“Until last Tuesday night, Democrats watched the Virginia governor’s race with growing dread. Republican candidate Ed Gillespie blanketed the airwaves with ads calling his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, soft on crime. And they seemed to work: Gillespie eliminated Northam’s lead in one poll and ran three points ahead in another. But on Election Day, Northam won the ‘purple’ state handily. One important takeaway from this closely watched race? It seems the politics of fear still resonate with some voters – but they won’t always prevail.”