PICKING LOSERS

GOP Goes For Raving Homophobe As Va. Lt. Gov. Candidate

In an effort to prove that they learned absolutely nothing from the 2012 elections, Republicans in Virginia have nominated a right-wing minister, E.W. Jackson, as lieutenant governor. Jackson, who has been tagged by a Bloomberg writer as the “candidate of Virginia’s swivel-eyed loons,” loves the sound of his voice, particularly when it’s attached to despicably homophobic statements, such as these gems about gays:

  • “Their minds are perverted, they’re frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally and they see everything through the lens of homosexuality.”
  • “We’ve got to stand up because what they’re doing, what they’re promoting is killing people, and you’re right, it [HIV] is killing black men by the thousands.”
  • “And I know their people say, well, ‘It’s unfair to associate homosexuality with pedophilia or some of these other previsions.’ But I believe that there is a direct connection, because what they really want is absolute sexual freedom.”

Conservatives have a track record of embracing right-wing black men who say antigay things because if they like a black man it proves they aren’t bigoted. Jackson follows in the footsteps of such worthies are Herman Cain, Alan Keyes and Ben Carson.

Jackson’s nomination comes at a time when the state is clearly pulling away from its conservative roots. A poll released last week showed that a clear majority of voters in Virginia are comfortable with marriage equality, enough so to make it a non-issue if it passed the legislature. Jackson, on the other hand, is a throwback to the Jerry Falwell-brand of hellfire and damnation that played well in the 1980s and 1990s.  There’s already speculation that Jackson’s appearance on the ballot will sink gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli’s chances in the general election. Orf course, Cuccinelli is no prize package either, having pressed to remove gay protections for students and called homosexuality acts “intrinsically wrong.” Perhaps Virginia Republicans are more interested in nostalgia than winning. If so, they picked the right pair for the ballot.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

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