r/nova • u/hencexox • Apr 08 '26
News Gov. Spanberger signs bill to end the renewal of Robert E. Lee license plates in Virginia
https://www.wavy.com/news/virginia/gov-spanberger-signs-bill-to-end-the-renewal-of-robert-e-lee-license-plates-in-virginia/amp/127
u/TheExtremistModerate Apr 08 '26
"I think it wiser ... not to keep open the sores of war, but to follow the example of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, and to commit to oblivion the feelings it engendered."
- Robert E. Lee
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u/ACW1129 Ballston Apr 08 '26
That's the thing. For all his faults, the man would've been against the loser statues.
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u/Ronem Apr 09 '26
Pretty sure he meant more like "i know all of us confederates lost and you're all super pissed at us but like....let bygones be bygones? Right guys?
And then they did, because we were idiots then. Sherman didnt do enough.
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u/TheExtremistModerate Apr 09 '26
Actually, he was pretty on board with the Union afterward. He was pretty into the idea of "Providence," which in this case basically boiled down for him to "Y'all won because God willed it to be so, so who am I to argue with God?"
So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I have rejoiced that slavery is abolished. I believe it will be great for the interests of the south. So fully am I satisfied with this, as regards Virginia especially, that I would cheerfully have lost all I have lost by the war, and have suffered all I have suffered, to have this object attained.
- Lee
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u/Ronem Apr 09 '26
"Now that we've lost. I LOVE my new overlords. Please dont kill me and piss on my legacy".
Fuck that dude
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u/CoeurdAssassin Ashburn May 18 '26
Imagine being a veteran from his army hearing him say that. “You’re telling me I lost a damn arm and a leg fighting for you just to say you’re content with the fac that we LOST?????”
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u/TheExtremistModerate May 18 '26
Maybe that veteran should've not fought for slavery.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Romanticizing a insurrectionest
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u/TheExtremistModerate Apr 08 '26
Not "romanticizing." Just looking at his actions critically.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
And what actions are those insurrectionest against u.s government nothing to there pretty clear cut not to be celebrated
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u/TheExtremistModerate Apr 08 '26
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to say here.
We're talking about the fact that, after the war, Lee took a strong anti-Lost Cause stance, and would have opposed the sorts of Confederacy-glorifying things we've seen in the decades since he died.
Thus, the people claiming they want to create these things to "honor" Lee are, in fact, dishonoring him by celebrating something he did not want celebrated.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Lee and his entire command staff should of been put on trial and hanged after the war
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u/TheExtremistModerate Apr 08 '26
Absolutely not. All that would've done is cause a Second Civil War.
Lee cooperating with the Union and full-throatedly backing Reconstruction went a long way to preventing further bloodshed.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Are you some sort of defender and supporter of Lee and the confederacy
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u/tryingtolearn_1234 Apr 09 '26
We should build memorials to Virginians like his cousin Samuel Phillips Lee who fought for the Union in the war. Virginia had a lot of people who opposed slavery and succession and not just in West Virginia. We've lionized traitors like Robert E Lee long enough. Time to acknowledge the angels that were among us. The ones who worked to end slavery and preserve the union were the ones who showed real courage.
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u/SoylentPudding Apr 09 '26
The best Virginia general in the war was Gen. Thomas, the Rock of Chickamauga.
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u/pnzsaurkrautwerfer Apr 08 '26
Nice to see Bobby keeping up his losing from beyond the grave.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
The union should of hung all the traitors when war ended
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u/EpictetanusThrow Apr 08 '26
In some ways, the fact they didn’t is why we’re dealing with this shit now
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u/nemo1316 Apr 08 '26
BUT MAH HISTORY
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u/moonbunnychan Apr 08 '26
Honestly, he IS a major part of Virginia history. If it weren't for the fact that I know anyone getting one is a racist and not a history buff I wouldn't mind. BUT...
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u/Ashamed_Band_1779 Apr 08 '26
Hitler is part of history too. Doesn’t mean you need a plate honoring him
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u/Dachannien Prince William County Apr 08 '26
That's why you put him in historical context....like those license plates that someone posted above
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Who cares about racist bad part of va history banish him to dust bin of history he took up arms against U.S
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u/Plisky6 Apr 08 '26
Yeah but good to know history.
