When news broke Sunday that Republican Bob McDonnell had written some right wing crazy stuff in his graduate these submitted for his masters and law degrees from Pat Robertson’s CBN University, now Regent, I decided that I would read every word of his writing and tweet the best parts. I just finished.
I’ve been amazed at how effective this has been in drawing people’s attention to this document. I set up a special URL for McDonnell’s thesis — I called it http://bit.ly/BobsManifesto and linked to it in most of the tweets I’ve put out since the story broke. The traffic has been surprisingly significant.
I hope people read it Mr. McDonnell’s thesis in its entirety and the news coverage about it. In an new editorial in today’s paper, the Washington Post calls Bob McDonnell a “culture warrior”.
“…in his 14 years in the state’s General Assembly, Mr. McDonnell did aggressively pursue a socially conservative agenda largely in line with his thesis. As governor he could do the same, although he would be constrained by a legislature at least partly controlled by Democrats. He could not ban abortion and contraception, but he could help restrict access. The Bob McDonnell who wrote that thesis would make a divisive, disruptive and partisan governor — a sharp departure from the tradition of generally pragmatic executives who have helped make Virginia one of the better-managed states in the union. Virginians deserve specific answers about where the thinking of his early middle age has shifted, and where it remains consistent.”
I agree 100 percent!
It’s eye-opening and frightening what this man believes. I use the present tense of the word, because it’s not entirely clear what views he had as a 34 year old writing this thesis that he no longer holds. His supporters and his opponents deserve to know the answer to the question, “Where do you stand, Bob?”
What follows are the tweets in order. Consider it the Cliff’s Notes version of McDonnell’s blueprint for Virginia.
@BobMcDonnell believes liberalism has given us “homelessness, heartlessness, death of God & heroes.” http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto #p2
@BobMcDonnell in http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto says Aid to Families w Dependent Children is “anti-family”. pg 5. // How is feeding kids bad?
@BobMcDonnell says in http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto (pg. 6) that people w/o kids or who are single are “self-centered”. #p2
There are 99 pages in http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. And I am tweeting about every single nutty thing @BobMcDonnell wrote in it. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell says IRS “wrecked havoc upon the trad. family” on pg 7 http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. // Dependents = deduction, no? #p2 #tcot
@clovernode @fbihop Bob McDonnell didn’t write it when he was in college. He was a 34 yr old law student at Pat Robertson’s univ. #p2 #tcot in reply to clovernode
I am still baffled by what Bob McDonnell wrote in http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. Why should I believe @BobMcDonnell has changed? #tcot #p2
@TeresaKopec Taliban Bob was 34 when he wrote http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. That’s disturbing on many levels. #tcot #p2 in reply to TeresaKopec
@teacherken But he was 34 when he wrote this, so it doesn’t count. It doesn’t count that he spent next 20 yrs pursuing this plan. in reply to teacherken
@TeresaKopec 55, which in the middle ages was a very long time to live. in reply to TeresaKopec
If you don’t believe in Gen. 2:24, @BobMcDonnell believes you don’t have rights in our country. Pg. 13 http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto #tcot #p2
On pg 13 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell says being single is an “alternative lifestyle living arrangement”. #tcot #p2
On p. 19 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell praised notion of abolishing US Dept of Educ. Still believe that Bob? #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell equates gays w drug abusers & pornographers on pg 20 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell says govt must “restrain, punish & deter” gays. #tcot #p2 #hate #bigotry See pg 20 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto.
Ironically @BobMcDonnell wants us to believe he’s a moderate, yet on pg 26 he mocks GOPers supporting Family Medical Leave Act. #tcot #p2
On p 31 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, McDonnell praises Orrin Hatch & Dan Coats 4 law which denied abortion counseling to teens. #p2 #tcot
I’m not sure what “homosexual legal services” are. But on p. 33, @BobMcDonnell hates them. Gays must be “punished” right, Bob? #tcot #p2
On pg 39 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell hails the late Phyllis Schlaffly & the Eagle Forum. #tcot #p2
On pg 37 & 38 of Bob’s Manifesto, McDonnell heaps praise on fellow GOP Catholic Tom Tauke, now a Verizon lobbyist. Are they giving to Bob?
Pg. 33 of Bob’s Manifesto is fulled with nuttiness. @BobMcDonnell claims abortion & gays are cause & effect of “family breakdown”. #tcot #p2
@teacherken What’s interesting is that McDonnell is Catholic. Does he believe priests should marry or are they “self-centered”? in reply to teacherken
On pg. 41 @BobMcDonnellsays he thinks Const. won’t work w/o “people of character”. (Given your love of Gingrich, we’re in trouble, Bob.)
On pg 42, McDonnell suggests Dept of Educ run “character education” program, yet earlier called for end of Dept. Which is it Bob? #tcot #p2
Who decides what “good character” is? Why “business leaders” according to @BobMcDonnell! See p. 43 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. #tcot #p2
Business leaders of 1989! (Big Oil, Tobacco dominated Fortune 10 in 1989 — such character! Smoking doesn’t kill! Oil spill, what spill?)
