Over the past nine months I don't think I have been coy about the fact that as a black moderate republican (does such a thing exist?) I voted for President Obama and that I have not been pleased with the overall direction and tone of my own political party of over 20 years (the GOP).
After some of the stunningly offensive, and I believe racial statements and vitriol that we all have witnessed coming from the extreme right and from extreme conservative personalities on talk radio and TV, as well as Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst I decided that I simply could not register as a Republican anymore.
I also decided rather quickly that becoming a Democrat was not a viable option for me either, because I simply don't agree with the Dems on issues of foreign policy, national security, and taxes.
Instead, I decided to register as an Independent in my home state of Virginia. Like most Virginians I plan to vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election this November. Given my new-found political "Independence," I decided that Deeds and McDonnell were essentially the same person, with similar records (except on the choice issue). The two went head to head four years ago with McDonnell winning the contest by less than 900 votes for the statewide Attorney General's Race. And I suspect that this year will be close also.
As a Northern Virginia resident I decided that I would most likely vote for Deeds as are many of my female neighbors because he is pro-choice. However, the commercial that Creigh Deeds is running about McDonnell's 20 year old thesis has really turned me off. It turns me off because it is a sad commentary on Deed's inability to articulate his own vision for Virginia, and his ideals for how he will move the Commonwealth forward in a productive way that puts people back to work, and lessens the burdens of Government.
Whether or not Bob McDonnell is a conservative, pro-life, pro-family guy has never been in dispute to my knowledge. I for one, was not surprised by his thesis. However, we have to ask ourselves as Virginia voters if we want to vote for someone (Deeds) who feels he has to tear the other guy down based on something that person wrote over 20 years ago. The other thing I hate is that once again the black vote will be prevailed upon by national democratic leaders (including the president) to save the sorry, lackluster democratic candidate from himself. I think Gov. Doug Wilder is right on this rebellion against his party.
When will black democrats stop allowing themselves to be used in such a way?
More ironic, is that Deeds himself said in March of 2009 that he "reserves the right to change his opinions and grow as a person" when he was questioned during the democratic primary debate about some of the shifts he has made on issues such as abortion policy, taxes and guns. What ticks me off about this is that it is so typical of what I think is the Achilles heel of the Democratic party: "Do as I say, not as I do" and, of course, rely heavily on the black vote to save us in each election.
Deeds is a hypocrite, in short. He is allowed to grow and change his mind on issues, but Mr. McDonnell is not?? I think Bob McDonnell's daughter (an Iraq war vet and officer) is a great testament to McDonnell and his wife's view on how to raise a young woman in the 21st Century. I am sick of the commercials with the darkness and scary music--blasting the opposition for some secret in his past or some other so-called sinister motives. I am simply over it.
Bottom line: I will be voting for Bob McDonnell for governor of Virginia.