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| Virginia Republicans nominate Tea Party favorite for lieutenant governor | Virginia Republicans nominate Tea Party favorite for lieutenant governor |
| (4 months later) | |
| Virginia's next lieutenant governor could well be a man who has compared gay people to paedophiles and likened Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan, after state Republican Party officials selected Tea Party favourite EW Jackson as its nominee. | Virginia's next lieutenant governor could well be a man who has compared gay people to paedophiles and likened Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan, after state Republican Party officials selected Tea Party favourite EW Jackson as its nominee. |
| Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Senate spot in 2012, secured the nomination on Saturday and will be on the ballot in the 5 November election. Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli has already been selected as the GOP's gubernatorial candidate. | Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Senate spot in 2012, secured the nomination on Saturday and will be on the ballot in the 5 November election. Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli has already been selected as the GOP's gubernatorial candidate. |
| Democrats in the state immediately pounced on Jackson's victory as evidence that the Republican party in the state is veering to the right. | Democrats in the state immediately pounced on Jackson's victory as evidence that the Republican party in the state is veering to the right. |
| "This choice highlights just how out-of-touch the Republican Party of Virginia has become," said Aneesh Chopra, a Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, in a prepared statement. | "This choice highlights just how out-of-touch the Republican Party of Virginia has become," said Aneesh Chopra, a Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, in a prepared statement. |
| "Jackson's extreme views are far to the right of Virginia voters. In fact, Jackson is far more extreme than Ken Cuccinelli – which is quite a feat." | "Jackson's extreme views are far to the right of Virginia voters. In fact, Jackson is far more extreme than Ken Cuccinelli – which is quite a feat." |
| Those unhappy with Jackson's nomination have pointed to a campaign video Jackson posted to YouTube when he was running for Senate last year as evidence of his unsuitability for the lieutenant governor role. | Those unhappy with Jackson's nomination have pointed to a campaign video Jackson posted to YouTube when he was running for Senate last year as evidence of his unsuitability for the lieutenant governor role. |
| In the video, billed as a "message to black Christians", Jackson said it was to "time to end the slavish devotion to the Democratic Party". | In the video, billed as a "message to black Christians", Jackson said it was to "time to end the slavish devotion to the Democratic Party". |
| Jackson said Democrats "think we are stupid", and said the Democratic party "has created an unholy alliance between certain, so-called civil rights leaders and Planned Parenthood, which has killed unborn black babies by the tens of millions". | Jackson said Democrats "think we are stupid", and said the Democratic party "has created an unholy alliance between certain, so-called civil rights leaders and Planned Parenthood, which has killed unborn black babies by the tens of millions". |
| "Planned Parenthood has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was. And the Democratic Party and their black civil rights allies are partners in this genocide." | "Planned Parenthood has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was. And the Democratic Party and their black civil rights allies are partners in this genocide." |
| Jackson, a former marine, Harvard law graduate and Christian minister, also went on a lengthy riff on how Democrats have "equated homosexuality to being black". | Jackson, a former marine, Harvard law graduate and Christian minister, also went on a lengthy riff on how Democrats have "equated homosexuality to being black". |
| "They say opposition to same-sex marriage is the same as opposition to interracial marriage. That is an insult to human intelligence. It is a lie. No Christian should support this," he said. | "They say opposition to same-sex marriage is the same as opposition to interracial marriage. That is an insult to human intelligence. It is a lie. No Christian should support this," he said. |
| The video was released during Jackson's little-noticed bid for Senate in 2012. His YouTube channel from that bid is still accessible, revealing what at times was an eccentric approach to video advertising. | The video was released during Jackson's little-noticed bid for Senate in 2012. His YouTube channel from that bid is still accessible, revealing what at times was an eccentric approach to video advertising. |
| One short film, titled "e_w_jackson_ax.wmv", and quite possibly shot on a BlackBerry, shows a brown-clad Jackson standing in front of a woodland scene. | One short film, titled "e_w_jackson_ax.wmv", and quite possibly shot on a BlackBerry, shows a brown-clad Jackson standing in front of a woodland scene. |
| "The president has said that we need to use a scalpel to cut the federal budget," Jackson says. "I believe we need to use an axe." | "The president has said that we need to use a scalpel to cut the federal budget," Jackson says. "I believe we need to use an axe." |
| The US Senate candidate is then handed a star-spangled-banner decorated axe by a man in patriot clothing. Jackson takes aim at a watermelon with the words "federal budget" crudely affixed to it, and cleaves it in two in slow motion. | The US Senate candidate is then handed a star-spangled-banner decorated axe by a man in patriot clothing. Jackson takes aim at a watermelon with the words "federal budget" crudely affixed to it, and cleaves it in two in slow motion. |
| He affords the same treatment to a grapefruit ("unemployment") and a second watermelon ("Obamacare") before imploring Virginia Republicans to vote for him in the primary. Jackson received 12,086 votes; 4.72% of the total. | He affords the same treatment to a grapefruit ("unemployment") and a second watermelon ("Obamacare") before imploring Virginia Republicans to vote for him in the primary. Jackson received 12,086 votes; 4.72% of the total. |
| Bizarre campaign ads aside, Jackson's controversial views on homosexuality might normally rule him out of any publicly elected position. In a radio discussion about gay rights in 2010, Jackson argued against same-sex marriage as it could lead to "sexual freedom". | Bizarre campaign ads aside, Jackson's controversial views on homosexuality might normally rule him out of any publicly elected position. In a radio discussion about gay rights in 2010, Jackson argued against same-sex marriage as it could lead to "sexual freedom". |
| "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 direction connection because what they really want is absolute sexual freedom." | "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 direction connection because what they really want is absolute sexual freedom." |
| In a different interview Jackson described homosexuality as a "horrible sin" which "poisons culture". | In a different interview Jackson described homosexuality as a "horrible sin" which "poisons culture". |
| But Jackson has managed to win the nomination, largely because of the way Republicans nominate their lieutenant governor candidates in Virginia. | But Jackson has managed to win the nomination, largely because of the way Republicans nominate their lieutenant governor candidates in Virginia. |
| The lieutenant governor was decided at the Virginia Republican convention rather than a broader primary process, meaning the party activists in attendance – who tend to be more right-wing than Republicans at large, especially in a state which has twice voted for Barack Obama – decide the candidate among themselves. | The lieutenant governor was decided at the Virginia Republican convention rather than a broader primary process, meaning the party activists in attendance – who tend to be more right-wing than Republicans at large, especially in a state which has twice voted for Barack Obama – decide the candidate among themselves. |
| For those at the convention it appears that Jackson's speech, his unflinching right-wing views and, possibly, his axe work, clinched the vote. Whether he can beat the Democratic nominee, who will be chosen in June, and the impact he will have on Cuccinelli's bid for governor remains to be seen. | For those at the convention it appears that Jackson's speech, his unflinching right-wing views and, possibly, his axe work, clinched the vote. Whether he can beat the Democratic nominee, who will be chosen in June, and the impact he will have on Cuccinelli's bid for governor remains to be seen. |
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