I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually take both out and make their own decision.

So, yeah, I've got to stop the bill that I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.

I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.

That was Democrat Terry McCall, during a debate with his Republican rival and Virginia's governor's race, Glenn Youngkin,

making what has turned into one of the epic blunders in recent American politics.

Even if it was not exactly what he meant, McCall of's comments seemed to dismiss the idea that parents should be directly involved in their children's education.

It's a comment that has been seized on by Youngkin's campaign run over and over and over in campaign ads,

and combined with other GOP attempts to exploit the heated controversies before school boards and the COVID era,

helped to turn next week's Virginia election into a down to the wire toss-up.

McCall of who served before as the state's governor who was once expected to cruise to victory in a state that has turned increasingly blue,

but now the polls show the race is effectively tied, and Democrats are nervous.

If McCall of loses, will it be seen as a re-pudiation of him and his ill-advised comments about parents and schools,

or will it be also viewed as a re-pudiation of the Democrat in the White House, Joe Biden?

And an ominous warning of what could become a GOP route in next year's midterms.

We'll talk to John Ward, our Yahoo News reporter who has been tracking the race,

and then we'll get input from Tom Davis, a former GOP congressman from the Northern Virginia suburbs, on this episode of Skull Duggery.

Hi, do solemnly swear.

And I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.

I will to the best of my building.

Reserve, protect and defend. Constitution of the United States.

So help me God.

So help me God.

...