Cal Thomas: A possible presidential contender

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, September 1st. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: And I’m Paul Butler. Commentator Cal Thomas joins us now with a closer look at one Virigina’s rising political stars.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has been in office only seven months and already he is listed at number five in a Washington Post story about possible 2024 GOP presidential candidates.

In an interview, I asked him to respond to suggestions in some quarters that he might be well positioned to run for president in 2024. His answer sounds close to what could develop into a campaign speech: “What I find telling is that someone new on the political scene who, yes, turned a blue state red, who is delivering on promises made, who is conservative and believes in a larger group of Americans in the (Republican) party who embrace these American values that underpin our great nation … is all of a sudden in the national discussion around running for president.”

Youngkin’s record of accomplishments in such a short time is impressive. He and the legislature have cut state taxes by $4 billion, while reducing spending and creating a $3.2 million surplus, much of which he wants to rebate to taxpayers. He’s got a good applause line for it: “The money belongs to Virginians; it doesn’t belong to the politicians, or to government.”

A major issue that propelled him into office was the woke agenda imposed in many schools. Virginia has a limited school choice plan, which Youngkin wants to expand to include private and religious schools. “Parents don’t trust their public school system,” he contends. In addition to what is being taught in the classroom, he cites a school counselor who had been arrested for soliciting sex from a minor in one Northern Virginia county, released and later arrested for soliciting sex from a minor in another county. “Or a young girl who was assaulted in one school and a young man is found guilty and they move him to another school where he assaults someone else. These are things that erode a sense of safety in our schools.” Not to mention school shootings.

Youngkin blames President Biden for creating the migrant crisis at the border. “To enable people to come into our country and then sort out whether they should be here is just wrong.” Speaking about the drug crisis, he adds, “We have record levels of drug overdoses in Virginia. Sixty percent of them are Fentanyl-related … every state in America has been impacted.”

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, some states are passing new laws restricting abortion, while others are protecting abortion rights. Asked about Virginia’s approach, Youngkin takes a pragmatic position: “I am a pro-life governor. I also recognize Virginia is going to be a tough place to pass legislation on abortion.” He supports a 15-week “pain threshold bill” because he says most Virginians – and polls show much of the country — favor restricting or banning late-term abortions. He says pro-lifers should turn around the “radical” label the other side uses against them and point out that the pro-choice side favors allowing abortions to the moment of birth. “That’s radical,” he says.

Youngkin will campaign for several Republican congressional candidates this fall. It could be a warm-up for something greater. Eight previous presidents were Virginians. Could Youngkin be number nine?

I’m Cal Thomas.

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