While the expression is “a picture is worth a thousand words,” as the race for Virginia’s next governor heats up, could it be worth only 15?

That’s not due to inflation. It’s just that sometimes, 15 words may be all that are needed to change the course of history.

>>> Sign up for our Virginia email newsletter

But before we discuss those 15 words, for some perspective, let’s look at how just 14 words changed history in Virginia’s last governor’s race exactly four years ago.

The 14 words I refer to are those that former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe used in his ill-fated debate answer on Sept. 28, 2021, as he was running for a second term as governor: “I don’t think parents have the right to tell schools what they should teach.”

Those 14 words cost him the 2021 election (which polls had him leading by a larger margin than Democrat gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger is currently leading Republican nominee Lt. Gov.

© The Daily Signal