Well, the depths of depravity continue in the Republican party as the last 48 hours of the campaign wind down. As covered here, the campaign has already issued fake Democrat[ic] voting guides and misleading phone messages featuring a Kaine voice impersonator. As well, the Kilgore campaign leafleted church services throughout the Commonwealth Sunday with a leaflet that totally misrepresents Tim Kaine's positions on the hot button issues of abortion and gay rights.Across the state, leaflets entitled "Does Tim Kaine Share Your Values?" hit churches. The contents of this flyer completely falsify Tim Kaine's record, spuriously indicating a record of supporting extreme stances on abortion, gay adoption and gay marriage--areas where Tim Kaine has supported moderate, mainstream positions. Adam Sharp presents a good review of this latest literature piece here, comparing it with the positions claimed on behalf of Tim Kaine in the Republican's deceptively fake voting guide.
Kilgore's church guide emphasizes that Kaine said "I'm Liberal and proud of it," continuing the "too liberal" message that the Kilgore has been bombarding towards church groups throughout the campaign. Honestly, I can't see much wrong in the "L" word, which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as "Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry."
So, that would mean that Jerry Kilgore self-identifies as an "established traditionalist orthodox authoritarian and bigot." Congratulations, Mr. Kilgore, much better to be an authoritarian and bigot than a (supposed) "liberal!"
Meanwhile, as Kilgore supporters babbled on to the Washington Post that their candidate's mere presence Sunday at churches in Fairfax County affirmed that Kilgore "was God-centered and Christ-centered," where were the Republicans condemning Jerry Kilgore's actions as violating core Christian beliefs? For the record, here are a couple of ways that Jerry Kilgore has demonstrated complete abandon for at least two of the Ten Commandments:
9th Commandment: Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor: Jerry Kilgore has repeatedly used deceptive campaign tactics, consistently lying about his own dismal record in public service. In contrast,Kilgore advertisements have never honestly represented the policies of Tim Kaine a single time in this campaign.
Admittedly, there have been opportunities where the Kaine campaign has used clever or humorous tactics to get its point across, but the content has always been honest, particularly in regards to Kilgore's record and message. The bottom line is this: Tim Kaine's campaign always told the truth.
3rd Commandment: Thou shalt not swear falsely by the name of the Lord: By pledging at the last debate to "stand by" his advertisements, Jerry Kilgore pledged falsely to honest campaigning. There is no doubt that Kilgore has abandoned the truth in his campaign, be it dishonest advertisements, deceptive robo-calls or duplicitous campaign literature. Moreover, Kilgore's dismal record as Attorney General and as Secretary of Public Safety demonstrate that Kilgore is willing to swear an oath to Virginians to do a job he knows full well is beyond his abilities.
In contrast, Tim Kaine has demonstrated a dedication to the oath of office that is solemn, almost religious, in its intensity. Although sticking to his own convictions became tough at times, Kaine never abandoned them. Instead, he remained faithful to his oath to uphold and preserve Virginia's laws and constitution. Moreover, Kaine has never abused, distorted or even ridiculed Kilgore's record.
Which brings us back to the question posed in this leaflet: Does Tim Kaine Share Your Values?
If you value and honor honesty, accountibility and integrity, the answer is obvious: YES! Vote Tim Kaine.