On pg 43, @BobMcDonnellpraises former Rep. Tony Hall of Ohio. But mistakenly ID’s him as a Republican. #tcot #p2 #pointsoff
Finally 44 pgs into Bob’s Manifesto, something I agree w him on. Character educ belongs in home & churches, not public schools. #tcot #p2
On that note, I’m calling it a nite. I will reconvene my tweeting of Bob’s Manifesto Mon night. Aren’t you thrilled @BobMcDonnell? #tcot #p2
@teacherken I’m very nervous that programs like can easily slip into religious proselytizing. in reply to teacherken
@BobMcDonnell, You say ur views since 89 have “evolved”. Does that mean you’d vote for Wilder over Coleman if election was today? #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell. Better question: Is that what you’re whispering in Doug Wilder’s ear to get his backing this year? #tcot #p2
@ryanobles What I want to hear from @BobMcDonnell & RPV is what parts of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto does he no longer believe. #tcot #p2 in reply to ryanobles
@Ryanobles If he disavows any of it, GOP will have his head. If he fails to disavow it all, moderates will know his true colors. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell Where did I leave off? That’s right, p. 44 where you said “violence & anarchy are pervasive among adolescents”. #tcot #p2
Ha! On p. 47 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell writes that “fiscal restraint” characterizes GOP policy. #tcot #p2 (Since when?)
@BobMcDonnell says on p. 50 Republicans who didn’t back Reagan 100% are “country club Republicans”. #tcot #p2 / The kind blacks can’t join?
On pg 51 of Bob’s Manifesto @BobMcDonnell longs for the GOP of pre-1936. (Apparently Bob thinks the New Deal was a Bad Deal.) #tcot #p2
On pg 53, @BobMcDonnell blames GOP minority party status not on bad policy people don’t like, but on “poor marketing”. #tcot #p2 #denial
@BobMcDonnell laments on p 55 that Reagan wasn’t “fully committed to pursuing the family issues on which he campaigned”. #tcot #p2
Hurray! @BobMcDonnell & I agree! On pg 55: “voting American mainstream isn’t willing to accept a true pro-family idealogue” #tcot #p2
“Leadership, however, does not require giving voters what they want…” pg 55 of @BobMcDonnell‘s manifesto. // #tcot #p2 #huh?
pg 55 & 56 @BobMcDonnellbelieves Conservatives aren’t extremists, they just sound that why thru liberal media. #tcot #p2 #keepthinkingthat
When you write that working women are “detrimental” & gays must be “punished” that’s not media’s fault/bias. You’re extremist! #p2 #tcot
@teacherken On pg 58 @BobMcDonnell critcizes values of the Natl Educ Assoc. They shouldn’t run character education progs Bob says. #tcot p2
On pg 61, @BobMcDonnell says its up to the GOP to “restore proper balance of CHURCH, family & state authority” // #tcot #p2 #theocracy
On page 62 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell says the separation of church & state is “folklore”. #tcot #p2 #Constitution
On pg 62 @BobMcDonnell says he believes it’s govt’s role to “create legal & financial conditions” to help the Church. #tcot #p2 #theocracy about 1 hour ago from web
On pg 63 @BobMcDonnell seems to think that GOP is an arm of the Church. #tcot #p2 #theocracy
On pg 64 @BobMcDonnell writes that the graduated income tax system is “socialist”. #tcot #p2 #protecttherich
@BobMcDonnell writes on pg 65: govt should prefer “married couples over cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.” #tcot #p2 #bigotry
On pg 65 @BobMcDonnell writes “The cost of sin should fall on the sinner not the taxpayer” #tcot #p2 How does that wk w/ Romans 3:23, Bob?
@BobMcDonnell on pg 65 writes that feminism is “the real enemy of the traditional family”. #tcot #p2 #burkha
On pgs 66 & 67 of http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, @BobMcDonnell describes 15 public policy goals he thinks the GOP must pursue. #tcot #p2
Goal 1 of @BobMcDonnell: Pass “strong state anti-abortion laws” #tcot #p2 #moderatemyass
Goal 2 of @BobMcDonnell: Pick federal judges not based on willingness to uphold Const., but “covenant view of marriage & family” #tcot #p2
Goal 3 of @BobMcDonnell: Support a parental leave program by giving businesses tax cuts. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell‘s 4th goal: Stop pornography. #tcot #p2 #yourpornismyart http://bit.ly/DwDEG
Goal 5 of @BobMcDonnell: End all social welfare programs; move that responsibility to charities. #p2 #tcot #casseroledish
Goal 6 of @BobMcDonnell: Love me some vouchers! #p2 #tcot41 minutes ago from web @BobMcDonnell‘s 7th goal: Hijack @CSpan & drown out opposing views in effort to camouflage extremist views. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell‘s 8th goal: Discriminate against gays & single unwed moms. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell‘s 9th goal: No funds for school clinics offering sex ed, family planning, contraceptives or abortion counseling. #tcot #p2
@BobMcDonnell‘s 11th goal: Stop no-fault divorces. #tcot #p2 // Did your buddy @NewtGingrich have 1, 2 or 3 of these at this point?
The 12th goal of @BobMcDonnell scares me as Christian: Use GOP to help churches & others solve family problems. #tcot #p2 #handsoffmychurch
@BobMcDonnell‘s 13th goal: Urge states to reject Fed. funding for families. #tcot #p2// So THAT’s why you didn’t want unemployment funds!
@BobMcDonnell‘s 14th goal: Pass laws giving “preferred status” to “intact families”. #tcot #p2 // Code for screw singles, divorced & gays.
@BobMcDonnell‘s 15th goal: Don’t change extremist philosophy; market it better by calling yourself moderate. #tcot #p2
Wow @BobMcDonnell! 15 goals! Tweeting this is like the 12 days of Christmas, except based on hate, bigotry & theocratic dribble. #tcot #p2
So there ya have it, @BobMcDonnell! I’ve tweeted your thesis –http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto. So what part do you reject? #tcot #p2 #tapdance
Look @BobMcDonnell! It’s not just me on Twitter who questions http://bit.ly/bobsmanifesto, so does the Wash Post! http://bit.ly/18pO4t #p2
Fake Virginia 
Based latest post on this. http://is.gd/2KRrH Thanks! -@OCIHACOSP