Virginia Governor's Race Turns to Gender Politics Over 20-Year-Old Thesis

[JohnBrowdie]

the VA governor's race could be an early indicator of national sentiment on the democrat's national agenda.  while you would have to take regional issues into consideration before attempting to draw national parallels, you should be able to at least determine if the townhall blowback at congressmen during the august recess is genuine, or, as pelosi/reid seem to think, "evilmongering astroturfers".

personally, I think pelosi and reid are whistling past the graveyard on the national popularity of their agenda.

Virginia Governor's Race Turns to Gender Politics Over 20-Year-Old Master's Thesis
A 20-year-old college thesis from Republican candidate Bob McDonnell made public over the weekend is tripping up the former state attorney general's otherwise smooth and front-running campaign for Virginia governor.

An improbable and bizarre turn in the Virginia governor's race has enabled Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds to stumble onto what might be his best shot at victory in an uphill climb to the Governor's Mansion.

Deeds and Democratic allies are pushing out a 20-year-old college thesis from Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, which Democrats are now ridiculing in campaign material and trying to push as McDonnell's secret "blueprint" for how he wants to reshape the state.

The thesis, featured in a Washington Post story on Sunday, describes working women and feminists as "detrimental to the family." It justifies discrimination against gays and describes a Supreme Court decision legalizing contraception for unmarried couples as "illogical."

Now tripping up the former state attorney general's otherwise smooth and front-running campaign, McDonnell was forced to respond on Monday.

"I strongly support women in the military and women in the workplace, and for my opponent to suggest otherwise is insulting to me and to my family," McDonnell said.

McDonnell was 34 when he wrote in 1989, "The Republican Party's Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issue of the Decade," as a master's and law student at Regent University, a Christian college founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.

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[JohnBrowdie]

and of course, the WaPo has jumped in with both feet.  the only place that the 20-year-old-thesis-issue has "erupted" is in the WaPo newsroom.  they did everything they could possibly do to unseat george allen when he ran (and ultimately lost) against jim webb in 2006, and just from where they are playing this story (1A), it appears as though they are going to do their thing against mcdonnell as well.

hey, at least they could find mcdonnell's college papers.  the entirety of president obama's paper trail mysteriously disappeared.  it either disappeared, or it never existed in the first place.  and I doubt you can get through college and law school without writing a single paper.

Va. Governor's Race Erupts Over McDonnell's Past Views
Democrats Attack GOP Gubernatorial Candidate

The Virginia governor's race ignited Monday over Republican Robert F. McDonnell's 20-year-old graduate thesis: Democrats assailed him in e-mail blasts and interviews for what he wrote about working women, homosexuals and "fornicators," and McDonnell tried to explain his views to crucial moderate and female voters.

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