Va. elections could redefine McDonnell’s image

[Derechos]

snip


But what if the state Senate is captured next month by a field of Republican candidates far more conservative than the retiring generation?

A stack of right-wing legislation would land on the governor’s desk: bills conferring rights on fetuses, repealing the state law limiting handgun purchases to one a month, forcing state colleges and universities to allow handguns on campus, requiring welfare recipients to undergo screening for illegal drugs, compelling schools to collect information on students’ immigration status, and allowing employers to fire workers for not speaking English. The budget, too, might be subject to radical revision, with funds raided from education, public safety and health programs.

That’s not the agenda most Republicans are talking about in this fall’s campaign. Most stick to national GOP orthodoxy — Lower taxes! Shrink government! Scrap regulations! — with scant mention of hot-button issues, or even Virginia itself.

But it’s an agenda most of them support — and it could redefine not only Virginia politics but also McDonnell’s governorship and his image as a moderate conservative.

That might be perfect positioning for a possible vice president — if, say, Mitt Romney decides he needs a running mate with right-wing appeal. It’s unlikely to sit as well with millions of middle-of-the-road Virginians.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/va-elections-could-redefine-mcdonnells-image/2011/10/27/gIQArRTEXM_story.html