Terry McAuliffe accuses Glenn Youngkin of ending his “Racist Dog Whistle” campaign

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Democrat Terry McAuliffe accused Glenn Youngkin, his Republican opponent in the competitive election for governor of Virginia, of ending his campaign on a “racist dog whistle.”

As Election Day draws near, former Virginia Governor McAuliffe has stepped up his criticism of Youngkin over a campaign ad released last week featuring Laura Murphy, which pushed to remove Beloved by Toni Morrison, an acclaimed novel that won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, from Virginia’s School System.

While not mentioning the book by name, Murphy condemned McAuliffe’s veto of legislation that would have required schools to notify parents when sexually explicit reading material was assigned – an effort known as ” beloved bill ”.

Youngkin has made education a centerpiece of his campaign, promising to ban critical race theory if elected and hammering McAuliffe for remarks that parents shouldn’t tell schools what they should teach.

During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, McAuliffe maintained the comment was taken out of context and accused Youngkin of “going after one of Africa’s most prominent writers. Of the history”.

Youngkin “is shutting down campaign on banning books,” McAuliffe told Chuck Todd. “He wants to ban Toni Morrison Beloved’s book.”

Noting that the deceased author is a Nobel Laureate and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, McAuliffe added: “He takes on one of the most prominent African-American writers in American history … he wants his books to be banned.

“Now, of all the hundreds of books you could look at, why did you pick up the only black female author? Why did he do it? He ends his campaign on a racist dog whistle.”

In response, a message posted on Youngkin’s campaign website Sunday called the comments “part of McAuliffe’s disgusting strategy of using racism as a political ploy.”

He added: “The two bipartisan bills that Terry McAuliffe has vetoed do not mention any specific books, and neither does Youngkin. The legislation would not have prevented a single student from having the opportunity to read any book. book. The bills have been supported by many members of the black caucus. McAuliffe essentially calls these black Democrats racists. “

Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin (left) gestures during a campaign rally at the Danville Community Market in Danville, Va. On October 26, 2021. Democratic gubernatorial candidate the Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (right) addresses supporters during a Canvas Kick-Off Rally on October 31, 2021 in Manassas, Virginia. McAuliffe accused Youngkin of ending his campaign on a “racist dog whistle”.

President Joe Biden also invoked Beloved in his criticism of Youngkin during his campaign with McAuliffe last week.

“Just watch how he wraps up his campaign,” the president told supporters at a rally in Arlington. “He went from banning a woman’s right to choose to banning books written by Pulitzer Prize author and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.”

He added, “My wife, Jill, went to Princeton to interview him, taught her her book. Let’s be clear, he’s a guy who doesn’t know much about anything.”

McAuliffe and Youngkin campaigns have been contacted for further comment.

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