Last night Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governorship fair and square. His Democrat opponent, Terry McAuliffe, conceded defeat earlier today.

Otherwise disagreeable to each other, conservative and liberal media outlets agree that Virginia is a rude awakening to the left. Truth be told, Virginia is also where former President Donald Trump no longer matters. Trump lost big to Biden in Virginia last year. This year Biden, through McAuliffe, lost big to Youngkin who won over Trumpists without kissing Don Trump's ring. There's a new sheriff in town. Mover over, Trump.

Trump is radioactive. Keeping your distance from him, you might get some warmth. Embracing him, you will certainly get burned inside out. Trump is not a hot potato. He is a hot apple--he used to live in the Big Apple, by the way. How to take a bite of Trump, the hot apple, is every Republican politician's challenge. The newly minted Virginia governor has just risen to this challenge. His playbook should be a Republican textbook.

Trump or no Trump, Trumpists have no problem rallying to a Republican movement making sense to independents and moderate Democrats. Who gains the middle ground gets the trump card, no pun intended.

Author: Lingyang Jiang

Image: Google