The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza released his best and worst ran campaigns of 2009, and you’ve guessed it…the best and worst were found in the Commonwealth of Virginia. “The Fixie” was awarded to the best campaign of 2009 to Bob McDonnell and the worst campaign to Creigh Deeds. Cillizza did a great job assessing why both campaigns deserved their respective honors.

For McDonnell, Cillizza praised him for sticking to the message and not going off topic, as well as, citing how composed he was during the campaign. Another observation was that McDonnell discussed the issues that mattered most to Virginians and that was what ultimately led him to the Governor’s Mansion.

Meanwhile, Deeds was called out on his campaign strategy, which relied on his focus of targeting rural voters, rather than the core constituencies of the Commonwealth (namely Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia) and for talking about his opponent’s thesis from grad school instead of focusing on why he should have been elected. Cillizza mentioned that Deeds distanced himself from Obama, which alienated the liberal voting block in Northern Virginia and the African-American vote.

Overall, Cillizza’s analysis of both campaigns were spot-on. However, there was one unique factor that Cillizza ignored in his selection. There is great public disdain for what is occurring in the nation’s capital and with President Obama’s approval ratings dropping, the Virginia campaign, along with the campaign in New Jersey served as voter referendums on the unpopular public policies of Obama and Congress.

Equality Virginia sent a survey out to each of the candidates for Governor asking the following questions:

• Do you support an executive order affirming the right of GLBT employees of state government to be protected against workplace discrimination?
• Will you advocate for legislation. like HB 2385 (Ebbin) introduced in the 2009 General Assembly Session, which would codify protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation , including gender identity, as well as race, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion, pregnancy and veteran status?
• Will you seek and advocate for changes in the state health insurance plan, consistent with Mr. McDonnell’s opinion to the President of the University of Virginia regarding access to gym benefits, that would offer health care insurance benefits to otherwise qualified adults living in the household of GLBT employees?
  In addition, we would like to know if you support eliminating the remaining legal barriers in the Code of Virginia that prevent private companies from offering workplace benefits to the domestic partners of GLBT employees.
• Will you support and advocate for legislation to eliminate current legal restrictions on the ability of private insurance companies to offer private employers group life insurance that includes domestic partners (i.e., legislation identical to SB 945 (Howell) and HB 1726 (Rust) that was included on Virginia Free’s 2009 listing of pro-business legislation)?

Both Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell returned their surveys.

McDonnell took the time to write a letter as to clarify his views on these issues by saying that he does not discriminate based on race, gender, creed, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. McDonnell, who believes in strong family values did not answer the remaining questions in his letter.

On the other hand, Deeds responded and showed his true colors on family values. Here’s his responses:

As Governor, will you sign an executive order affirming the right of GLBT employees of state government to be protected against workplace discrimination?

“If elected, I would make sure that no one working in state government could face discrimination for any reason, including sexual orientation. I will codify into law the executive orders issued by Governors Warner and Kaine banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. We should pass these executive orders into law and make them permanent.”

As Governor, will you introduce and advocate for legislation, like HB 2385 (Ebbin) introduced in the 2009 General Assembly Session, which would codify protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, including gender identity, as well as race, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion, pregnancy and veteran status?

“I will codify into law the executive orders issued by Governors Warner and Kaine banning discrimination in the state workforce based on sexual orientation.”

As Governor, will you seek and advocate for changes in the state health insurance plan, consistent with Mr. McDonnell’s opinion to the President of the University of Virginia regarding access to gym benefits, that would offer health care insurance benefits to otherwise qualified adults living in the household of GLBT employees?

In addition, we would like to know if you support eliminating the remaining legal barriers in the Code of Virginia that prevent private companies from offering workplace benefits to the domestic partners of GLBT employees.

“I support offering health insurance benefits to an otherwise qualified adult living in the household of a GLBT state employee. Additionally, I support lifting restrictions on private companies that want to offer benefits to the domestic partners of GLBT employees, provided this can be done within the parameters established in the Constitution of Virginia.”

As Governor, will you support and advocate for legislation to eliminate current legal restrictions on the ability of private insurance companies to offer private employers group life insurance that includes domestic partners (i.e., legislation identical to SB 945 (Howell) and HB 1726 (Rust) that was included on Virginia Free’s 2009 listing of pro-business legislation)?

“As a legislator, I voted to allow private insurers and private employers to make decisions about who to include in group life insurance policies. As governor, I will sign this bill into law.”

Creigh Deeds has stood up for gay marriage in the past, and his support of this does not stand for Virginia families.