ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD SPECIAL ELECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE
HAVEN'T HAD A BIG ELECTION DAY SINCE THE APOCALYPSE LAST
NOVEMBER, SO NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED YET, PLEASE PAUSE THIS
VIDEO AND DO THAT, WE WILL BE HERE WHEN YOU COME BACK.
IF YOU
HAVE ALREADY VOTED LET'S CONTINUE, A LOT OF ELECTIONS ARE
GOING ON, BOTH FOR STATEWIDE OFFICES, ALSO IMPORTANT BALLOT
MEASURES.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THEM, THE BIG ONE EVERYONE IS
TALKING ABOUT IS THE VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION WHERE YOU
HAVE RALPH NORTHAM, THE DEMOCRAT, GOING AGAINST FORMER
REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ED GILLESPIE.
IF THREE YEARS AGO
YOU PROTECTED WHAT THAT RACE WOULD LOOK LIKE, WITH THIS
LONG-TERM -- LONGTIME REPUBLICAN INSIDER YOU WOULD ASSUME IT
WOULD BE A BORING AND BLAS…
RACE, BUT GILLESPIE HAS
APPARENTLY BEEN DRINKING WHATEVER TRUMP WAS DRINKING
DURING HIS ELECTION BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT CAMPAIGN
HAS BEEN -- IT'S SANCTUARY CITIES AND CONFEDERATE
MONUMENTS, GILLESPIE IS PITCHING HIMSELF AS EFFECTIVELY A
REPUBLICAN FOR THE ALT RIGHT IN A LOT OF CASES.
I KNOW THE POLLS
ORIGINALLY HAD NORTHAM UP SIGNIFICANTLY, I BELIEVE HILLARY
CLINTON WON VIRGINIA BY FIVE POINTS, NOW THE POLLS SHOW THAT
IT'S WITHIN FIVE POINTS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ONE MAINLY AS A CONGRESSIONAL NERD
FOR REDISTRICTING REASONS, BECAUSE ED GILLESPIE, HE WAS ONE
OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS THE ARCHITECT OF PROJECT RED MAP, SO
THEY AREN'T EVEN HIDING WHAT THEY ARE DOING, THEY ARE JUST
REDISTRICTING SO REPUBLICANS CAN'T LOSE.
SO FOR HIM TO BE THE
GUY -- THE PROBLEM WITH VIRGINIA IS THAT THEIR LEGISLATURE IS
CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICANS, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DEMOCRAT
THERE TO VETO ANY SHENANIGANS, AND IF GILLESPIE IS THE GUY THAT
VITO AIN'T COMING.
THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN, AND EVEN THOUGH
I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT NORTHAM BECAUSE HE'S
CENTRIST AND HE SAID SOME THINGS ABOUT SANCTUARY CITIES -- WE
HAVE CONCERNS -- BUT AT THIS POINT WE HAVE TO DO THE LESSER
OF TWO EVILS.
SO I'M ROOTING FOR THE DEMOCRAT HERE BECAUSE ED
GILLESPIE IS A BIG PROBLEM.
I'VE BEEN READING UP ON HIM, IT'S NOT A RACE I WAS FOLLOWING
CLOSELY UNTIL LIKE THE LAST WEEK OR SO, I KNEW IN THE BACKGROUND
IT WAS GOING ON, BUT YOU CAN ONLY HOLD SO MANY THINGS IN YOUR
MIND SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT I'VE BEEN READING UP ON HIM AND HE
SINCE BECOMING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS BEEN SORT OF -- I
GUESS HE'S BEEN READING THE POLITICAL WINDS AND MOVING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF HIS RHETORIC ON THINGS LIKE
ABORTION RIGHTS AND A HOST OF OTHER ISSUES FOR THE MOST PART,
BUT WE WANT SOMEONE WHO WAS STRONG BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT AND
IT'S WHAT THEY BELIEVE, NOT NECESSARILY JUST BECAUSE THEY
THINK IT'S POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT.
AS YOU ALLUDED TO
THERE IS THE SANCTUARY CITIES ISSUE, THAT HAS BEEN COMING UP
THROUGHOUT THIS RACE, GILLESPIE SAYING HE WANTS TO, AS GOVERNOR,
BAN SANCTUARY CITIES, WHICH IS URGENT BECAUSE VIRGINIA
CURRENTLY HAS ZERO SANCTUARY CITIES.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT, YOU ASS?
