Is Frederick the face of the GOP?

The Republican Party in Virginia is not having a good year. Polls suggest that Sen. Barack Obama will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1964. The GOP’s senatorial candidate, Jim Gilmore, may lose to Democrat Mark Warner by 30 points. Apparently, the elephants couldn’t find a better candidate.

To make matters worse, the new chairman of the Virginia's Republican Party franchise, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (depicted above), has grossed out the man at the top of their ticket, Sen. John McCain, with his rather lowbrow sense of humor. Frederick's reckless style may go over well in some dark corners of the political landscape, but realists know he is putting an ugly face on conservatism.

By the way, earlier this year Virginia Republicans installed Frederick because the extremely capable John Hager, who started the year as the state chairman, was seen as far too sane and civilized to lead suicidal neo-Republicans.

Maybe the elephant symbol of the party should be replaced by a lemming?

-- Words and art by F.T. Rea