Even by past standards of desperate and contrived media smearing of Republicans, this is truly lame.
This story was being treated as a genuine scoop today. Here’s the Washington Post version:
‘The 17-year-old son of Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) tried to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election twice despite being too young to vote, Fairfax County officials said in a statement released Friday…The teen walked into the voting precinct inside the Great Falls Library on Tuesday afternoon, presenting his driver’s license to election officials when asked for a proof of identity, according to Jennifer Chanty, the precinct captain there. Upon seeing his age, she said she informed him that he must be at least 18 to be eligible to vote in Virginia. Under Virginia’s election laws, the only time 17-year-olds can vote is in a primary election if they’ll be 18 by the time of the general election. She said she offered to register him to vote for the next election, but the teen declined and walked out. About 20 minutes later, the teen returned, insisting that he be allowed to vote, saying that a friend who was also 17 had been allowed to cast a ballot, Chanty said. “I told him, ‘I don’t know what occurred with your friend, but you are not registered to vote today. You’re welcome to register, but you will not be voting today.’ ”
You’re up, Marlon!
Chanty’s a Democrat. Surprised?
As authorities confirmed, the kid broke no laws. He didn’t vote, misrepresent himself, or present false identification. A teenager wanted to cast a ballot for his dad, and acted on bad information. This wasn’t news, and Chanty shouldn’t have reported it to the news media as if it were. She chose to embarrass a kid for cheap partisan points. The news media, meanwhile, shouldn’t have pretended it was a genuine story, or any kind of a scandal. But they wanted to do something to hurt Glenn Younkin as early as possible, so they picked on his child.
As I have said before, these are bad human beings.
Devin O’Malley, a spokesman for Youngkin, issued a statement saying, “It’s unfortunate that while Glenn attempts to unite the Commonwealth around his positive message of better schools, safer streets, a lower cost of living, and more jobs, his political opponents — mad that they suffered historic losses this year — are pitching opposition research on a 17-year old kid who honestly misunderstood Virginia election law and simply asked polling officials if he was eligible to vote; when informed he was not, he went to school.”
That’s about right. And the news sources that pounced on this story were the same ones that refused to tell the public about the Hunter Biden laptop revelations.
Ethics Alarms 
This isn’t even newsworthy so what was the point of the election official reporting it to the media. Election officials at precincts might advise superiors of the incident but for officials to contact the press over something suggests that the official has no business working the polls.
Taking a cheap shot, plain and simple. A lot of the current media follow the Michael Moore example: never fail to take every opportunity for a cheap sneer or jeer that presents itself. A lot of people haven’t figured out that acting like that does not make Michael Moore a genius, it makes him an asshole that the left likes.
Partisanship apparently knows no shame, at least for some.
Wait. Virginia requires voters to present government issued ID in order to vote? Good thing there are no MLB teams in Virginia. A Democrat poll worker (of color) prevented a white person from voting? I’m confused. Isn’t voting a human right?
And haven’t the Democrats pushed for lowering the voting age to sixteen? Don’t they allow sixteen year old felons to vote in Virginia, thanks to Terry McAuliffe?
Cheap shot, yes. But the statement from the campaign is troublingly disingenuous:
“a 17-year old kid who honestly misunderstood Virginia election law and simply asked polling officials if he was eligible to vote; when informed he was not, he went to school.” Seriously?
Show me another presumably competently-parented 17-year-old kid who honestly believes there’s even a possibility that he has the right to vote… and who, being told he can’t, comes back and tries again, claiming his 17-year-old friend could vote. Maybe it’s decades of dealing with people of roughly that age, but I’d put the probability that the kid’s lying about the “friend” part at about 98%. As for the trying to vote to begin with, young Youngkin is either a moron or an entitled brat who thinks he can get away with anything because Daddy is rich and powerful. You choose.
Oh, no doubt about it: either Youngkin has wildly neglected his son’s civic education, or the school’s have, or he’s a dolt. But “17-year-old proves he’s a civic dunce” is still not newsworthy, and wouldn’t be, if the kid’s name was, say, “Brillo Finsterfield.”
As for the trying to vote to begin with, young Youngkin is either a moron or an entitled brat who thinks he can get away with anything because Daddy is rich and powerful. You choose.
Consider embracing the healing power of “and.”
I suppose there are other possibilities — that our educational system is so broken he actually didn’t know. Low probability, I know, but it can’t be ignored given what we’ve seen. I suppose it could also have been a prank.
Not convinced? Me neither.
Let’s give a cheer for the integrity of poll workers in Virginia!
rah, rah (all the while thinking about how the words look backwards)
How is it poll worker integrity to blab to the media when the governor elect offspring shows his butt in public. Perhaps let the campaign know, but when they turn around and make a media splash, it is no longer about integrity.