How did things go so wrong for a conservative Republican in the coal-rich state of Virginia? Earlier this month, voters in that closely watched battleground state rejected Ken Cuccinelli’s extreme, right-wing bid for governor and dealt a serious blow to the deep-pocketed oil companies that backed his candidacy.
Of course, now is when the number-crunchers confer behind closed doors, in hushed tones, about what it all really means — for the midterms in 2014 and the primaries in 2016, for soccer moms and NASCAR dads, for women’s bodies and marriage equality, and for climate change.
I am here to tell you: A new political dynamic is emerging. Climate change is a winner, not a loser.
Kate WellingtonTerry McAuliffe (left) made climate work for him in defeating Ken Cuccinelli.
To be sure, I was no bystander in this election. It’s not a secret that NextGen Climate Action, an organization I support, backed the ordinary citizens in Virginia whose voices would have otherwise been drowned out by corporate polluters. But the numbers don’t lie — our message made a difference.
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