Sunday, October 18, 2009

Washington Post: Mr. Deeds

The Washington Post's enthusiastic endorsement of state Sen. Creigh Deeds is rooted in realism.
If the current campaign for governor has clarified anything, it is that state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee, has the good sense and political courage to maintain the forward-looking policies of the past while addressing the looming challenge of fixing the state's dangerously inadequate roads. The Republican candidate, former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell, offers something different: a blizzard of bogus, unworkable, chimerical proposals, repackaged as new ideas, that crumble on contact with reality. They would do little if anything to build a better transportation system.
Click here to read "Mr. Deeds for Governor."

With Deeds' poll numbers still in a stall, it looks like some of Virginia's Democrats are still less than enthusiastic about their gubernatorial candidate. So, they're maybe going to sit this election out. Maybe they have forgotten how depressing it was under former-Gov. Jim Gilmore.

Former-Attorney General Bob McDonnell may not be as much of a rube as Gilmore, but he's given to using the same mindless, teabagger-style rhetoric about taxes -- always taxes! -- to bash honest problem-solvers like Deeds.

If McDonnell wins, as it looks like he will, his Republican administration's likely effort to force-march Virginians back across the bridge to the 20th century, culturally, will not set well with many of those same unenthusiastic fair-weather Democrats. But by then it will be too late to squawk.

McDonnell's history, in words and actions, tells us he has consistently had more faith in yesterday's rules that kept a lot of people in their place(s), than he has had in a future that gives everybody an equal chance to succeed.

Speaking of faith, how much do Virginians really want McDonnell's rather eccentric mentor, Rev. Robertson, all over their government? You remember Roberston -- he was the TV preacher who said God told him he sends tornadoes to certain places to kill homosexuals.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you have some reference to point to that Robertson was McDonnell's mentor? Many people went to Robertson's university, but I wouldn't consider Robertson therefore to be their "mentor." I am curious if it's true because that would indeed be interesting.

Stuart said...

Read the thesis McDonnell wrote at Christian Broadcasting Network University if you doubt he is Robertson's ideological heir.

I find that troubling, but what's worse is his anti-tax platform, as F.T. wrote. Someone really needs to take him to task on this subject: will a Gov. McDonnell veto a gas tax increase bill sent from the General Assembly? What would a Gov. McDonnell do if the GA will not act on his revenue ideas (such as tolling the federal aid highways?) The last thing Virginia needs right now is an obstructionist governor and a deadlocked legislature.