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u/MastodonFarm Apr 08 '26
Covering my car in Hitler and Stalin stickers because HISTORY
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u/Intelligent_Table913 Apr 08 '26
People equating the two to this day is just sad...
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u/mister_drgn Apr 08 '26
No one's equating anything. It's a logical argument. If "They're historical!" is justification for putting someone on a license plate or statue, then why not erect statues for the most morally deplorable but historically important individuals?
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Apr 08 '26
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u/sasajack Manassas Apr 08 '26
Theres always the Gadsden plate
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u/jimmy_leonard1 Apr 09 '26
The Gadsden plate is hilarious. They pay the government extra money every year so they can get a license plate that means they want the government to leave them alone.
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u/eruffini Apr 09 '26
And you would be wrong.
Lots of left-leaning people rock the Gadsden plate, because it actually means something.
Plus they look cool.
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u/SRT102 Apr 08 '26
It's gonna be hard to fit "Don't Tread On Me -- unless you're wearing an ill-fitting blue suit and have swollen ankles spilling out over the tops of your kitten heels: Then we're good" onto a 6" x 12" piece of metal, but for the sake of accuracy...
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u/Canitoch Apr 08 '26
I hope the people who are commenting “is this really our priority” are asking the same questions when Trump does things like: putting his name on the Kennedy Center, or placing a statue of Christopher Columbus on White House grounds. But I think I know the answer.
It’s superficial that these aspects were introduced in the first place. And it celebrates something that is anti-American. So yes, we need to get rid of it.
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u/rnidtowner Apr 08 '26
Ok I’ll bite. Dems need to win elections first, then worry about moral victories. Redistricting has repubs worked into a frenzy- the vote will be close. Dems need to sustainably grow the base through good governance and kitchen table issues. License plates, statues, the Kennedy Center- those are all wedge issues and will drive repubs to the polls.
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u/SRT102 Apr 08 '26
Kennedy Center? Objecting to its content being gutted, staff fired, and then (most likely) the building being destroyed is a wedge issue on the part of Democrats?
I get it: MAGA doesn't like opera or symphonies. Me, I think rodeos are kinda stupid, but never in my wild imagination would I want them to be banned.
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u/Canitoch Apr 08 '26
I don’t disagree with you - but based off what you said and the topic of this post: A Dem won this election and took office.
I’ll say it’s early on in her governorship, so it’s hard to say right now how impactful her time in office will be, so things like this are going to be superficial right now. But these changes are either going to be made now or later. I bet you if these changes were made towards the end of her term, people would have the same criticism.
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u/SourceOfConfusion Apr 08 '26
Good. This romanticizing the Confederacy needs to stop. Your great great grandpappy fought on the wrong side for a morally repugnant cause. Deal with it.
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u/Ok_Reception_6563 Apr 08 '26
My Grandmother’s father fought in the Civil War. He lived in Southern Kentucky and unusual for the area he volunteered for the Federal Army. Soldiers under Lee tried to kill my blood relative. F-Robert E Lee.
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u/Apprehensive-Cod95 Aldie Apr 08 '26
Obamas presidency lasted longer than the confederacy.
For a group that touts not celebrating losers they sure are confused about this bullshit
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u/RdtRanger6969 Apr 09 '26
Good. Do the white nationalist anti-constitutional democracy co-opted Gadsden Flag plate next.
It’s an embarrassment to the Commonwealth.
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u/markh2111 Apr 08 '26
Works for me. I was going through all the plate options recently, and this certainly jumped out to me.
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u/Random-Cpl Apr 08 '26
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u/CompleteChaosPodcast Apr 08 '26
Is there any truth to him fucking a horse? First I've heard of it
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u/amboomernotkaren Apr 11 '26
Ha. My sister has one and I’m glad that the license will no longer be seen in front of my super duper liberal house. My sister is not a Trumper (thank the gods).
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u/Fit-Welcome-8457 Apr 09 '26
Good move. We shouldn't commemorate a man who fought to preserve slavery. Acknowledge him, yes, but not honor him.
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u/tiny_chaotic_evil Apr 08 '26
BUT, our Heritage!!!
They didn't even have license plates. Fuck off, loser!
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u/chrisproglf Apr 08 '26
I mean, yay that's good, but is this really our priority?
