I was checking my Yahoo! e-mail account when off to the side I saw an ad that showed a couple lying down, and then in the middle is a rather silly photo of Ken Cuccinelli, GOP candidate for governor of Virginia, photobombing this couple and wagging his finger at them. The ad reads, “Keep Ken Cuccinelli out of your bedroom.” There’s a link to “Find Out How,” and with how ridiculous the ad was, I just couldn’t help clicking on it.
I was then directed to this page. Instead of this silly Ken Cuccinelli wagging his finger at a couple lying down together, he’s wagging his finger at a woman in a wedding dress and two girls and a guy standing next to her. I don’t see how Ken Cuccinelli being elected governor would mean anything bad for this woman’s wedding, but, well, I don’t have the warped mindset that Planned Parenthood and Terry McAuliffe apparently have to make such connections.
Visitors to the web page are then encouraged to upload a picture of themselves to make their own image and “let others know how life would change if Ken is elected governor!”
It is worth noting that on the bottom of the ad clicked on and the website, it says, “Paid for by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Planned Parenthood Votes, and Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC. Authorized by Terry McAuliffe, candidate for Governor.”
Now, I’m sure that Ken Cuccinelli is concerned about the citizens of Virginia, in the sense that he cares about their well-being and safety. I still don’t understand, though, how it’s plausible to come to the conclusion that if elected governor, Cuccinelli is going to insert himself into every single aspect of your life and get all up in your business. It seems more like the smear campaign idea someone would use in high school or maybe college, if he really hated his opponent and loved social media. But nope, this is the campaign of an adult man running for governor.
Except wait a second. This is the political arm of Planned Parenthood we’re talking about here! Because Ken Cuccinelli opposes abortion and the HHS Mandate, he obviously cares only about inserting himself into women’s lives to control what goes on in their bedrooms with their partners.
I decided to explore some of the rest of the website, to see what exactly Planned Parenthood and Terry McAuliffe were putting out there. The “About” page mostly describes where Ken Cuccinelli stands on abortion and other things Planned Parenthood likes to talk about. He is pro-life, including in cases of rape and incest. He also has co-sponsored personhood measures, wants to de-fund Planned Parenthood, “and supports letting your boss decide whether you can “get access to affordable birth control[,]” which is Planned Parenthood’s way of saying that he opposes the HHS Mandate.
The website also likes to tout that Ken Cuccinelli is “the most overtly partisan attorney general in Virginia’s history.” This is mentioned on the “About” page, as well as on a section titled “The Facts,” which is, according to the Washington Post’s Editorial Board, in their opinions section. Besides yet another unflattering photo of Ken Cuccinelli, “The Facts” contains some information that is actually quite helpful for voters to make their decisions. If you believe that abortion is health care, you’re probably not going to be so thrilled with Cuccinelli as governor. However, for the opposite reason, this page is also actually helpful for pro-life voters as well.
They also point out that Cuccinelli “Does Not Support Safe and Legal Abortion” and mention that “… the only circumstance in which Cuccinelli supports abortion access is when the life of the woman is at stake.” Note the precise wording: to call it “abortion access” and to say “woman” instead of “mother.”
Planned Parenthood also calls personhood measures “Extreme and Dangerous,” and since they certainly don’t believe that “A Fertilized Egg As a Full Human Being is ‘Scientific Reality,'” they must be poking fun at what actually is a scientific reality, which is quoted because Ken Cuccinelli recognizes this as such.
It is also pointed out that Cuccinelli co-sponsored a bill making it more difficult for minors to obtain birth control, and requiring that parents be notified when their children seek information or treatment for STDs or contraception.
Planned Parenthood mentions “what Ken Cuccinelli has said on women’s health, IN HIS OWN WORDS… (all emphasis original). Those who are pro-life may also find these quotes interesting. As a pro-lifer myself, I know that I can’t really disagree with what Cuccinelli has to say, so I’m actually thankful to Planned Parenthood and McAuliffe for gathering this information and putting it out there!
Planned Parenthood and Terry McAuliffe seem to be up to cheap tricks when it comes to attacking a pro-life candidate. With any hope, the people of Virginia see such schemes for what they really are. Such efforts may even backfire.
Note: This article is not an endorsement of Ken Cuccinelli for governor, but rather intended to point out the campaign strategies of Terry McAuliffe and Planned Parenthood, as well as what the candidates stand for.
