There’s one formula in campaigning that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on: Politician+Stage+Pop Song= Danger.
Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe went viral Tuesday night after he started dancing at the end of an outdoor Arlington rally that included President Biden-- a fellow Democrat-- as his special guest.
McAuliffe, who was in a suit-- no tie-- started the dance by moving his arms in a running motion and then raising them above his head before waving to supporters.
Any time a candidate takes the stage and does anything more than smiling and clapping, he opens the door for critics.
"I’m the worst dancer ever, which is why I don’t dance in public," Meghan McCain, the former host on "The View," tweeted. "Terry McAuliffe too should stop dancing in public."
Kayleigh McEnany, the Fox News host, tweeted the video of McAuliffe and posted, "The Terry McAuliffe dance truly took on a life of its own tonight."
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This is not the first time this election season that McAuliffe caught the attention of social media for his dancing. Critics posted a video of him breaking out his jogging-in-place move during a recent campaign event with former President Obama.
President Biden campaigns with Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe at Virginia Highlands Park on October 26, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
McAuliffe is certainly not the first politician to be scrutinized for lacking the moves of Fred Astaire. Former President Trump caught the attention of critics when he started dancing to the Villiage People's "YMCA" during the 2020 campaign.
All eyes are, of course, on Virginia, not the candidates' dance moves.
Biden was in Virginia in hopes to give McAuliffe the extra boost he needs to win in the closely watched gubernatorial election that many say could be disastrous for Democrats in the event of a Republican victory.
No Republican has won statewide office in Virginia since 2009, and Biden carried it by a comfortable 10 percentage points in 2020. Yet polls have shown McAuliffe tied with Youngkin and the president’s own popularity is on the decline.
Biden told the crowd that Youngkin "not only embraces some of the essential lack of character, he endorses Donald Trump’s bad ideas and bad record."
McAuliffe said Youngkin "is ending his campaign the way he started it: With divisive dog whistles."
"We have a choice: A path that promotes conspiracies, hate, division, or a path focused on lifting up every single Virginian," McAuliffe said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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