The sole question in this campaign seems to be whether Bob McDonnell will be able to pull the wool over Virginians’ eyes long enough to convince enough people to vote for him.Based on his recent debate with Creigh, he might be able to pull it off. Take McDonnell’s extremist stances on two significant social issues, abortion and gay rights. In the debate, McDonnell was successfully able to paint himself as a moderate on these issues.
Bob McDonnell is no moderate on these issues.
The fact is that McDonnell’s election potentially endangers the life and health of every woman in Virginia. McDonnell’s record shows that as a legislator, he tried at every turn to limit a woman’s right to choose, effectively seeking to prevent women in Virginia from deciding upon their own health care in consultation with their doctors.
Similarly, Bob McDonnell has a record as a repeat offender of bigotry toward homosexuals. As I have previously written, he tried to prevent the reappointment of a judge in Virginia Beach based solely on the fact that she was allegedly gay. And according to Virginia Beach blogger Michael in Norfolk, McDonnell is on record saying that Govs. Warner and Kaine’s non-discrimination orders with respect to sexual orientation are invalid. “Moreover,” according to Michael-in-Norfolk, “in a recent case involving a gay man fired by the Virginia Museum of Natural History, McDonnell's AG office successfully sought to have the Executive Orders ruled a nullity - that case is now on appeal.”
So, when McDonnell says he never discriminated in hiring in the AG’s office, and would not do so as Governor, well, I don’t believe him.
I can’t help but wonder where Bob McDonnell, a graduate of Pat Robertson’s law school, stands on the issue of evolution. Does Bob McDonnell believe that evolution is a valid scientific theory, or is he, like his mentor, Rev. Robertson, a Biblical literalist? If he is, I think that is fine – I am a religious person, myself -- but to the extent that one’s embrace of faith forces the exclusion of scientific fact from his worldview, voters have the right to know.
Does Bob McDonnell favor the teaching of crackpot theories like Intelligent Design in public school?
So, three takeaways:
1. When Bob McDonnell soft-pedals his positions on choice and gay rights, shouldn't he explain why his record is inconsistent with his rhetoric?
2. Bob McDonnell holds principled positions on the issues of choice and gay rights that he claims are informed by his religious beliefs. As a religious person, I disagree with him. But the question is why does he feel the need to run away from his principles?
3. Given that religion figures so heavily in McDonnell’s stances on other social issues, where does he stand on the issue of evolution and teaching Intelligent Design in our public schools?
