By Kathy Groob, Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

Amy Gardner of the Washington Post broke the story on Sunday, that GOP gubernatorial candidate, Robert F. McDonnell wrote a master’s thesis in which he described working women and feminists as “detrimental” to the family.  He was 34 when he stated “feminism is among the real enemies of the traditional family.” Today McDonnell was quoted saying he no longer believes in the words he wrote in 1989 and that his “views have changed.”

The 93-page thesis document describes a plan that the Republican Party should follow to protect American families. It reflects a vision that McDonnell started to put into action soon after he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1995.

Gardner reports, “In his run for governor, McDonnell, 55 makes little mention of his conservative beliefs and has said throughout his campaign that he should be judged by what he has done in office.”  To read the full story, click here: http://tinyurl.com/ly54sw.

Click Here to Read the Full Thesis: Thesis

A question remains unanswered, could a gubernatorial hopeful who put in writing these thoughts about women, possess the ability to work with women in power?  This is not just a hypothetical scenario, but a real possibility come November if Democrat Jody Wagner is elected to become Virginia’s first female lieutenant governor in a state where just 16% of its elected officials are women.

The Commonwealth of Virginia elects the governor and lt. governor as separate individuals, not as a joint ticket as in many states.  Different parties currently hold these offices, Democrat Tim Kaine is the governor and Republican William Bolling is the lt. governor.  The lt. governor serves as the president of the senate and is the first line of succession to the governor.

Jody Wagner’s campaign has been centered on her depth of financial experience. She has spent the past seven years as the Commonwealth’s treasurer and resigned last year as the chief financial officer – as state budget director and secretary of the finance cabinet.

To read Jody Wagner’s op-ed on this subject, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jody-wagner/i-am-a-woman-for-deeds_b_274457.html

Whether the revelation about McDonnell’s writings will change the outcome of the November election is yet to be seen.  In recent polling McDonnell has held a comfortable lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds.

“The real enemies of the traditional family – materialism, irresponsibility, feminism, lust and ultimately selfishness are largely outside of the sphere of federal government impact,” writes McDonnell in his thesis.

The sphere of responsibility lies with the voters of Virginia to determine whether or not a man with these views should be elected governor.  The decision is on their shoulders.