Only if it is fair to criticize Michelle Obama for her racist 1988 thesis where she stated "Blacks must join in solidarity to combat a white oppressor." Oh wait, the Obama campaign had access to her thesis restricted until after the 2008 election. What hypocrisy! We clearly have a racist, or two, in the White House so what is the difference in what McDonnell wrote a year later than Michelle. If Michelle is permitted to be the First Lady, then why can McDonnell be VA Governor? Again, what hypocrisy! I guess hypocrisy is ok for Democrats like Kennedy (changing MA law to have a special election when a Republican is Governor, but wanting a quick replacement when a Democrat is Governor). What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/thesis.asp
Besides, a new Zogby Poll has Obama approval rating now at 42% and even 25% of Democrats and 14% of Liberals do not approve of the job he is doing. If he is losing his base, what does that say? It is debatable if this is the fastest plummet in approval ratings in history. Bush may still hold the lead, but Obama is fast approaching.
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/zogby_obama_poll/2009/08/31/254617.html

Criticize yes, denigrate no. Everyone who goes into politics knows that everything they have said or done is up for parsing by the worst and best and though he has his right to defend himself...backtracking on what he wrote and it wasn't just a grocery list, makes him look even weaker and rather than justifying his 20yr old POV, he's treating it like kryptonite. Flip-flops anyone?

Get background on this story and the Virginia governor's race in general at washingtonpost.com.

As long as we are going that far back, I want to know what he wrote in First Grade to the question: "What did I do on my summer vacation?". If he said he pulled some girl's pigtails, then well.................
For those who can't tell, I am being sarcastic!

The only people fair to criticize are Limbaugh Ditto Heads, who want this country to fail. Whither goes the President, goes the country.

Most definitely. Maybe the VA voters will wake up and see what an extremist he is - oh wait we are talking about VA

Virginia doesn't need a man with 19th century views leading it into the 21st century. it's fair because he wrote it when he was 32 and bragged he pursued 10 of his 14 points as a legislator.

No, but that's politics in the age of the attack ad. Their man is trailing in the polls, and the Dems are frantically hoping for something to change that. Of course, if you found out what the political hacks attacking McConnell were saying and advocating in 1988, they'd be blushing themselves -- oh, wait, I forgot, political hacks like them are impervious to being embarrassed about their own inconsistency...

@ Common Kevin

And I believe you have devoted thousands of keystrokes to that very topic. So, Clearly you are of the opinion that everything is fair game.

Yes, it is because he's running for a public office and his views on various topics should be known. Michelle Obama, however, is NOT running for office!!! Geezus!

The purpose of a thesis it to pick a position and defend it with an argument…whether you agree with it or not. It is an assignment in critical thinking and writing skills. Anyone who has ever taken a debate class knows you are given a position and you have to defend or attack it, regardless of your personal views. McDonnell has already explained that the paper was an “academic exercise”.

Comparing a master's thesis to "first grade" is like comparing apples to Smurfs. This was a fully-thought out, researched, planned, edited, and published work on the part of an adult already in his 30s. Jev, maybe you were in first grade back in 1989, but this guys most definitely was not, and his product back then is certainly fair game. That said, there's something to be said for changing ones views over a two-decade period, and his statements that that is what happened should at least be considered.

However, this is completely relevant, just as the Republicans reminded us of the relevance of Obama's affiliation with "terrorists," and just as Clinton's, Bush's, and Obama's drug use and subsequent reactions ("I didn't inhale," "9/11!" and "So what?" respectively.)

But my take on the situation? If you want a guy who thinks blacks and women and gays should all stay in the kitchen or the closet or the slave quarters, big surprise: you must be a Virginia Republican. (And I'm not even gonna touch "fornicators," and neither should ANY Republican right now...)

It is not fair to critisize him, we have a racist running the coutnry and plenty of racists in Washington DC. Bigotry is alive and well in the nation's capital.

MTL - that's exactly what I was thinking!

Yes, it is fair to criticize McDonnell. But it's also fair to have an open discussion on this topic. It's possible that Mr. McDonnell has genuinely changed his views, rather than a simple flip-flip. I know I've changed my own views since 1989. People can change, and yes, even politcians can too.

Sure, go ahead and criticize McDonnell's 20 year old thesis, but lets all agree that BOTH sides play dirty politics. Deeds is behind in the polls and he's going negative. So much for the Dems being the guys in the white hats...anything for a win.

Fun reading how the right says this is no big deal. It is, if you are a woman, gay, living togather, atheist/ agnostic or just a person living in the 21st century.

Sure it's fair -- why should his past be ignored? These views are way outside the mainstream and it is incumbent on us as an electorate to vet this information as much as possible. Ultimately, it is up to the voters to decide if he still holds these views or not.

@ Common Kevin

Every President loses approval ratings in the first 6 months, and an approval rating of 42% for Obama is consistent with the approval ratings for Clinton after 6 months (who left office with an approval rating of 64%). Your point is? No one will ever come close to the incompetency of the Bush Regime, but I expect the US to attain third-world status after the Jeb Bush/Sarah Palin ticket lies their way to power in 2016.

McDonnell's views are far outside the mainstream, and Virginia voters need to know. He can walk it back all he wants, but the fact is, he designed his thesis around those views. I would respect him more if he stood up and defended his positions.

Clearly, the man regrets ideas he once held some 2 decades ago. Folks evolve as their world view broadens -- let's not be self righteous about it and allow this man to proceed on with his bid for the VA gubernatorial. Any of our views could have been at one point considered divisive or hate mongering.

