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The Youngkin Mind Flu

Of course donors are salivating over Glenn Youngkin, the 6-foot-6 Harvard MBA and private equity billionaire-turned-Republican governor straight out of central casting circa 2012. But let’s be real: there is no electorate for Youngkin, no actual plan to draft him, and no logical process to do so.

Like the Tim Scott crush over the summer, the Glenn Youngkin idea is mostly being peddled by rich country clubbers in the Republican donor set.
Like the Tim Scott crush over the summer, the Glenn Youngkin idea is mostly being peddled by rich country clubbers in the Republican donor set. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Peter Hamby
October 2, 2023

At times in recent months, I’ve felt like Puck’s resident political curmudgeon, crankily swatting down buzzy takes that are just completely detached from reality. The idea that Ron DeSantis is the new John McCain. The notion, peddled by some Republican donors, that Tim Scott is the man to beat Donald Trump. Or the hilarious idea that Joe Biden might dump Kamala Harris from the 2024 ticket to help his re-election chances.