practically Libel." "Virginia Democrats seem intent on proving that two can play at that game. They have distributed a mailer of their own, seeking to tie Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie to the white nationalists who rampaged through Charlottesville in August. That isn't merely a reach. It's practically libel." (Editorial, "Virginia Campaigns Dive Into The Mud," Richmond Times-Dispatch , 10/25/17)

The Roanoke Times Claimed That The Ad Sends A Harmful Message To Republicans, Especially Because Supporting Gillespie "Doesn't Make His Supporters Bad People." "We've already said that campaign advertising is exaggerated so we understand we're not supposed to take this ad literally. But the message is unmistakable - Republicans are bad people. That's not a good message to be sending in a democracy, where come the day after the election we're all still going to be living together and working together in a civil society. Perhaps you think Gillespie is wrong on the issues, but that doesn't make his supporters bad people." (Editorial, "Why The Latino Victory Fun Ad Is So Damaging," The Roanoke Times , 11/2/17)

According To The Roanoke Times' Editorial Board, The Ad Implies Gillespie Supporters Are "Genocidal" Racists That Want To "Kill Minority Kids." "This ad doesn't even have that Clintonesque nuance. It just shows a white guy in a pick-up truck - and implies Gillespie supporters want to kill minority kids. Umm, that's a lot of Virginians right there who are being called not just homicidal but genocidal." (Editorial, "Why The Latino Victory Fun Ad Is So Damaging," The Roanoke Times , 11/2/17)

Gillespie Has Asserted That The Events In Charlottesville "Have No Place In Our Commonwealth." "'Having a right to spew vile hate does not make it right. It is painful to see these ugly events in Charlottesville last night and today. These displays have no place in our Commonwealth, and the mentality on display is rejected by the decent, thoughtful and compassionate fellow Virginians I see every day. I know we all appreciate the law enforcement officials maintaining order and protecting public safety there.'" (Press Release, "Gillespie Statement On Events In Charlottesville," Ed Gillespie For Governor , 8/12/17)

During An Interview, Gillespie Stated That The People Who "Brought Their Hate, Their White Supremacism, [And] Their Neo-Nazism…Need To Go Home And They Need To Take That Vile Hatred With Them." REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ED GILLESPIE: "We will continue to love one another and serve one another and we reject the people who came in, largely from outside our Commonwealth, and brought their hate, their white supremacism, their neo-Nazism with them. I agree with Governor McAuliffe, they need to go home and they need to take that vile hatred with them. It does not belong here in the Commonwealth of Virginia and I know my fellow Virginians and we will emerge from this stronger." (Press Release, "Gillespie: 'We Have Stared Down Racism, And Nazism, And White Supremacy Before, And We Will Stare It Down Again," Ed Gillespie For Governor , 8/14/17)

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