The historic Democrat gubernatorial wins in Alabama and Virginia, now have supporters somewhat confused about the political leanings of Doug Jones and Ralph Northam.
Not even sworn in, Jones and Northam raise alarm in speaking on future strategies, in recent interview.
Both, Jones and Northam contend that bipartisanship is the answer; however, the Republican Senate holds a slim majority over Democrats, making their votes critical in break-tie decisions. As well, the newly minted governors claim bipartisanship as the answer that directs the country towards progress.
Alabama
98 percent of black women voters were critical in electing Doug Jones in an overwhelmingly Republican state.
In a prominent defeat of opponent Roy Moore, a candidate plagued with allegations of sexual misconduct against teen girls while working in the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office in the 1980s; Jones prefers to move the focus away from recent calls for the resignation of President Donald Trump for past allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
This appears to be a stark contrast of some of Jones’ biggest supporters, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Kamalah Harris of California—all of whom rallied behind him in a last-minute boost to bolster needed support in a close race.
Another bold deviation from Democratic voting is Jones stating the possibility that he might align with Republicans on some issues.
In a recent interview on “State of the Union,” he said:
“(O)ne of the problems in American politics right now, in my opinion, is that everybody thinks, because you’re a member of one party or another, you’re going to vote a certain way,” Jones said. “And that should not be the case. I’m going to talk to people on both sides of the aisle, try to figure out what I think is in the best interests of my state and in the country. Now, don’t expect me to vote solidly for Republicans or Democrats.”
Virginia
Similarly, Ralph Northam expressed his future strategy to move towards bipartisanship. Although, Republicans historically vote the GOP agenda regularly, Northam says that his approach responds to Virginia constituents search for a “moral compass,” in an increasingly toxic, political environment.
While the Washington Post opines that Virginia could be the test case to see if bipartisanship really works, Democrats prepare to work to repeal policies and legislation passed under Trump that hurts average Americans.
