Critics are slamming Terry McAuliffe’s decision to have American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten by his side on the final day of campaigning in the bitter Virginia gubernatorial race — as controversy surrounding public schools and education in the state emerges as a top issue for voters.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) took to his personal Twitter account to assail Weingarten’s appearance with Democrat McAuliffe at a rally in Fairfax as voters head to the polls Tuesday.
Republican Glenn Youngkin, backed by former President Donald Trump, is polling ahead of McAuliffe, but the GOP hasn’t won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.
“The union boss responsible for shutting down schools is the final surrogate for Terry McAuliffe’s failing campaign,” Cotton tweeted. “Virginians should vote accordingly!”
Rory Cooper, a fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics & Public Service, said the appearance conveyed the message that a “vote for Terry McAuliffe is a vote for Randy Weingarten,” noting she was seen as the one who shut down schools for 18 months amid the pandemic.
“Closing argument = closing schools,” Cooper tweeted.
Ben Williamson, a former communications staffer for Trump, noted the irony of McAuliffe’s choice after he has said too many of the state’s teachers are “white.”
“My Lord, what a closing message,” Williamson tweeted. “‘Too many of our teachers are white. Now please welcome to the stage: Randi Weingarten.”
Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, accused McAuliffe of wanting “parents to shut up and stay at home” amid the ongoing disputes between parents and school boards.
But McAuliffe, 64, tried to distinguish himself from Youngkin, 54, in a last-minute pitch to voters Monday by tying his opponent closely to Trump.
“He doesn’t believe the nurse working in a cancer ward should be required to be vaccinated,” McAuliffe said Monday. “I happen to believe it. He says, ‘Day one, all masks come off and all vaccine requirements of teachers goes away.’ That will not happen with Governor Terry McAuliffe. We’ve got to protect our students.”
McAuliffe then called his opponent “Glenn Trumpkin” in the state that Trump lost by 10 percentage points to President Biden in 2020.
“That’s what you’re gonna get,” McAuliffe told his supporters.
But GOP supporters and other conservatives weren’t moved by McAuliffe’s zero-hour pairing with Weingarten. RNC rapid response director Tommy Pigott noted that the union boss had recently shared an op-ed titled, “Parents claim they have the right to shape their kids’ school curriculum. They don’t.”
“So it’s no surprise she’s at McAuliffe’s rally,” Pigott tweeted.
Julia Manchester, a reporter for The Hill, attended Monday’s rally. She tweeted that Weingarten said a lot of “misinformation” was being spread on the divide between parents and school boards, adding that parents are “partners” in education.
But several critics chimed in and took aim at the McAuliffe-Weingarten pairing, claiming it was a misguided move.
“Who in God’s name thought this was a good idea?” one reply read. “This may have just lost him the election.”
“Next up, Jeffrey Dahmer to discuss the culinary aspects of his policies,” another tweet read.
Another user replied to Manch’s tweet while tagging Weingarten and the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 1.7 million teachers and education workers nationwide.
“When the polls show the biggest issue for parents is lack of trust in their kids education … you have the figurehead for teachers unions that helped keep schools closed,” said the post, alongside laughing emojis.
With Post wires
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Critics blast Randi Weingarten-Terry McAuliffe rally ahead of Virginia election - New York Post
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