Ed Gillespie produced a substantive and thoughtful — albeit insufficient — plan to address the drug crisis. It began with the recognition that addiction “is a disease — not a moral failing” and that “We cannot arrest our way out of the current epidemic of addiction.” Gillespie also insisted on getting immediate help for people in crisis and encouraging a focus on recovery in the criminal justice system. Democrat Ralph Northam, unfortunately, offered all of one paragraph of campaign boilerplate — precious little from a physician, who ought to know better.

Gillespie certainly was right that trying to stop the drug crisis by arresting people will not work. It would have been nice if conservatives had recognized that point earlier — say, during the heyday of the crack epidemic, which afflicted largely poor urban blacks rather than affluent suburban whites, and which was met with get-tough crime policies. But better late than never.