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Editorial: The political divide

“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

Irish poet W.B. Yeats penned those lines as he looked out in despair at the rampant extremism sweeping across Germany, Russia, Italy and his native Ireland in the wake of World War I. If he were alive today, one wonders what he would think of the state of the world a century later.

In Europe, a rise of nationalism has led to the British withdrawing from the European Union. On the heels of Brexit, the French are in the midst of a national election with one of the top candidates, Marine Le Pen, espousing far right, populist views. And here in America, President Trump is seen by many as a polarizing figure, stoking the flames of extremism on both edges of the political spectrum.

In Virginia, a new poll among Democratic-leaning voters gives a slight edge to former congressman Tom Perriello in his primary battle against Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Part of Perriello’s sudden rise in popularity...

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