Calculating Cooper Hides From His Record On Radical Gender Ideology
The Washington Post recently wrote a “news” article about U.S. Senate candidate former Governor Roy Cooper’s record on radical gender ideology and the impact on the upcoming North Carolina Senate race. While most persuadable voters care about other issues, pushing radical gender ideology is a key issue for the Democrat donors from New York, California, Washington, DC, and Chicago, both the key supporters of the Washington Post and Roy Cooper for Senate.
During the 2016 gubernatorial campaign, Cooper rose to prominence campaigning against House Bill Two, which required individuals to use restrooms that corresponded with their biological sex in public buildings. Cooper leveraged this issue to raise money from liberal enclaves like New York and San Francisco, providing him with a key fundraising advantage in 2016. After taking office, Cooper rejected the first compromise offered by Republican legislators in the General Assembly, and it was only after the business community engaged that Cooper agreed to the compromise that ended the controversy over HB2.
Throughout his time as Governor, Cooper was a dependable champion of radical gender ideology. Cooper vetoed legislation protecting women’s sports, refusing to meet with Payton McNabb, who was injured due to unsafe youth sports policies. Cooper vetoed legislation prohibiting unsafe gender transition surgeries for minors, which the General Assembly overrode in a bipartisan fashion. Cooper even opposed the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” siding with teacher unions over parents in regard to kids’ education over certain divisive topics.
As Governor, Cooper used every opportunity to advance a radical gender ideology and oppose common-sense policy. But now that he is running for the U.S. Senate, Cooper is ducking his record.
Here is the key quote from the Washington Post article: “Cooper, who campaigned heavily on the bathroom bill fallout in 2016, launched his campaign last month, talking about pocketbook issues and health care, making no mention of LGBTQ rights. He declined an interview request for this article.”
Instead of discussing his record, Cooper sent out his lead political consultant with a bland statement.
This is a miscalculation by Cooper.
Persuadable voters care more about actions and policies than tactical campaign moves. In his announcement speech, Whatley was crystal clear that he plans to hold Cooper accountable for his record. Cooper’s record is clear on the issue; ducking a story in the Washington Post will not make a difference in Republicans’ ability to hold Cooper accountable.
But declining to stand for progressive values will alienate the liberal base Cooper needs to turn out. Here are some of the quotes from the Washington Post article that highlight Cooper’s problem with the progressive base.
Devin Gilgor, the treasurer of North Carolina Democrats’ Trans Caucus, said he breathed “a big sigh of relief” when Cooper announced his Senate run but worries that Democrats nationwide are backing away from trans rights. He said his family has an “exit plan” for leaving North Carolina — and potentially the country — if the Democratic Party’s “ability to hold firm and keep us safe” falters.
“Unfortunately, highly paid consultants in Washington” have led local Democrats “to believe that LGBTQ issues are not an asset, that they are a liability instead of an asset,” said Matt Aycock, president of the LGBTQ+ Democrats of North Carolina. “And I just believe that that’s so wrong.”
As I previously explained, Whatley has an easier path to victory because he needs to simply introduce himself to North Carolina voters while campaigning on the popular America First Agenda. Cooper must navigate a delicate balance: hiding his radical record from persuadable voters while motivating the Democratic Party's socialist base to vote in a midterm election.
This was Cooper’s first public test to see if he could pull off the balancing act, and the key elements of his base are now discussing an exit plan from North Carolina.
