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republicans and libertarians and independence' to reopen the schools during covid, yes, because the private schools were open. you know what union said that we were being white supremacists for wanting the schools to be open again, now we're told by the biden administration that no, it was the republicans who wanted the schools closed, we're playing the stupid games, our children are not advancing this is a national security crisis we have to cut the political nonsense gets our children learning again. >> let me ask other potential crisis that is teacher shortage. i think that virginia, not unlike south carolina is having a hard time training and restraining teachers. >> i am listening to teachers, i used to be vice president of our state board of education here in
covid. pre-covid the children were not going that great either. we know that in the latest scores we have, 2019 national assessment for educational the keds were ked kids were not learning, we saw that by fourth grade in virginia. the rest of the states are not doing so well, check the scores, according to national 40 card, 71% of our children are failing. they are failing spectaculary this is a crisis, i have a teacher in one of our inner-city schools, she said, lieutenant governor our children normally come to us two grade levels behind. now they are fourth grade levels behind, what am i supposed to do, you could hear the frustration in her voice, you know -- we as
republicans were the preferred party on issue of education, can that continued? here to discuss this. is virginia lieutenant governor winsome sears. thank you for joining us, madame lieutenant governor, people can move where they want to and work where they want to go to college or university where they want to. why not take the same approach with school before college? >> this is the very question that i asked myself and the voters are asking, and people who look like me say it's about time we have that same ability. because the other side unfortunately is using education as a bl a political weapon, as a parent there is just one question, is my child learning. that is it, full stop. is my child learning, with a
virginia. and the teachers just want to teach. they don't want to be part of the social dis this and that, they just want to teach and leave political stuff out. yes, we do have teachers who do take it upon themselves to do other things, but the majority just want to teach. we should pay teachers a professional salary. we want to attract the best in every profession there are bad apples, bad doctors, bad lawyers, bad teachers and et cetera. we'll get rid of those and run with those we want and our teachers are to be appreciated and teach the subjects in which they have mastery, during the campaign we heard about teachers who were english teachers teaching physics, that cannot happen.
democrat infighting may be spun to the media as a good thing in process. but what does it mean to the masses? the governor's race in virginia is going to be the first true measure. it is in a dead heat. and no one predicted that, even a month ago. terry mcauliffe has no business being tied with republican glenn youngkin. he's a former governor, mcauliffe, popular, in a blue state, where biden won by ten points just last year. you combine covid consternation with mcauliffe not being able to brag about his party delivering. no infrastructure, no much-needed spending. and it has him in a hole. is virginia the first measure of the midterms to come? let's take that question to the better minds. republican and democratic strategists stuart stevens and james carville. good to have you both. jimmy, let me start with you. what do you think of virginia? do i have it right, that's
president biden is on message. why? this trip is about projecting power. he's close with the pope. he can mend fences with an ally. he is a president in charge. but does the image here match the reality at home? democrat infighting may be spun to the media as a good thing in process. but what does it mean to the masses? the governor's race in virginia is going to be the first true measure. it is in a dead heat. and no one predicted that, even a month ago. terry mcauliffe has no business being tied with republican glenn youngkin. he's a former governor, mcauliffe, popular, in a blue state, where biden won by ten points just last year. you combine covid consternation with mcauliffe not being able to brag about his party delivering. no infrastructure, no much-needed spending. and it has him in a hole. is virginia the first measure of the midterms to come? let's take that question to the better minds. republican and democratic strategists stuart stevens and
democrats don't have to win. each would measure how far their gains may go. the first is virginia. dave brat in the richmond sub b suburbs. a district which is more republican leaning. the democrats have to win in the northern area with barbara comstock. this measures how far the democratic advance proceeds in the white collar suburbs. comstock district is gone. if democrats are winning this and in pennsylvania with brian fitzpatrick. democrats are almost certain to win in the philadelphia suburbs. if they are also beating brian fitzpatrick who does not talk about his party affiliation. that is a sign that the losses for republicans in the white collar suburbs outside of the south could be enormous. that is the epicenter of the republican vulnerability. the third race is measuring
one state that could prove to be a harbinger for republicans in their fight to keep the house is virginia, specifically the race in virginia's seventh congressional district, where republican incumbent dave brat is facing a tough re-election challenge. you may remember that brat took that seat three election cycles ago in a spectacular ouster of then-house majority leader er cantor. you may also remember that brat infamously complained last year about female protesters confronting him at town halls. he claimed they were, quote, all up in his grill. now a woman wanting to replace him in congress. democrat abigail spanberger, a former cia officer, her goal today, to deliver yet another stunning upset in the seventh, giving brat the cantor treatment. joining me now from virginia is nbc news correspondent tom costello. our viewers are really familiar with dave brat. he's been on the show a lot, defending repealing obamacare, or trying to, and also talking about the republican tax law.
him being in the white house i suppose will kree rate a different electorate. and the bellwether, kentucky six, very important of the blue wave. it leans nine points thanks to a democrat friendly year and mcgrath. they might be able to flip it. even if they come within one or two points, it will look like a good year. and another race to keep a close eye on is virginia's seventh district. it's the perfect indicator of the national mood. it was eric cantor's old district. it might turn blue in the era of the resistance if abigail stcan pull that off. >> there's a one of symbolism in that one district alone. dave brat. the tea party. you can write a whole book on that district. >> that's a good idea. this is a conservative republican attempting to survive as a member of congress in
hillary clinton, what are you looking for? number one, protect bluts. protect michigan, pennsylvania. number two, early on, let's go through what happens. let me take this off. one thing i'll look early on for hillary clinton, see this little tiny county in western indiana? likely to vote republican tonight. it's a republican state, home of donald trump's rung mate. it says 49-49. it's only been wrong twice in the last 100 years, consecutive streak. quirky counties. i'll watch that to see who the next president is going to be, hillary clinton or donald trump. as the votes start to come in, one of the early states that will come in is virginia. clinton is favored here, home state of her running mate. even if she's ahead in virginia, wolf, this will tell us a lot about what's happening in competitive states like neighboring north carolina. results start to come in here. number one, how is donald trump doing out here? her team will be looking at how much is donald trump running it up in the small rural counties?