Obama Accuses Republicans of Threatening Democracy Ahead of Virginia Elections
With the elections to the position of governor of Virginia approaching, former US President Barack Obama criticizes Republicans and accuses them of "threatening democracy."
Former US President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Saturday of threatening democracy ahead of Virginia's elections, which is seen as a national test of incumbent President Joe Biden's popularity.
Thousands rally with @BarackObama for @TerryMcAuliffe pic.twitter.com/XoAoRnMwNy
— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) October 23, 2021
Obama went to Richmond to support Democrat Terry McAuliffe, 64, who is running for Governor in Virginia against Republican Glenn Youngkin, 54, who is loyal to former President Donald Trump, in the upcoming November 2 election.
In front of a few hundred activists who gathered at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Obama said that Youngkin would eliminate teaching positions and limit access to abortion while supporting Trump's claims that the presidential election was stolen from him.
“Republicans are trying to rig elections because the truth is people disagree with your ideas,” Obama said while addressing the rally. “And when that doesn’t work, you start fabricating lies and conspiracy theories about the last election, the one you didn’t win. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work.”
Biden won Virginia by ten points in 2020. The last time Republicans won a statewide ballot was in 2009. But McAuliffe has fallen behind in the polls in recent weeks.
Before Obama's visit, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, traveled to Virginia to support McAuliffe's campaign. The US president is also expected to go there next week.
McAuliffe's victory in the election will give impetus to the massive investment program that the left-wing of the Democratic Party is seeking to pass through Congress. The candidate's failure could lead to a more cautious approach by the moderate wing of the party, which is still reluctant to agree to the $3 trillion infrastructure bill.
The former governor also promised to work with "reasonable" Republicans to improve the situation in Virginia. For his part, Youngkin has focused on schools and campaigned against mandatory face masks, so far avoiding support for Trump's claims about fraudulent elections.
The former Republican president did not go to Virginia, but on October 13, he joined via video call a pro-Youngkin campaign rally attended by his former adviser, Steve Bannon.