Bob McDonnell, the right wing social conservative who's the Republican nominee to be the next governor of Virginia, wants you to believe he's a moderate.
He's not.
Sunday's Washington Post has the latest evidence of Bob McDonnell's true colors: the 1989 graduate thesis he wrote for his masters and law degree from Rev. Pat Robertson's CBN University (now Regent University).
Among the tidbits the thesis reveals according to the Post:
McDonnell, "described working women and feminists as 'detrimental' to the family. He said government policy should favor married couples over 'cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.' He described as 'illogical' a 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by unmarried couples."
And that's just the beginning.
McDonnell says, "Virginians will judge me on my 18-year record as a legislator and Attorney General and the specific plans I have laid out for our future -- not on a decades-old academic paper I wrote as a student during the Reagan era and haven't thought about in years."
There are several things lacking from this explanation.
First, it would lead you to believe that his record as an elected official is any different than the right wing babble which is in this thesis. It's not. In fact the Post points out that as a Delegate and as Attorney General, McDonnell has pursued 10 of the 15 policy goals laid out in his thesis.
Second, McDonnell's explanation would have you believe that he wrote this as an undergraduate when he didn't know better. He didn't. He wrote this after he had already earned an undergraduate degree and a masters degree at other institutions. He was 34 years old at the time.
Third, he claims he hasn't thought about this in years. That's not true. He brought up the thesis in an interview with the Washington Post, telling the paper earlier this year that, "I wrote my thesis on welfare policy".
As the Post points out, McDonnell wrote this document, not as a college student, but as a 34 year adult. In it, he laid out a 15 point plan for the GOP. As an elected official, he's pursued 10 of these 15 goals according to the Post.
It's bad enough that McDonnell went to Pat Robertson's university and law school. But now that he needs the votes of moderates to get elected Governor, he's trying to cover up his real feelings.
Don't be fooled. Watch Bob McDonnell talk about the Garden of Eden and his views of marriage.
Fortunately, McDonnell's opponent, State Sen. Creigh Deeds, is running a strong campaign, but he needs your financial help. Please visit his website and make a campaign contribution.
It's important.
Cross posted at Fake Virginia.