There is an underreported story regarding the fallout from Saturday’s debates, and it’s pretty simple to ferret out: Ralph Northam has a base problem.
While the Washington Post and others were eager to breathlessly report a story stocked with anonymous sources predicting dissent with Republican ranks, the mainstream media has completely missed the boat when it comes to the environmentalist wing of the Democratic Party revolt against their nominee — and charitably, is perhaps turning a blind eye to it.
As previously reported, Democrats are in open revolt over Northam’s support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
As RVA Magazine noted on the Saturday at the debate:
“The first attack on Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam did not come from Republicans, but the progressive base of his own party.
Northam had barely started his opening statement when a protester interrupted him with cries of “No pipeline!” The project he was referencing, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), has become an internal flashpoint between establishment party members and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.”
Attendees at the debate were welcomed to the Homestead with signs reading “No Pipeline, No Northam” and a handful of Democrats protesting their nominee.
This is a problem that’s only going to get worse for Northam as his running mate, Justin Fairfax, is a vocal opponent of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline:
‘It was exactly what we expected, and excruciatingly disappointing,’ said Richard Averitt, an anti-pipeline activist who also attended the debate – in reference to Northam’s stance on the ACP. ‘He’s lieutenant governor, and a huge percentage of his down-ticket candidates have all taken the right position on this, which is a no-pipeline position, and he is staying the course.’
‘We’ll write in ‘No Pipeline,’’ said his wife, Jill Averitt, when asked if either candidate had won their support.
That’s how bad this is.
With Stewart staffers either finding roles to play on his nascent U.S. Senate bid or with other campaigns (most notably Pastor Jack Morgan with Jill Vogel’s LG bid) and the national narrative uniting the right over Obamacare, the Democrats appear to be in divorce court over the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