BUT HE WANTS TO BAN THEM, HE KEPT BRINGING IT
UP, AND NORTHAM WAS SPEAKING OUT AGAINST IT, SAYING THAT WE HAVE
TO HAVE RESPECT AND ALSO PROTECTIONS FOR VARIOUS PEOPLE
WHO COULD THEORETICALLY BE ABUSED BY THE STATE, AND THEN AS
THE ATTACKS GO ON HE GETS WORN DOWN, THE POLLS START TO TIGHTEN
UP, THEN HE STARTS IMPLYING THAT HE MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT SANCTUARY CITIES.
IN THE SHORT TERM I
GUESS THERE IS NO HARM SINCE THERE AREN'T ANY, BUT THERE ARE
INCLUSIVE CITIES WHICH DON'T TECHNICALLY HAVE THE INTERNAL
CAPACITY TO BREAK STATE LAW IN THE WAY THANKS WAY CITIES DO,
BUT THEY HAVE THE SORT OF ASPIRATIONAL GOAL -- HOPEFULLY
AS GOVERNOR HE WOULDN'T GO AGAINST THAT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS
IS EXACTLY WHAT THE REPUBLICANS IN 2017 WANT YOU TO DO, THEY
WANT YOU TO TAKE A RACE THAT HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR REDISTRICTING
AND A NUMBER OF ISSUES AND FOCUS ON THESE BULLSHIT -- NOT THAT
IT'S BULLSHIT TO HAVE SANCTUARY CITIES, BUT THEY LITERALLY DON'T
HAVE THEM RIGHT NOW, AND HE WANTS YOU TO TALK ABOUT
CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS AND ALL THAT.
SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING
TO SEE WHO WINS BECAUSE IF SOMEHOW LUSBY WINS BY A COUPLE
POINTS AND IT TURNS OUT HE'S BEATING THE POLLS WITH THIS SORT
OF NEW APPROACH, THAT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR
TWO.
IT'S FRUSTRATING TO WATCH STUFF LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT'S
LIKE, DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING THE BAIT.
THIS IS A NONISSUE IN
VIRGINIA.
IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR, FINE,
IT'S WORTH TALKING ABOUT.
IN VIRGINIA, WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE?
HE'S TAKING THE BAIT AND GOING FURTHER TO THE RIGHT AND SET OF
FURTHER TO THE LEFT, HE'S APPEALING TO THE REPUBLICANS'
BASE, NOT HIS OWN.
THAT'S THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR YOU.
BEST CASE SCENARIO, I GUESS, THE DEMOCRAT WINS AND BECOMES
GOVERNOR, AND THEN THE LEGISLATURE VOTES TO STRIP HIM
OF ALL HIS POWER LIKE THEY DID IN NORTH CAROLINA.
WOW, WE HAVE
A GREAT SYSTEM IN AMERICA.
BUT AS WE SAID HE HAS A SLIGHT LEAD
RIGHT NOW, GILLESPIE -- ALTHOUGH HIS TACTICS HAVE BEEN MIMICKING
TRUMP IN SEVERAL WAYS, HE HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN TRYING TO
TIE HIMSELF TO TRUMP SPECIFICALLY, MAY BE BECAUSE
TRUMP IS AT LIKE 34% APPROVAL RATING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY,
BUT TRUMP HAS BEEN TWEETING ABOUT GILLESPIE AND NORTHAM
AND ALL THAT QUITE A BIT.
WHICH WORKS GREAT FOR LUTHER STRANGE.
YES, WE WILL SEE IF THAT HAS ANY EFFECT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE
ONLY GOVERNORS RACE GOING ON.
NOT FAR AWAY WE HAVE NEW JERSEY,
WHERE WE MIGHT AT LONG LAST BE SEEING THE BACKSIDE OF CHRIS
CHRISTIE.
I SHOULD WORD THAT DIFFERENTLY -- WE'VE BEEN
DEALING WITH HIM FOR A LONG TIME, I BELIEVE AT ONE POINT HE
WAS POLLED AS THE LEAST POPULAR GOVERNOR SINCE THEY HAD BEGUN
PULLING THE POPULARITY OF GOVERNORS, HE WAS IN THE LOW
TEENS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, NOW WE HAVE DEMOCRAT PHILIP
MURPHY VERSUS REPUBLICAN KIM GUADAGNO, THERE HAS BEEN
CONSISTENTLY A DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD FOR THE DEMOCRAT IN THIS CASE,
WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT.
