Who would have ever thought that a true complete outsider would take the Republican Party by storm in Virginia. Merle Rutledge has been against identity politics, but is against his will the First Black Republican Candidate to ever run for Governor of Virginia. Yes, he’s black. However, his pro American stance has overshadow the race dynamics that’s normally used by liberals to control their voting bloc. Now, the Republican Party of Virginia may have the ultimate weapon to pull in independents and swing voters that has been lost over the last decade due to a blue wave that has been self inflicted by Party elites. Rutledge rise in the polls came with little money, no political endorsements except for Dave Winkler for NJ Senate, and no name recognition unless you lived in the Southside of Virginia.
The Republican Party of Virginia is now taking notice that Merle Rutledge undefeated streak in Gubernatorial forums across Virginia isn’t a gimmick. Merle Rutledge has continued his anti political establishment elite campaign which has overwhelmed GOP hopefuls that have ineffective at keeping the swamp out of their campaigns. Each Virginia Gubernatorial candidate has paraded endorsements from friends and other politicians that are close in their circles while Rutledge has clearly put a huge distance from them while running as a hard line first and second amendment activist. It is even more clear from his campaign logo of a gun silhouette in his pictures that he believes in gun rights and has been so bold to tell Virginia citizens that he would pardon anyone that breaks Governor Northam new gun control laws and finds them unconstitutional. Virginia Attorney General Chuck Smith has also called for all gun control laws to be ruled unconstitutional which will set up a court battle if Republicans win back both state wide elections. The only way to overturn an Attorney General opinion normally is through the courts.
Furthermore, Rutledge first poll showed him neck and neck with Kirk Cox with Amanda Chase being the frontrunner at the time. However, Amanda Chase star appears to be eroding as most of her campaign staff has resigned, quit, or been fired. Amanda Chase recently been reported to miss payroll of her staff and her security detail is no more. Rumors have circulated that inappropriate activity occurred that lead to the termination of her security detail in which Chase felt people was out to kill her over her controversial views and remarks. Amanda Chase aligned herself with now turn coat high powered lawyer and Trump supporter Sidney Powell, whom destroyed Amanda Chase and election integrity supporters by saying in court filings that no reasonable person would believe her.
Regardless, Merle Rutledge is finding a new supporter base that the Virginia GOP needs and this has included moderate Democrats that have pulled away because of the handling of the pandemic, the Southern Border scandal, and curriculum in schools. Rutledge has maintained that he would get rid of the curriculum as it furthers supremacy and hate. Merle Rutledge Jr has been the most consistent candidate in the race and has yet to flip flop throughout his campaign on key issues. He has actually expanded them to include a 15 percent tax cut for all businesses and a 0 state tax for any first year start ups. He has also pleased salons that he would cut regulations that keep them from operating from their home. We can say that he is the only candidate to actually have a firm stance. Other candidates have danced around the questions on their pro business stance and appears to stick to campaign pitch lines to keep them from being stuck to any positions.
Moreover, identity politics may not be Merle Rutledge or the Republican Party of Virginia theme. It maybe their only hope. Take note in 2020 North Carolina state-wide elections. Mark Robinson, a virtual unknown that got National attention for his gun rights speech and is Black, won his state wide race by over 300,000 votes over the Democratic challenger. However, in the statewide race current Democratic Governor Roy Cooper was re-elected against his Republican challenger nearly by the same amount Mark Robinson won. The Republican challenger was a white male. More experts believe if Republicans had ran Mark Robinson in the Governor’s slot than their is a huge likely-hood Republicans could have won statewide in 2020. Mark Robinson had no experience in politics until 2020 and won on his virgin race. The liberal media has done it’s best to make sure Democratic’s worse nightmare that they learned from in North Carolina doesn’t repeat itself in Virginia. This is why liberal outlets are always putting divisive Amanda Chase in the headlines and trying their best not to mention Merle Rutledge Jr. No one wants to promote their defeat. The Republican Party would be shooting itself in the foot if they don’t have someone new to defeat McAuliffe, whom appears to be clear favorite to win the nomination and become the first two term Governor of Virginia.
In conclusion, Merle Rutledge should not be estimated in this years Governor race with the new rules for a convention. Many candidates are dumping money into other campaigns buying their support, but Rutledge has outshined every candidate in any debate that he has participated in which included Republican Party heavy weights Chase, Cox, Snyder, Youngkin, Santini, Doran, De La Pena, and more. At this time, no candidate with national coverage can beat any Democrat running for Governor at this time. It appears that Democrats have done an outstanding job of keeping Merle Rutledge from being mention in the Virginia Governor’s race is because he is the only one that can win. Rutledge for Virginia Governor debate and forum performances shows that even Democrats that have tried to go against Merle Rutledge, such as Lee Carter and McClellan, suffered the same fate. Merle Rutledge Jr isn’t the typical Republican. If the Republican Party allows their nominee to be bought off than they will lose in November. The only winner will be Democrats and the losers would have paid for it. Our position is clear, Merle Rutledge Jr should be given equal opportunity, because Democrats may not be able to have a game play that stops him. November 2020 showed clearly that if none of the front runners could get Taylor, Collick, Benjamin, Gade, and Republican Superstar Nick Freitas elected. Only a pure dummy would continue to go in this same direction and expect anything else than the Nominee losing the general election and opening up another SuperPac.
The most recent Gubernatorial Debate at Princess Anne Women Club at the Double Tree Hilton in Virginia Beach proves our point and can be watched on Youtube – https://youtu.be/pNegSds5rt8
Editorial Board of the NCAGA
merletrutledge 