Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders supported Northam's primary opponent, Tom Perriello

[oberliner]

The primary ended up being not particularly close, but interesting to note now that Warren and Sanders were Perriello backers against Northam in that primary.

Russ Feingold also supported Perriello in the primary against Northam as did Valerie Jarrett.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

1. The primary voters

chose Northam. Does that mean endorsements don't mean much?

[oberliner]

2. Northam also had some pretty prominent endorsements

Terry McAuliffe and Tim Kaine, for example.

[dem4decades]

3. I forgot about Tom. The guys at Pod Save America had him on. He was good.

[Hortensis]

4. And Perriello lost -- in the Democratic PRIMARY.

I'm sure their endorsements had some effect, but in the end VA's Democratic voters rejected him and chose Northam. There's a lesson in that. Northam was the people's choice.

Btw, that reminds me of another lesson: That VA's Our Revolution tried to sabotage Northam on the eve of the election and throw it to the Republican candidate. In fact, many who claim to be progressive were peculiarly disappointed and angry when a progressive Democrat of moderately conservative type, who supports the right to abortion and national healthcare, defeated a Republican who opposed abortion, national healthcare, and many other progressive issues.

This one's less easy, in fact impossible, to understand. Strange "progressivism."

[BlueStater]

5. So what?

Perriello had terrible stances on abortion and gun control. Let's not rewrite history and pretend we missed our chance with a great liberal governor.

[oberliner]

6. Maybe they knew he had these sorts of skeletons in his closet?

[BlueStater]

7. Unless Sanders knows Northam on a personal level, I have no idea how the hell he would know that.

This thread feels like a weak attempt to build Sanders and Warren up. Again, the guy they supported wasn't all that great either.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. Virginia is not the proper state to try a nominee from the Sanders wing

We attempted it in Florida and ended up with 46% saying Gillum was too liberal for the state.

Granted, Virginia is a few points more blue than Florida right now, and November 2017 was a point or two more favorable nationally than November 2018. Trump's approval rating was below 40% in November 2017.

But I am not going to question a strategic choice as opposed to forcing ideology on states that are willing to reject it.