HOW'S THAT UNPOPULARISM WORKING OUT FOR YA, FLEECE VEST BOY?

A poll from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University in Virginia finds that much of Governor Glenn Youngkin's agenda is unpopular. Who knew?

Governor Youngkin proposes to repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a law passed in the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2020 and signed by Governor Ralph Northam that would require electric utilities in the state to produce 100% of their energy from renewable resources by 2050. Two-thirds (67%) of Virginia voters surveyed support this law, while just over a quarter (28%) oppose it. By a similar margin (67% to 26%), voters support another environmental policy targeted by the Youngkin administration, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, under which Virginia participates in a carbon cap-and-trade program with other states to reduce carbon pollution.

Opposion to the RGGI is such a big deal to Youngkin that he signed an executive order intended to begin the state's withdrawal from the initiative in his first week in office.

Virginia voters largely support teaching how racism continues to impact American society today (63% support/strongly support to 33% oppose/strongly oppose). In addition, a majority oppose a government ban on the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Virginia public schools (57% oppose/strongly oppose to 35% support/strongly support).

This is the issue that got Youngkin elected, and yet -- surprise! -- his approach doesn't have anything close to majority support. This might explain why he did a photo op at the site where the first enslaved Africans landed in America in (yes) 1619.

Last week, I toured Ft. Monroe with members of my Cabinet. It was a reminder of why it’s important to tell all our history. pic.twitter.com/Db7WGTGhjh

— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) February 15, 2022

On masking in public schools, a majority of Virginia voters indicate that school mask requirements should be determined by health data and information from health experts (56%) versus a decision left to parents (41%). This result runs counter to a law just passed by the 2022 General Assembly and signed by Governor Youngkin allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates rather than leave the decision to local school boards.

Youngkin does have proposals that are popular (repealing the state's grocery tax, putting a police officer in every school). Nevertheless, he's already he's underwater in the polls.

After his first few weeks in office, Governor Youngkin’s job approval is mixed, with 41% saying they approve of the job the governor is doing and 43% indicating disapproval; 16% say they don’t know.

The Democratic president of the state Senate tells us:

Good morning. We have some history being made today.

Glenn Youngkin is the first Virginia Governor to ever poll with a majority disapproval rating anytime in his first year in office. He did it in just over a month!

Pass it on so we all recognize his historic accomplishment.

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) February 21, 2022

So if this continues, we'll see a lot of articles questioning whether the GOP needs to make a significant course correction to avoid electoral disasters in the future ... right? The press will tell us that the party is drastically out of step with middle-of-the-road voters, particularly the all-important suburban white moderates. Right? That will happen, won't it?

I suppose it's too soon, and this is only one state. But let's see what happens in 2023, after (I assume) Republicans win gubernatorial races in a few more purple states. It could happen in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, maybe even Minnesota, New Mexico, or Oregon. Let's see what happens if truly batshit Republicans like Arizona's Kari Lake get elected. The policies will be unpopular and extreme -- but will we hear that this extremism is threatening to the GOP's propsects in future elections? Will we hear that the party needs to make a major course correction? Why do I assume the answer is no?