VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS GO HARD-RIGHT
More than a quarter of Virginia's electorate consider itself Republican, which translates to almost 1 million voters. Of that number, about 8,000 - less than 1 percent - showed up at the party's convention in Richmond over the weekend to choose GOP candidates for this November's races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
It's possible that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, whom the convention nominated for governor, could have won in an open primary, in which 10 times more Republicans might have taken part. But it's far from certain.
That's why Mr. Cuccinelli's partisans, with a major push from tea party activists, fought against a primary and prevailed in an internal party power struggle against his somewhat more moderate rival, Lt Gov Bill Bolling, who hoped for a primary.
As for E. W. Jackson, the convention's pick for lieutenant governor, it's almost inconceivable that he could have won in an open party primary.
Mr. Jackson, a pastor, was until now a fringe figure whose views have proven deeply embarrassing to the Republican Party's leadership. A survey of his greatest hits includes assertions that Democrats are peddling antichrist's agenda; that Planned Parenthood has done more damage to African-Americans than the KKK; that homosexuals are "frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally, and emotionally"; and that President Obama sees the world "from a Muslim perspective".
-Wash Post Editorial Board, 05/20/13
Why the VA Repub party is so determined to make it easy for Dems to win in November I do not understand, but "thank you" teabaggers anyhow...Next to E.W. Jackson, Ken Cuccinelli looks moderate - not an easy task!
"...the empty desks of 20 children marked absent today, and forever"
-Poet Richard Blanco at President Obama's Inauguration, 01/21/13