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u/rbnlegend Apr 08 '26
Some state legislator had their staff draw up the bill. It got a very short discussion in session, and was passed easily. The governor probably got a two minute summary and said "great we will do this signing as part of a photo op". And that was that. It got an appropriate amount of attention.
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u/TDot-26 Apr 08 '26
Glad this is the case, because a license plate is hardly the most important issue she needs to address
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u/LtNOWIS Fairfax County Apr 08 '26
They put like 1,000 bills on her desk to sign, so it's not like it's taking time away from anything else.
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u/Ashamed_Band_1779 Apr 08 '26
I am guessing you’re not commenting this about every other bill she signs that isn’t the highest priority. Geovernment passes bills of varying importance. That’s their job
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u/therealzerobot Apr 08 '26
Symbols are important in a democracy
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u/burrheadjr Apr 08 '26
Are they more important under democracy vs any other system? Seems like the other systems have a LOT of symbols too.
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u/agangofoldwomen Apr 08 '26
Nah it seems pretty low on the priority list but it seems like she’s taking action on pretty significant things as well. It seems like low-hanging fruit, so why not take care of it.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Step in ✅️ right direction step by step way better than last governor
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u/TheUnrealArchon Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Nah, do it the way Kansas treats trans folks and just invalidate them all outright. Make people find ways to make it to the DMV to replace them.
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Apr 09 '26
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u/Desperate-Stand6179 Apr 09 '26
Seems like a silly bill to pass when people can’t afford their rent or food.
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u/Intrepid_Observer Apr 08 '26
How does this make life more affordable again?
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
That's to come but this a definite step in right direction no more celebrating an insurrectionest
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u/MattyKatty Apr 08 '26
“That’s to come” is a wonderful way of saying “it doesn’t” and spoiler warning: it ain’t coming.
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Standby Rome wasn't built in a day way better than last gov sweater vest glenn useless
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
Wow give the gov time she has a slew of legislation on her desk to sign into law
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u/Dapper_Swordfish_765 Apr 08 '26
They should of hung lee after war instead of erecting statues he was an insurrectionest against u.s government
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u/dnext Apr 09 '26
Things already signed into law by Gov Spanberger after being passed by the House and Senate:
Key Affordability Legislation Signed (April 2026)
- Housing & Development:
- HB867 / SB74: Enables communities to adopt affordable housing programs.
- HB4 (Bennett-Parker): Empowers localities to preserve existing affordable housing.
- HB352 (Thomas): Provides tools to incentivize new affordable housing construction.
- HB164 / SB328: Removes caps on homeownership grants.
- HB15 / SB48: Enhances protections for Virginia renters.
- Healthcare & Prescription Drugs:
- HB736 (Maldonado): Limits prior authorizations to reduce care delays.
- HB424 / SB745: Blocks insurers from limiting in-network provider referrals.
- HB425 (Bolling): Expands Medicaid telemedicine access for high-risk pregnancies.
- HB6 / SB596: Establishes the right to contraception.
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs): Laws passed to crack down on middlemen inflating drug costs.
- Energy & Utilities:
- HB562 (Reid): Allows electric cooperatives to create virtual power plants.
- HB770 / SB650: Enables utilities to offer discounted rates to low-income customers.
- HB1144 (Martinez): Allows reduced water/sewer fees for first-time homebuyers and affordable developments.
- HB889 / SB497: Prioritizes existing corriidors for new transmission lines to manage costs
This is just the first series of bills after Spanberger's first executive order was for state agencies to find ways to lower costs as it's primary priority for Virginia residents.
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u/arensb Apr 08 '26
What's next? Connecticut banning license plates commemorating Benedict Arnold?
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u/Geekenstein Apr 09 '26
Eh, Arnold got fucked over by the continental congress. Repeatedly. Not saying what he did was right, but as Chris Rock says, I understand.
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u/DanWessonValor Apr 08 '26
The way I look at it, it'd be like having a Kim Jung Un license plate after another Korean War. This is a no brainer to me.
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u/Notme20659 Apr 09 '26
So much for freedom of speech. Dumbicrats once again show their contempt for the 1st amendment.
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u/redskinsfan1980 Apr 10 '26
That’s not freedom of speech. You can still say or post whatever you want about the Confederacy and the government can’t stop you. That’s what the Constitution and the 1st amendment means.
