Richmond, VA — If Glenn Youngkin weren’t too much of a coward to defend his extreme views, this week would mark the first general election debate of the 2021 gubernatorial race. Instead, Youngkin has chosen to skip the time-honored Virginia Bar Association debate — and he’s been hiding ever since. After getting caught lying to Virginians about his toxic views, Glenn is cowardly refusing to defend his dangerous, far right agenda.  

Instead, Glenn can only be found frantically sprinting away from reporters at his own events. Now, Virginians are wondering: what else is Glenn Youngkin hiding?

See below for a recap of the recent coverage facing Glenn Youngkin’s desperate, flailing campaign.

The Washington Post: Opinion: Virginians deserve to know where Glenn Youngkin stands on abortion

To be “really honest” — as Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, likes to say — Mr. Youngkin seems reluctant to be really honest with voters, particularly about his views on abortion. [...] 

Mr. Youngkin made a fortune in private equity; his positions on a range of policy questions are unknown — his website is silent on the issues — and ambiguity is central to his campaign. But Virginians deserve to know his plans if he’s elected.

On abortion, Mr. Youngkin is determined to keep them in the dark. [...]

In his ads, Mr. Youngkin calls himself a “new kind of leader.” But so far his campaign is based on old-time political tricks.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: For Youngkin, skipped debate prompts questions about policy ideas and views

Virginia voters and political observers had anticipated a fresh look at the candidates for governor on July 24, in a traditional state bar association debate that had hosted the last nine men elected to the state’s top job.

For Glenn Youngkin, a new face for Virginia voters and someone who’s never held public office, the debate presented an opportunity to pitch his plans for the state and lay out his stances on key political issues.

Instead, Youngkin’s decision to skip the marquee event is drawing attention to the lack of detail in his policy plans for the state, which the campaign has been slow to produce, and is spotlighting topics on which the candidate has declined to take firm positions, like gun control and the legacy of former President Donald Trump.

While the campaign of Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe accuses Youngkin of “hiding from Virginians,” the GOP nominee might also face pressure from his own party to firm up his public positions.

VPM: Glenn Youngkin’s Policies Remain Elusive Six Months Into Campaign

Republican Glenn Youngkin says he wants to build a “rip-roaring” economy, protect the Second Amendment, and bring down the cost of living. But if the devil is in the details, you won’t find much on the gubernatorial hopeful’s website, TV ads, or public appearances. 

On Monday, Youngkin said he would skip another venue for voters to learn more: a longstanding summer gubernatorial debate hosted by the Virginia Bar Association against his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. [...]

The dearth of specifics on Youngkin’s stances stand out in part because of the reams of policy proposals put out by McAuliffe. The former governor’s website includes 13 policy papers on topics ranging from gun violence to affordable housing. McAuliffe has attacked his rival for running a campaign he argues is inspired by former President Donald Trump, who issued his third note of support for Youngkin on Monday. 

WVTF: Glenn Youngkin Still Not Ready to Answer Questions About Abortion

At a campaign event in McLean aimed at female voters with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, Republican candidate for governor Glenn Youngkin spoke about a number of issues. But one issue was not on the agenda: abortion. After the event, Youngkin declined to answer questions about his position on restoring restrictions aimed at limiting abortions. Many women in the audience here at the event say they think he probably would restore those restrictions. [...]

Youngkin was recently caught on a hot mic saying he plans to limit his comments about abortion. As he was leaving the event here in northern Virginia, he declined to sit around a table and have that conversation.

The Free Lance-Star: Editorial: How do you fix 'best state for business'?

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Republican nominee for governor, is banking heavily on his background as a private-equity heavyweight. The former co-CEO of the Carlyle Group is a multimillionaire who says he can save the state’s economy, which, he has said, is “in the ditch.”

Some ditch.

On Tuesday, July 14, the business network CNBC named Virginia the best state in the country in which to do business for the second year a row. The commonwealth has been No. 1 five times since the network started its rankings in 2007. [...]

A campaign based on fixing Virginia’s economic weakness brought about by poor Democratic governance sounded a tad lame before Tuesday’s big news from CNBC. Now it just seems legless. [...]

Iif Glenn Youngkin wants to ride his ill-defined promises to save the state from financial ruin into the governor’s mansion, maybe he should find another horse.

This one seems to be dead.

Virginia Mercury: A clearer picture is emerging of Glenn Youngkin

It was difficult, at first, figuring out who Glenn Youngkin is. The Republican nominee for governor in Virginia has been something of a chameleon so far, hard to characterize, often evasive on positions. 

You get the sense this is no accident, that the candidate and his campaign would prefer to spout pithy platitudes – “We need a new type of governor to bring a new day in Virginia” — than be locked down on specific policies. In one television ad, he doesn’t even identify which party he represents. [...]

The bigger problem is the lack of candor and specificity Youngkin has displayed so far. Virginians deserve to know how he would wield power before Nov. 2 – not after. They already know how his Democratic opponent would do things. 

“I’m not a politician,” Youngkin says on his campaign’s website. 

He’s sure acting like one. That much is clear.

The Washington Post: Opinion: Glenn Youngkin’s rookie mistake

“The problem with rookies [...] is they make rookie mistakes. [...]

Youngkin’s error is a very big one. It came during a June rally in a crowd he assumed to be friendly forces only. There, two people who appeared to be antiabortion die-hards pressed him on when he would challenge abortion rights in Virginia. [...]
“The short answer is in this campaign, I can’t,” Youngkin confides to them in the video. “When I’m governor and I have a majority in the House, we can start going on offense. But as a campaign topic, sadly, that, in fact, won’t win me independent votes that I have to get.” [...]

Count on McAuliffe though to do all he can to keep Youngkin’s Trump ties and the stealth video fresh this fall. Should that sink Youngkin’s candidacy, the Virginia GOP will have learned what should be abundantly obvious after four years of Trump: that big league politics is no place for amateurs.

###