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michaelflutist's avatar

I would hesitate to predict that she doesn't mean what she says. Hasn't she been somewhat toward the right side of the Democratic Party?

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Zero Cool's avatar

I would say more moderate in tone but not necessarily to the right.

Spanberger’s been a reliable vote for the Democratic Party’s agenda. However, it’s the Defund the Police agenda that Spanberger pointed out was a problem for her constituents to stomach. Her answer in addressing this issue seems to be more rooted in common sense than anything.

https://www.ontheissues.org/VA/Abigail_Spanberger.htm

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/20/abigail-spanberger-virginia-policing-message-00026211

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michaelflutist's avatar

I'm not about defunding the police.

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Zero Cool's avatar

Neither am I.

Getting rid of excessive military influence on the police when it’s not needed, yes.

However, you cannot spin the Defund the Police narrative to those who are just looking to shop, eat out and avoid being victims of crimes such as car break-ins or thefts.

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James Trout's avatar

Whether we like it or not, one constant concern that people have is crime. The LAST thing people want to hear is "don't be afraid."

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Zero Cool's avatar

Democrats have been painted as “weak on crime” by the GOP for a long time.

It doesn’t need to be this way.

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James Trout's avatar

Exactly my point.

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Andrew's avatar

Agreed. I’m from Mpls and when the George Floyd protests turned into “defund the police”, I was like oh fuck, ya’ll just ruined this.

It’s why I love Spanberger. I don’t think she’s a moderate, I think she’s realistic about politics and how to win over voters. It’s a huge lesson to learn that being right doesn’t equal winning.

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ArcticStones's avatar

Frankly, "defunding the police" is primarily a Republican goal. They’re gutting the federal government’s regulatory, policing and enforcement agencies. From the EPA and the IRS to the DOJ and the CFPB, and many more. (Of course it’s never called "defunding the police" when they do it.)

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Zero Cool's avatar

That’s definitely been Grover Norquist’s agenda from the beginning.

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James Trout's avatar

She co sponsored the PRO Act in 2021. I stand by my statement that she'll sign a full repeal as Governor.

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michaelflutist's avatar

OK, fair point.

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