Last night, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin debated again as part of the race to be the next governor of Virginia. Just a few months ago, McAuliffe was seen as a shoo-in, but Youngkin has exploded the last month, taking the lead in one poll of likely voters and remaining in striking distance in others. Any shift in turnout toward Republicans could deliver the biggest election surprise in a while, possibly since Trump’s win in 2016, though, obviously not as impactful.

During the debate, typical positions were staked out, but when the topic of what’s being taught in schools came up, McAuliffe made an enormous blunder. The clip is still going viral this morning.

Terry McAuliffe: "I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." pic.twitter.com/7S15pTv1gY

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 28, 2021

On what planet should parents not be directly involved in what’s being taught to their children? It is parents who elect schoolboards or elect the officials who appoint them. Kids are not wards of the state, not yet anyway, and it’s jarring to see someone who wants to be governor of a fairly large state pronounce that parents should have no say in whether educators feed their children garbage or not. Youngkin should have this playing on repeat in every single ad he puts out over the next month before the election. Make McAuliffe own the fact that he wants to cancel parental rights.

Obviously, this debate is spurred by things like Critical Race Theory and transgender ideology. But even if someone is far-left enough to believe those things are good to teach in schools, it’s a step further to denounce the autonomy that parents have over their own kids.

But this is a symptom of a much larger problem permeating the Democrat Party, both locally and nationally. It is this idea that the state knows all, can provide all, and has a duty to “protect” others from people deemed unclean. We see this with the nonsensical calls to “protect” the vaccinated from the unvaccinated. It doesn’t matter that science tells us everyone spreads COVID, therefore, there is no justification for segregation and mandates. Rather, total obedience is the goal, whether we are talking about CRT in schools or vaccines in arms.

McAuliffe, though he’s tried to play-act as a moderate at times, even touting his endorsement from “conservative leader” Bill Kristol at the same debate last night, is a radical because essentially everyone on the left is a radical. Look at the abortion bill that just passed the House. They could not even find two Democrats to vote for federalizing abortion up to birth. Does that scream big tent?

And these people see your children as the next step in building an unshakable coalition. That’s why McAuliffe said what he said, as politically stupid as it may have been. He truly believes it, and his party truly believes it. They think they can raise your kids better than you can, and they think they have the right to, up to and including crushing parental rights.

This is scary stuff. If you are in Virginia, act accordingly.