Posted on 08/31/2009 10:55:18 AM PDT by Maelstorm
RICHMOND, Va. - Bob McDonnell's 20-year-old conservative manifesto advocating government protections for heterosexual, two-parent traditional families not available to those living "alternative lifestyles" presents his gubernatorial campaign its first crisis.
McDonnell has not commented on the 1989 graduate thesis since it was first reported in Sunday's Washington Post. His research paper targets abortion, feminism, welfare, "cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators" as enemies of traditional families.
With no nomination challenge and no distractions, his Republican campaign has stayed on script and rolled smoothly along until now.
Democrat Creigh Deeds' campaign, trailing McDonnell in the most recent statewide polling, found new life in the report. In a news teleconference Monday, Deeds' aides called it no mere academic exercise but a grown man's blueprint for governing.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypress.com ...
...advocating government protections for heterosexual, two-parent traditional families not available to those living "alternative lifestyles" presents his gubernatorial campaign its first crisis. McDonnell has not commented on the 1989 graduate thesis since it was first reported in Sunday's Washington Post. His research paper targets abortion, feminism, welfare, "cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators" as enemies of traditional families.
He didn’t go to Harvard as an undergrad.
That wasn't the word.
You’re right. I wrote that twice. He went to Occidental and Columbia as an undergrad. And while we’re talking about it, didn’t the Washington Post dig out George W. Bush’s undergraduate and graduate school record and grades?
McDonnell’s crime, in the Dems’ eyes, is that he is a prolife Catholic.
Not to be confused with Virginia's current (and part-time) Governor, DNC Chair Tim Kaine who is also a (personally) prolife Catholic.
Here’s my advice folks. The RPV and the McDonnell campaign (via a 90 minute conference call with Bob) have addressed this issue.
Let it die a natural death. Don’t post these articles. Don’t fan the flames. Don’t comment on the blogs. Ignore it.
We’re heading into Labor Day weekend. Polls still have McDonnell clearly ahead. School is starting. Football is starting. There’s another storm in the Atlantic heading our way.
Talk about Deed’s love for big labor. Talk about the Deeds campaign worker who called the McDonnell office impersonating a reporter. Talk about the fact that Deeds is Mr. “Me Too” and has no original thoughts. Talk about the fact that Deeds has no transportation plan. Talk about the fact that Deeds has said he’ll raise your taxes.
Don’t talk about the thesis. That’s what Deeds and The Washington Post want you to do.
Don’t take the bait.
How is this a crisis? Sounds like common sense.
People can change in 20 years. 20 years ago I was a lib. Now I’m a conservative.
McDonnell should just ignore it and keep on keeping on.
{Talk about the fact that Deeds has no transportation plan}
What? The WaPO endorsed Deeds in the primary because they loved his transportation plan and rountinely bash McDonnell’s plan.
“Democrats in turn will try to depict former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell, the Republican nominee, as a right-wing zealot and Pat Robertson protégé. In fact, both candidates are serious public servants with long records that deserve more careful examination … Mr. McDonnell's tenure as attorney general, by most accounts, has been professional and not overtly ideological.”
I wish it were just about us. Bob needs to shut up. He needs to think like a Democrat and simply reaffirm what he can reaffirm easily and just let it be. I think he made a mistake in talking about his views having changed. He needs to instead tell people what his views are. Republicans make a mistake when they try to explain away things. He should not be ashamed.
And if you're paying attention, he's NOT talking about it. Today he talked about education, later this week it's card check.
Once this was out, he had to address it. He did. And he's moving on.
If we do anything else it's to point to the hypocrisy of The Washington Post saying one thing in June and another in September.
He just needs to be careful through strength. He doesn’t have to be stupid and go all firebrand. I am paying attention and the issue is not going away quickly. I wish it were. He isn’t a Democrat.
http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=Bob+McDonnell&cf=all&scoring=n
Of course it’s not going away as long as we’re talking about it. But it was not carried on most of the major stations today. And other than here, the Post and the lefty blogs, I’m not seeing all that much about it.
Trust me. Unlike any candidate we’ve had in a long time, Bob knows what he’s doing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.