FamilyFoundationBlog.com

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Earthquake Edition

That wasn’t a landslide last night, it was a full blown eruption. Unimaginable margins for the top three elected officials in Virginia and a massive pickup in the House of Delegates, shooting the GOP number there from 55 to at least 60, is no mere landslide. It’s The World Turned Upside Down. Only four years ago, Bob McDonnell eked out the closest election in Virginia history, by 300-plus votes. Now, he’s a national figure.

In a similar way, Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli won re-election to the Senate by 92 votes in 2007. He’s always been the number one target for Democrats, liberal victimization and special rights groups, and left-wing special interests. They didn’t get him when they had the chance. Now, they must be horrified. 

It’s all election coverage and postmortems today, including a late breaking update from Lynchburg where Delegate Shannon Valentine finally conceded to Delegate-elect Scott Garrett, despite his margin of victory being within her right to call for a recount.

Our own Victoria Cobb is quoted in the Washington Post on how Governor-elect McDonnell will govern. That’s at the top. We bookend the News Stand with another social issues story: Maine, of all states, protects traditional marriage. It truly was an earth shattering night.  

News:

*Now, the hard part: Continuing to straddle the center and the right (Washington Post)

McDonnell beats Deeds, wins governor’s race; now it gets harder (The Daily Press)

McDonnell leads GOP sweep of statewide races (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

GOP reclaims Virginia (Washington Post)

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling wins second term (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Bolling defeats Wagner, holds on to No. 2 post (Washington Post)

Cuccinelli elected attorney general (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Cuccinelli’s sound win rounds out GOP sweep (Washington Post)

Republicans retaining control of House of Delegates (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Republicans boost dominance among Va. Delegates (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

UPDATED: Valentine Concedes: Barrett wins in 23rd District (Lynchburg News & Advance)

Liberty delivers votes by the busload (Lynchburg News & Advance)

Republicans keep 17th House of Delegates district on Election Day (Roanoke Times)

Newcomer Robin Abbott beats veteran incumbent Phil Hamilton (The Daily Press)

Sen. Ken Stolle to become Va. Beach’s next sheriff (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Exit Poll: Virginia Voters Older, Energized (FoxNews.com)

Governor’s agenda flagging, but not ratings (Washington Post)

Analysis:

Analysis: GOP sweep shows policies, not parties, are paramount in Va. Politics (Jeff Schapiro/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

National:

Gay marriage vote fails in Maine (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

It was today, in 1776, that the United States was born. The 13 soon-to-be states represented in the Continental Congress, voted unanimously (with New York abstaining) for Virginia’s resolution, introduced by Richard Henry Lee, that claimed:

These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States. 

A concise, but full political decapitation from Great Britain and its monarchy. Separating from a royal sovereign was unprecedented in the history of the world and its causes. Who can suggest what it must have felt like for those men to literally put their necks on the line? For as Benjamin Franklin said:

We must now all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately.

There must have been at least a momentary silence in reflection of the magnitude, then the chill of the what have we done and what do we do now?, before these very learned yet practical men regained themselves to muster the practical duties of initiating a new nation: For how many people in all of mankind can claim to have broken absolutely with all that had been known of governance to establish something something completely different, something not yet even contemplated, and chart for themselves and future generations an unheard of self governance?

More than 230 years later, we take light-hearted amusement at Dr. Franklin’s humor. At the time, it was gallows humor. When the 5o-plus who amended, then voted to adopt, the Declaration of Independence two days later (it wasn’t signed by all until August), their lives truly were at risk. By participating in Congress and signing the Declaration, they created their own treason warrants, knew it, and offered all for what they believed . . .

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

These men are very easy to take for granted today, reduced as they are to portraits, cash and actors portraying them. What they did seems so easy, so inevitable, as if watching a movie where we’ve seen the ending. But it was nothing like that. It truly was uncommon courage to tell the biggest guy on the block to leave, we’re taking over and leave the signed note on his door. The World Turned Upside Down, indeed.

John Adams and many others figured this was the day that would be celebrated for generations:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.

Separation was no result of political machinations as we know them today. This was a long, thoughtful, evolutionary decision. The Continental Congress met in 1774, after years of British abuses, to bring a unified front for the colonies’ grievances and petitions to Parliament. The Continental Army was created and engaged the British long before ”Independency” was decided. There were many in Congress who fought against separation and, in the country, many were opposed or at least indifferent to the notion. In the end, Independence was the only course. Only today does it seem predestined. The Declaration was the legal brief explaining to the world — complete with the “Facts” of the case and the jury’s decision — the action of July 2: 

. . . a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 

And:

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

If possible, read the Declaration in its entirety this weekend, preferably on the 4th. It puts that July 2 vote into perspective, puts you into the minds of those who adopted it and gives you an appreciation of what they did, how they did it and who they stood up to. It will give you pause and reflection and meaning, and kindle your nerves and a subtle emotion.

Then, when you can steal a minute of thoughtfulness as the fireworks explode overhead, during the band’s patriotic medley, a moment away from the grill or during a break in the game, just ponder its words: “When in the course of human events . . . .” and what and how those events unfolded and what they mean for us today. It will bring fulfilllment and meaning to your holiday, whether you partake in celebratory festivities or cool relaxation.

From The Family Foundation of Virginia, please accept our wishes for a safe, happy and fun Independence Day weekend.