Sure. Senator Jim Webb's controversial writings from farther back were criticized so why should McDonnell get a pass? Or is it only Dems who must account for their past? Everything in a candidate's record is fair game for scrutiny, and that goes for politicians of both parties. It isn't right to have double standards based on whether someone is conservative, liberal, or anything in between.

Yes this is relevant. The ideas upheld in this thesis restrict and reduce a sector of our population. This man is aspiring for a position that would empower him to "serve" all citizens. His thesis exposes dangerously simplistic ideas that, if implemented, would be suffocating for all - not just women.
The year 1989 is not so long ago. Some folks don't change much....however they will attempt to disguise themselves for acceptance - and especially if they are aspiring for office. This guy McDonnell sounds like a dangerous relic.

Just another guy who probably wants to control other people. What's the problem?

The Dems and the Reps are the same, one wants to control our financial lives, the other our personal lives. Both are criminal.

@ Anonymous

"It is not fair to critisize him, we have a racist running the coutnry and plenty of racists in Washington DC. Bigotry is alive and well in the nation's capital?"

so it's not ok to criticize McDonnell for physical evidence of his racism, but it's ok to criticize 'the racist running the country" for his?

Your criteria for what is criticizable is extremely partisan and racist and removes your objectivity completely!

To say that the writings of a grown adult are irrelevant is absurd. Clearly Bob McDonnell not only espoused intolerant views, but pursued them in the political arena as well. No, this is one Trojan horse we Virginians could do without.

Didn't Obama call for change? Kaine is a Democrat so should VA not "change" to a Republican or Independent?

MildlyMisanthropic and MTL,
True Michelle did not run for office, but she is in an official position (First Lady). Funny though how access to her Thesis was restricted until after Obama was elected or an educated voter probably would not have voted for Obama. Maybe that is why Obama spent so many years by racist Wright's side, because Michelle wears the pants, like Hilary did with Bill, and Michelle felt right at home with the other racists in Wright's church. Maybe there is a reason why Michelle and Barack fit so well together. Is this it? Who knows for sure?

Anonymous @ 9:36 AM,
Well said.

V,
Clinton did not win the POPULAR VOTE or have such a high approval rating when he was inaugurated. 2016? It may be 2012 with the incompetence of Obama. Obama is fast approaching Bush. If his health care bill passes and they ignore the American people (over 50% disapprove of the health care bill/government option) and they prosecute the CIA so that they become complacent and we get attacked again in this country, and we have another recession on Obama's watch, do you honestly think a Republican or Independent in 2012 will not pull the same thing Obama did and state "Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?" The answer will be a resounding no and Obama will be rightfully tossed out on his big ears. Obama has already stated that he does not care about a second term as long as he can pass his radical agenda.

Huh?,
Not another racist. I think the point of Anonymous was that why is it ok to criticize a Republican and not a Democrat since both (Michelle Obama and Robert McDonnell) clearly had racist views in the late 1980's, but the difference is we can look at McDonnell’s thesis beforehand while Obama's thesis was restricted until after the 2008 election. I wonder why her thesis was "restricted." Maybe because if we knew how she thought before the election then an intelligent person would have put the pieces of the puzzle together and come to the obvious conclusion that the president is a racist also as evidenced by his quick assumption that "the police acted stupidly."

It is unfair to criticize anyone for views written 20 years ago, and in the course of a purely academic exercise to boot. Questioning whether he truly holds those views is perfectly legitimate.

No. It happened a long time ago and we shouldn't focus so much on the past. It's best to look forward and move ahead.

@Common Kevin - What are you smoking?

Your posts are purely bias with no real facts. I suggest you get your news from somewhere else other than Faux News.

Roosevelt's diaries are still classified above "Top Secret" (sec 1.2 and 4.3 of Bush's Executive Order 13292), and are known only to a few elite. Even after 70 years, his words are considered dangerous to the national security apparatus.

Even historical words have power to topple governments.

I seem to recall Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was a klansman back in the day. No thesis required there, just straight up racist. By the way folks, he is 4th in line for the Nation's presidency as President Pro Tem of the Senate.

"non-issue"--yes, yes, those are the rules of a debate, but doesn't one typically select his own thesis on which to write? And he was going to Pat Robertson's university, so I strongly doubt he was writing that to play devil's advoate.

But, yes, people's views can change over the course of 20 years. The question therefore is, how much have McDonnell's views towards women, non-whites, atheists, agnostics, and anyone else he has attacked changed? And from what I've heard, they haven't changed much.

Anonymous @3:18 PM,
What are you talking about? I have referenced the information to which I am referring. What is Faux News? Is this a cable channel since I do not have cable. Sorry, I have better things to spend my money on than TV. From what I hear, maybe I should get cable and watch Ms.NBC so I can really spew some hate.

"I seem to recall Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was a klansman back in the day. No thesis required there, just straight up racist. By the way folks, he is 4th in line for the Nation's presidency as President Pro Tem of the Senate."

Yep, that dirt bag should be in jail for many, many reasons. Is he still stealing tons of money from the rest of the country for special interest projects in his state? That guy is so bad, he practically admits he's buying votes.

Older than dirt, worth even less.

Usually it wouldn't be fair. But McDonnell still basically thinks what he thought back then.

Absolutely. This isn't some term paper written by an undergraduate student in their late teens or early twenties. This is a master's thesis written by a man in his mid-thirties. After reading it, I have a much better understanding of the types of policies Mr. McDonnell would try to implement if elected Governor.

GW,
Yes. The spending bill had more funding in it for the "road to nowhere" in WV.