Former President Barack Obama pleaded with Virginian voters not to pay attention to culture wars as election day nears between Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe and Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin.
Fox News reported:
Both Obama and McAuliffe pushed voters to head to the polls early – a move made even more urgent by the deadlocked race between the former governor and his GOP opponent … Polling released earlier this week from a Monmouth University survey showed that voters are split evenly with 46 percent of registered voters backing both Youngkin and McAuliffe.
“We don’t have time to be wasting on these phony, trumped up culture wars, this fake outrage that right-wing media pedals to juice their ratings,” Obama claimed. “And the fact that he’s willing to go along with it, instead of talking about serious problems that actually affect serious people, that’s a shame.”
“That’s not what this election is about. That’s not what you need, Virginia,” he continued. “Instead of forcing our communities to cut back at a time when we’re just starting to recover, we should be doing more to support people who are educating our kids, and keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
WATCH:
Former President @BarackObama: "We don't have time to be wasted on these phony trumped-up culture wars, this fake outrage, the right-wing media's pedals to juice their ratings." pic.twitter.com/bmMnet8q5X
— The Hill (@thehill) October 23, 2021
Notable reactions to Obama’s remarks included:
- Ben Shapiro, podcast host: “Sorry, but McAuliffe saying that parents shouldn’t be in charge of their children’s education and the Loudoun County school board lying to parents about sexual assaults in bathrooms isn’t ‘trumped up cultural wars.'”
- Joe Gabriel Simonson, reporter: “Netflix executive says stop paying attention to popular culture.”
- Ian Miles Cheong, editor: “People losing their jobs and being called ‘terrorists’ for not wanting their kids abused or indoctrinated at schools is now ‘fake outrage’ in the ‘phony trumped-up culture wars.'”
- Larry O’Connor, radio host: “Let’s be clear: THEY are waging the culture war. WE are fighting back. Covering up a sexual assault in school restrooms to push a transgender policy in gov’t schools is the definition of waging a culture war.”
- Hugh Hewitt, radio host: “The ‘right-wing media’ tricked Terry McAuliffe into telling parents they should influence school boards. @GlennYoungkin is surging because he’s got answers for Virginia’s public education’s failures.”
- Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO): “Barack Obama is telling parents they have fake outrage over school boards covering up sexual assaults and teaching critical race theory.”
- Michele Perez Exner, GOP comms: “My kids’ schools were shut down for a year. A girl was raped in a bathroom in Loudon County. Terry McAuliffe said I shouldn’t have a say in my child’s education. Not one of those things is ‘phony’ or ‘trumped up.'”
Related:
- Loudoun County Schools Tried To Conceal Sexual Assault Against Daughter In Bathroom, Father Says
- EXCLUSIVE: Loudoun Schools Did Not Record Multiple Alleged Sexual Assaults Over A Period Of Years Despite State Law, Records Show
- Records Suggest Loudoun Sent Team Of Police To Deal With ‘Upset Parent,’ Not Alleged Rape
- Loudoun School Board Was Informed Of Alleged Sexual Assault The Day It Happened: Report