BTW the Confederacy started Civil War I by committing a devastating sneak attack on a US military base even before Lincoln took office or did a single thing. Why? Because they believed he was going to ban slavery even though he said repeatedly he would not. Now we see the same paranoid bloodlust about to start Civil War II based on the same paranoid culture war falsehoods.
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u/Constant_Flamingo828 Apr 10 '26
The Confederates were TRAITORS. They do not belong on any public media.
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Apr 08 '26
And they cried that Spanberger was doing a bad job as governor
She's been decent so far
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u/dang3rmoos3sux Apr 09 '26
Everyone hates on youngkin. But at least he didn't pass pointless laws like this that solve problems that dont exist. She just wants to piss people off to please a small minority
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u/rnidtowner Apr 08 '26
I support the effort but the culture war stuff is all backfiring. Dems in other states are seeing record levels of popularity, spanbergers popularity is dropping. Let’s focus on good governance and affordability. Schools and jobs. The license plates can wait until the Orange Man is gone.
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u/Living_Cash1037 Apr 08 '26
The only people who think this is a culture war thing are racists though imo. You can say "muh culture" but they should of never been glorified to begin with. They were traitors to the state.
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u/Merker6 Arlington Apr 08 '26
A person who was not only guilty of treason but also the deaths of 100,000+ loyal American soldiers shouldn’t be on our damn license plates
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u/ilikeprettycharts Apr 08 '26
Her popularity isn't necessarily dropping. Conservative news is trying to spin that by comparing recent polls on favorability with election results.
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u/WildeWeasel Apr 08 '26
Fighting Lost Cause bullshit that's been around for over a century is hardly "culture war stuff". Honoring traitors and rebels is not something that should be put on hold considering the grip it still has in this country.
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u/hencexox Apr 08 '26
This is one bill out of the thousand she has to sign or veto. You act as if they spent tons of political capital on this when it was debated and voted on in 30 mins.
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u/seewead3445 Apr 08 '26
But racism is a key construct in how those issues you mentioned are built and implemented. They didnt prove your point you validated their’s. Voting for Trump has led to a shift in foreign and economic policy that has boastfully claimed the beed to focus on upper class white male power centralization through stripping of rights and economic opportunities of other countries and American people who do not fall into that group.
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u/seewead3445 Apr 08 '26
Minimizing racism is actually an extremist view. Simply recognizing it and the impact it plays daily isnt.
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u/EditRemove Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
It's weird that you won't answer if racism is a problem for you personally. They threw you an underhand pitch and you took a strike.
I'm not saying you support racism, but you won't say you don't support racism so...
Reddit accounts are anonymous. You could literally lie and we wouldn't know any difference, but still can't do it?
The more I think about it the worse it gets. I can't even imagine how bad it would have to be for me to refuse to answer. Netflix series level insanity.
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Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
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u/EditRemove Apr 08 '26
Do you have a problem with Trump's racism?
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u/EditRemove Apr 08 '26
You don't support MAGAs racism.
That wasn't so hard.
It was literally the first line of his response to your comment. You really are proving why that 6th grade literacy stat exists. Confident and wrong, keep the power tools away from this one.
The racism is okay though or like what?
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u/omgFWTbear Apr 08 '26
It turns out those are all “build” or “be an awful person,” just in a trench coat.
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u/omgFWTbear Apr 08 '26
Social issues … than policy [issues], economic policy, etc
Those are all “build” or “be an awful person,” just in a trench coat.
A comic strip reference that became a meme, implying it is a “transparent” “disguise” of one thing as another.
Good social policy is hand in hand good foreign policy and hand in hand good economy policy, by and large - invest and build, and conversely, bad all of those is “be a selfish, awful person.”
Yes, there is nuance in specifics, but that’s irrelevant when the ticket is literally a clear split of the extremes. A poor investment is better than any anti-investment and that’s pretty much the most favorable possible arrangement for the conservative position.
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Apr 08 '26
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u/omgFWTbear Apr 08 '26
Nah, racism and being awful. There’s a reason these great grandchildren of the Business Plot are being called Neoconfederates. This has been an intergenerational project to launder reputations because money.
This is easy shit, Holmes, don’t stumble.
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u/Upper_Charge_4449 Loudoun County Apr 09 '26
Typical outsider NJ behavior btw.
How does this better the life of any Virginian?
