The Star City Harbinger has published a Bob McDonnell campaign email which provides thirty "talking points" supporters should use when writing letters to local editors in support of the campaign. The local Republican Committee Chair who circulated the instructions warned writers "...not to copy/paste these talking points word for word. . . [w]e would love to get as many letters placed as possible so if you have friends you know of that would be interested in writing letters please feel free to get them involved in this project–however I ask that you please do not forward this e-mail around from me...”
The suggested talking points seek to downplay or dismiss questions raised by women who are concerned about the implications of McDonnell's thesis in which McDonnell castigates working women as unnecessarily needing "self-actualization" outside the home and being "detrimental" to traditional family values. In the thesis, McDonnell also expressed his belief the Republican Party was ordained by God and it should seek to use government and other levers of society to "punish" people whom the GOP believes "threaten traditional families."
The McDonnell campaign is largely refusing to talk about the issues raised by the candidate's thesis. Supporters maintain the questions raised are irrelevant and that voters have already indicated they do not care about McDonnell's past beliefs.
Yet there has been no clear data on what the impact really is of the McDonnell thesis or the series of mistakes his campaign has made since Labor Day. The release of instructions from the campaign on how to deflect criticism of the issue belays the "get over it" bravado of Republican Party of Virginia true believers.
Still, the GOP talking points memo does provide more unintentionally funny insight into the mediocre political minds which so often try to influence statewide elections.
For instance, the McDonnell campaign is trying to convince its supporters to write public letters saying the beliefs of the candidate do not really matter because they were expressed "before the Berlin wall fell." Trust me my friends, progressives would like nothing better than to dismiss the whole Reagan Era.
But my favorite is the McDonnell campaign asking its stealth letter writers to publicly assure Virginia voters McDonnell will not perpetuate discrimination against women because:
"... Bob supports hiring and promoting people solely on merit and ability, regardless of race, creed, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. That was his policy at the AG’s office. ..."
Which is funny, because McDonnell neglects to say he will not discriminate in hiring or promoting based on gender. Which, of course, is exactly why so many women have questions about the beliefs and policies of Bob McDonnell.
