To this point, I have openly refrained from commenting on the VA-05 primary between Representative Bob Good (R-VA) and his challenger State Senator John McGuire (R-Powhatan). Not solely because we choose not to involve ourselves in Republican intramurals, but mostly because the race is a choice between two very similar candidates. Both men are ostensibly pro-life and have excellent pro-life stories to tell. Both men are fiscal conservatives. Both men will back our warfighters and increase our national security on questions from immigration to national defense. Both men are social conservatives at core.
Of course, there are nominal differences in their backgrounds. Good traditionally carries the Personhood Amendment which will observe 14th Amendment rights for the most defenseless human persons. McGuire’s background as a U.S. Navy SEAL should carry a modicum of respect from any patriotic American.
Yet the widest gulf — if it can be considered as such — isn’t in what either man believes.
Rather, the widest gulf? You guessed it… their consultants.
Where The Difference Truly Lies
If you want to know why the VA-05 race is so bitter, look no further than the old adage regarding the narcissism of small differences. On the balance and on the politics, both Good and McGuire are stalwart conservatives. Not a single conservative worth their salt should lose one second of sleep at night worrying whether either man will protect our values.
So where are the differences? Insofar as these things matter to the discerning eye, here’s a short list worth considering:
** Trump vs. DeSantis: Simply put, Bob Good is backed by DeSantis-leaning consultants, whereas McGuire is backed by Trump-leaning consultants. Without naming any names, these consultants have a regional background as well, with McGuire’s roots planted more towards the Richmond area and Good’s roots planted in the Lynchburg area. Take from that as one will.
Bear this in mind as well. Both candidates are going to back Trump for president regardless of the outcome of the race. Both will work hard for a Trump presidency. More to the point, there is no worry that Good — because he is more of the DeSantis/Cruz mold — is going to flake on a Trump presidency. Rest easy on all counts; this is more about the company one keeps rather than allegiances.
Also of note? Youngkin has yet to endorse in this race (and most likely will not). Reason why? Youngkin’s brain trust is in the Ted Cruz camp, and most certainly has few connections to Mar-a-Lago. Yet McGuire — if judgment and foresight are things you value in leadership — correctly endorsed both Trump and Youngkin early. As in, his endorsements would have been protected by Good’s personhood amendment if they were babies correct.
** Richmond vs. Lynchburg: If you are looking for the most obvious division between the two men, then this is it. Good is from the Lynchburg area; McGuire is from the Richmond area. For some people who are derisively labelled as “come-heres” such distinctions do not matter one whit. Yet for those of us who prize ourselves on being native Virginians and perhaps more deeply being natives to an area? This might matter… or at least, if the distinctions are narrow enough, may be enough to tip a scale ever so slightly.
** House Leadership vs. Freedom Caucus: With narrow majorities, the House Freedom Caucus is either the single greatest masterstroke in the history of political engineering, or it is the most foolish repudiation of leadership in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives in the face of hostile Democratic minorities and an even more hostile White House just licking their chops at the Speaker’s Chair.
Obviously, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is out to make a statement. Certainly, there are concerns that the machinations of the House Freedom Caucus are on the cusp of forfeiting a Republican majority — and with it, not only our committee chairs as well as the ability to introduce and pass legislation into the hands of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — are dangerously undermining not just Trump’s candidacy for president but the American framework in the face of an opposition more than happy to plow through democratic norms (sic) in order to save Our Democracy (TM).
A cynic would say that DeSantis/Cruz consultants are using the House Freedom Caucus as leverage to get seats at the table of any Trump second term. Is there some truth to this? Of course there is — though it is difficult if not impossible (if not incredibly unfair) to boil this ox to a bullion cube and suggest that the House Freedom Caucus is simply built upon such cynicism. Indeed — House Freedom Caucus members are right when they raise the questions as to what precisely has defined House Republicans from House Democrats over the last three decades. The slow handbasket and the fast handbasket, it is argued, all lead to the same place.
In this sense, Good has the reputation of working outside to influence insider politics. McGuire by contrast works on the inside to effect real legislative change and has a long record of doing so in Richmond. Not a difference in character or principle, mind you. Just a difference in method.
Let’s Talk About Issues, Shall We?
So what about the particular attacks on Good and McGuire? Is Good personally stripping body armor away from veterans? Is McGuire thrusting weapons into the hands of young women and marching them off to the front?
One of the most adolescent and annoying tactics used by the worst of the consulting class is to burn the entire world down in a primary contest only to then demand the day later the immediate assent and loyalty of those whom they personally attacked and destroyed just 48 hours later.
Yeah — it doesn’t work that way, kiddos.
On this, I cannot pound the table hard enough. Good is a conservative; McGuire is a conservative. No, I am not going to get into particular claims. However, if the method looks and sounds like the verbal equivalent of Drano poured over the heads of their opposition in order to evoke a response? There are few things worse than Republicans attacking Republicans when the entire Democratic Party is attacking Republicans. Contrast? Sure… but personal attacks against activists, families, and personalities?
Enough with that.
The campaign which elects to substitute substance for cyanide against fellow Republicans should be instantly disqualified from serious consideration.
Period.
So Who Should Virginians Vote For in VA-05?
First and foremost, you should indeed vote and do so in person. Forget absentee ballots — set the example that voting is not merely a hard-earned right but a moral duty and bring your family along, hang out if there is a tent, and make friends with the people you have been running down these last three months (you know who you are).
Moreover — everyone in line with you that day? Believes what you and I believe.
June 18th is a day for friends and allies in the inevitable contest which is coming in November 2024. Keep your focus on that and make the Republican Party as broad and as welcoming for those who may not believe everything we believe, but instinctively know that whatever is working now isn’t working for America.
In that fight, either Good or McGuire are allies — not enemies.
If you are still undecided, do your best to talk to either Bob Good or John McGuire in person and discover for yourself why they are exemplary leaders looking to do their best for the conservative movement. Both are personable men who love to meet new friends. Let them — not me — convince you of their merits, and don’t give too much credence to the people who are looking to announce their demerits. After all, the Democrats are coming in numbers and with gobs of cash, and would love nothing more than to take on a divided and fractured Republican Party.
The good news is that conservatives will be well and honorably served by either man in Washington. The difficult and unanswered question is whether or not the bottomfeeders will make the contest base and coarse in their effort to earn a few thousand dollars, confusing nastiness for efficacy. The good news is that most Republican operatives know there’s a contest in November either way. After all, to win without honor is a great loss.