That's right, between 2005 and 2009, Bill Bolling mysteriously ditched the "Virginia Values" theme. Which got me curious, what WERE those values that Bolling now is de-emphasizing, following the shellacking Republicans took in 2006 and 2008? Missing from Bolling Version 2009 compared to Bolling Version 2005 (see below) are "The Right To Life," "The Right To Keep And Bear Arms," and "The Sanctity of Marriage." Instead, it's now all about non-hot-button social issues like "Creating Jobs," "Education," "Energy," "Fiscal Integrity," and "Public Safety." In short, it looks like Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell are both attempting to rebrand themselves as "moderates" in order to appeal to the same voters who rejected Jerry Kilgore, George Allen, Virgil Goode, Thelma Drake, Jim Gilmore and John McCain. We'll see how it works for them, but last I checked, leopards couldn't change their spots that easily.
