“Republican Glenn Youngkin won in Virginia primarily by positioning himself as a solid parental advocate, a model that many GOP strategists are eager to replicate for the midterm elections. That might not be as easy as they think. For that template to work, the Republican party needs candidates who live up to the image of kindhearted, family-minded people. But while Youngkin was the most visible Republican in 2021, 2022 will bring a bevy of candidates to the fore. And some of the highest-profile GOP primary candidates for the 2022 races have a history of allegations of violence against women. Herschel Walker, Eric Greitens, and Sean Parnell are all considered serious contenders to win the Republican nominations for Senate seats in, respectively, Georgia, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. Each of them has been accused of aggressively threatening and violating women in their lives. If they win the nominations, it may complicate life for the aspiring Youngkins of 2022.”

“What’s more likely to happen? That these candidates nationalize Youngkin’s kind of messaging or that the Democrats nationalize their history of abuse? If Abigail Spanberger has to answer for the Squad, then there’s no reason Republican candidates in places such as Wisconsin and North Carolina won’t have to answer for these alleged abusers. All of this depends on the competing campaigns. Youngkin has given the Republican party a playbook for 2022. The players the GOP is choosing to field, however, aren’t well situated to execute it” – The Bulwark.