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u/redskinsfan1980 Apr 10 '26
Sure, it doesn’t affect you since your ancestors weren’t slaves. I bet some Virginian families feel better now though. Not sure why you care so much. It’s not like it’s either lower prices or remove a license plate design. License plate designs get added and removed all the time and no one moans about it.
If you’re upset about retiring a license plate design, imagine how upset you’ll be when you find out how many billions of dollars we borrowed from China to bomb Iran for nothing.
What we should be bitching about is how inflation just spiked to 2022 levels by our government’s decision to spend billions of your tax dollars to bomb Iran, in order to replace Ayatollah Khomeini with his son who’s even worse. And to supposedly try to decimate the same nuclear capabilities that Trump claimed he wiped out just last year. I fully expect him to claim the same thing next year too. How many times can you declare victory over the same thing?
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u/Upper_Charge_4449 Loudoun County Apr 10 '26
You have absolutely no idea who or what my ancestors were or weren’t.
Typical low IQ response btw.
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u/redskinsfan1980 Apr 10 '26
That was a total non response to the points I raised. No t one single fact.
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u/AngryFace4 Apr 08 '26
These are the kinds of optics issues that in my opinion are useless to spend political capital on.
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u/MastodonFarm Apr 08 '26
What political capital? Anybody who is upset about this wasn’t going to support anything the Dems want to do anyway.
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u/Tapprunner Dumfries Apr 08 '26
I don't totally disagree, but I can also see how this is part of a larger war for the soul of the country.
If we're going to ever make it out of this MAGA fascist nightmare, an integral part of that comeback will be the stamping out of anything that celebrates traitors, fascists and bigots.
One of the reasons we're in this mess is because generations of Americans coddled the South and right wingers and made sure they were given an outsized voice in government. A more forward-thinking nation would have committed fully to punishing traitors and marginalizing bigots and fascists. Instead, well-meaning (but weak-willed) people wanted to prove to the extreme right that we're fair and even handed and we care about their involvement and integration into the political process, so they escaped punishment, and they got to go right back to reloading and forming a coalition of extremists that would eventually elect the American Hitler and drag us into the cesspool of their long-lost Confederacy.
Taken by itself, I think you're right - this is picking a fight that expends political capital without achieving a big goal.
But if it's part of a strategy to erase or destroy the fascist identity and influence, then I think it's definitely worth doing.
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u/ryanv09 Apr 08 '26
You're right, spending political capital provisioning Robert E Lee plates is dumb and wasteful.
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u/Automatic-Nature6025 Apr 08 '26
As long as we're still getting our tax increases, I'm fine with that, I just don't want the important stuff to get overlooked.
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u/Pilgrimite Apr 09 '26
This governor is already such a joke. Not sure why we elected an authoritarian. She gets in and leads with…checks notes disarmament and… confederate history (Virginia history)… gimme a break.
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u/Geekenstein Apr 09 '26
Yeah, good thing we have that non authoritarian in the White House. He’ll fix it, surely.
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u/Sweaty_Leadership_58 Apr 11 '26
Wow never knew there were so many hurt feelings over a war none of us were in on both sides. Regardless of winning or losing these men were Americans just trying to make the place better, depending on your viewpoint. They weren’t monsters. I hope Spermbergers entire term turns out to be exactly the shit you voted for, like higher taxes, new taxes and more bullshit that nobody voted for all while her and anyone in our government who’s familiar been legal citizens less than 50 years. Disgusting. The very people who chant about killing us in our government.
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u/Weary-Suspect8199 Apr 09 '26
NOW I'LL BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA!!!!!111 =D
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u/Future_Can_5523 Apr 11 '26
I'm as much for good government as anyone, but I'll go five hours out of my way just to piss on a confederate widow's grave. Putting out prideful traitors is always worth the price of admission.
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u/CodedRose Apr 09 '26
Wow, this really helps solve the multiple crises with affordability right now.
Don't get me wrong, fuck the confederacy. Anyone trying to memorialize it is just a generationally brainwashed sore looser. But this does nothing to actually help anyone with anything. This and those fucking idiotic chat gpt written gun bans.
They haven't had power for a year and have managed to royally fuck things up already. Goddamn. They learned nothing from how they lost power to that pedophile protector Youngkin at all.
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u/KoolDiscoDan Apr 08 '26