Virginia Republican Nominee for Governor Has Bizarre Views About Women, Families

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Virginia, my beloved home state, has produced yet another out-of-sync Republican candidate who is trying to lead the commonwealth. When will the religious right learn that when "true believers" are unmasked, their bizarre beliefs don't resonate with mainstream voters? Robert McDonnell, the GOP's candidate for governor of Virginia, was caught by the Washington Post expressing his true beliefs:

At age 34, two years before his first election and two decades before he would run for governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell submitted a master's thesis to the evangelical school he was attending in Virginia Beach in which he described working women and feminists as "detrimental" to the family. ...

During his 14 years in the General Assembly, McDonnell pursued at least 10 of the policy goals he laid out in that research paper, including abortion restrictions, covenant marriage, school vouchers and tax policies to favor his view of the traditional family. In 2001, he voted against a resolution in support of ending wage discrimination between men and women.

McDonnell is singing that "I've changed my tune" tune. Somehow I'm not believing him. Reminds me a bit too much of a candidate who promised hope and change, and has failed to deliver much of either.

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