THAT SOUNDS SAFER.
HOPEFULLY THE BRIDGES WILL BE A LITTLE MORE ACCESSIBLE.
AND THE BEACHES.
THIS IS A RACE THAT THEORETICALLY, AND NOBODY IS
PERFECT, WE COULD FIND REASONS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT EFFECT
THIS GUY MIGHT HAVE, BUT HERE YOU HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG BLUE
STATE, MANY OF THE EFFORTS THEY HAVE MADE TO PAST LIBERAL PIECES
OF LEGISLATION HAVE BEEN VETOED BY CHRIS CHRISTIE, WITH MURPHY
IN PLACE YOU MIGHT HAVE PROGRESS ON THESE ISSUES.
MURPHY SUPPORTS
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, IS PROPOSING A TAX HIKE ON RICH
INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS INSIDE OF NEW JERSEY, LET'S SEE,
PROMISE TO EXTEND STATE-LEVEL PROTECTIONS TO UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANTS, WHICH WOULD BE A SWITCH FROM CHRISTIE, AND AGAIN
HE IS GOING TO SIGN BILLS, HE HAS PLEDGED TO SIGN BILLS, THAT
CHRISTIE HAS PREVIOUSLY VETOED, ONE OF WHICH IS A RAISE FOR THE
MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 PER HOUR.
IT'S A GRADUAL THING WHICH IS
NOT OPTIMAL BUT IT CERTAINLY WILL BE NICE FOR PEOPLE LIVING
IN NEW JERSEY, AND THAT IS A CHANGE YOU CAN GET IF MURPHY
DOES WIN THERE.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, I GUESS.
LET'S SEE, WE ALSO HAVE DE BLASIO, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS
QUESTIONING HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO DOWN TO NEW YORK, THAT WILL
BE ASSURED BY TONIGHT, THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE OF BALLOT
INITIATIVES WORTH COVERING.
ONE IS IN MAINE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT
MAINE A COUPLE OF TIMES THIS HOUR, THAT'S A BALLOT INITIATIVE
THAT WOULD EXPAND MEDICAID COVERAGE TO 70,000 LOW INCOME
RESIDENTS IN MAINE.
AND BY THE WAY THERE HAS BEEN THIS CAMPAIGN
AGAINST THIS BALLOT INITIATIVE SAYING THIS WOULD COST TOO MUCH,
THE STATE CAN'T AFFORD TO EXTEND MEDICAID TO THESE LOW INCOME
INDIVIDUALS -- THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PICKING UP
90% OF THE TAB.
THINK ABOUT THE GOOD THAT CAN BE DONE INSIDE OF
MAINE IF IT'S GET PASSED AT ALMOST NO COST TO MAINE, THAT'S
SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO, AND BEAR IN MIND THERE HAS BEEN
ATTEMPTED MEDICAID EXPANSION FIVE TIMES IN MAINE THAT WAS
VETOED EVERY TIME BY THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, PAUL
LEPAGE.
AFTER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT MAINE NEVER DID THE MEDICAID
EXPANSION, THIS WOULD BE THEIR FIRST TIME?
THIS IS A PARTICULAR ASPECT OF MEDICAID EXPANSION, THIS ASPECT
HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN MULTIPLE TIMES.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THE
GENERAL CAMPAIGN GOT BUT THIS IS ONE REPUBLICANS IN THAT STATE
HAVE BEEN DEAD SET AGAINST, FIVE VETOES, THAT'S A LOT OF EFFORT
TO STOP PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE FROM
GETTING IT.
AGAIN, HOPEFULLY PEOPLE ARE VOTING, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO SAY, POLLS WON'T CLOSE I THINK UNTIL THE END OF
THIS HOUR SO WE WON'T KNOW, BUT I HAVE READ A COUPLE REPORTS
THAT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE IS THAT IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS THERE
APPEARS TO BE LESS VOTING THAN THERE WAS THE LAST TIME AROUND
IN VIRGINIA.
UH-OH.
WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT 3% IN THE
POLLS, A CHANGE IN TURNOUT IS SIGNIFICANT.
BUT I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TRY TO
SAY A LOT ABOUT WHERE THE COUNTRY IS AT AND WHERE IT'S
GOING BASED ON THESE RESULTS, I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THAT
EVER IS, BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT VOTING DAY AFTER A
LOT OF SMALLER SPECIAL ELECTIONS.
HOPEFULLY WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS TOMORROW.