Tick-Tock, McDonnell Is In The Dock
Bob McDonnell first rose to national attention following the Hindenberg, er, McCain-Palin campaign. He seemed like the answer to everything that was ailing the Republican party in 2009: young, handsome, well spoken; a family man with family values that were unassailable. His children were attractive, and his wife (first and only) was a southern belle, and better yet, a former cheerleader for a prominent NFL team. Central casting could not do it better.
McDonnell’s family values were his brand, most of his campaign pictures featured the whole clean cut family who looked as if they had just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad and into a country club. His thesis (from Regent University, ground zero of the Family Values) was on the break down of the American family. His family appeared to be the antithesis of his paper.
The public persona of Bob McDonnell was that he was The Boy Scout. He was assumed to be incorruptible because one cannot corrupt the man who has it all. Even squeaky clean Mormon Mitt Romney hinted that McDonnell was on his short list for V.P. in 2012 , which instantly made McDonnell viable for top of the ticket in 2016. Pundits said that McDonnell would outshine Mitt, and that was why he was not selected.
So fast-forward four years, and Mr. Family Values is in trouble for accepting gifts seemingly in exchange for access. He is offered a plea bargain, but he does not take it. He is sure that he can beat the rap and leave his good name intact.
This trial will probably go down in political history as one of the most venal, horrific, publicly embarrassing testimonies of all time. He didn’t just throw his wife under the bus (and by proxy the rest of his family), he backed up the bus and ran over her again and again. It seems family values is for chumps.
His defense presented Mrs. McDonnell as the lynchpin, all mink and no manners, and some sort of mentally ill cambion: angry, manipulative, even a nut bag (all their words), and when that didn’t seem like enough to keep ol’ Sticky Fingers out of a federal sneezer, they decided to throw in that she was lovelorn demirep for vitamin snake oil salesman Jonnie Williams. Mrs. McDonnell’s family-in-law got into the act, too. Everyone fears that their spouse’s family hates them, but to hear it in court and under oath? The children must feel so proud.
The idea was supposed to be that their marriage was such a scam and on the rocks that there is no way that they could ever collude. They
Except no one bothered to explain how the allegdly estranged Mrs. McDonnell’s alleged bad behavior could drive a public servant often called Mr. Honesty to allegedly accept gifts from Mr. Williams. “Oh, the Rolex? it’s just a little something I buy for all the men I nearly make cuckolds.” It is even harder to explain paying for a wedding reception by blaming his wife as a harridan. The use of a Ferrari was just another consolation prize? The Jury of his Peers found him guilty of most of the charges.
And so there we have it. Mr. Family Values is not The Boy Scout and probably never was; my guess is that even if McDonnell manages to escape jail time, the Religious Right will not forgive him. It’s not the watch, the Ferrari, nor the wedding reception. It’s the tackiness of blaming it all on his wife.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” Bob McDonnell is done.
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By: Tengrain
Fully caffeinated with twice the sugar, unabashedly liberal. Award-winning Americans United blogger, blogs at Mock Paper Scissors, and sometimes at Crooks and Liars.
You can follow @Tengrain on Twitter, or you might see him enjoying coffee somewhere in Seattle at any given moment of the day.
20 responses to Tick-Tock, McDonnell Is In The Dock
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Carla Akins September 7th, 2014 at 13:25
Transvaginalist? I love words.
Carla Akins September 7th, 2014 at 13:25
Transvaginalist? I love words.
William September 7th, 2014 at 13:31
Ironic no?
William September 7th, 2014 at 13:31
Ironic no?
Obewon September 7th, 2014 at 13:38
Rising GOP Felon (R VA) Bob Mc’Donnell fits today’s repub candidate profile perfectly having only convicts, embezzlers, bribers, FEC criminals, child molesters, gun assassins, horse killers, burglars, car thieves, police car spark plug fetish sex criminals & Bridge Trolls! Chrisite / D’Souza in 2020~ maybe out of prison by then…
juicyfruityyy September 7th, 2014 at 13:38
It would not surprise me if he doesn’t go to prison. However, I would not say he is done. Some RWNJ will find a position for him. They seem to love those with a questionable background. He would be the head of one of the Coke Brothers’ foundations. He might even join Wall Street with Cantor. But I don’t see no love lose in that marriage.
Tengrain September 7th, 2014 at 15:35
Yeah, I’m not so naive as to think that he will get the full sentence he deserves, but I do think he is forever out of elected office and will receive the largess of Wingnut Welfare. My best guess is that he will either end up at a Think Tank of some sort or (heh) end up on the faculty at one of the barely accredited Christian Colleges (Regent or Liberty).
Rgds,
Tengrain
Obewon September 7th, 2014 at 13:38
Rising GOP Felon (R VA) Bob Mc’Donnell fits today’s repub candidate profile perfectly having only convicts, embezzlers, bribers, FEC criminals, child molesters, gun assassins, horse killers, burglars, car thieves, police car spark plug fetish sex criminals & Bridge Trolls! Chrisite / D’Souza in 2020~ they maybe out of prison by then.
juicyfruityyy September 7th, 2014 at 13:38
It would not surprise me if he doesn’t go to prison. However, I would not say he is done. Some RWNJ will find a position for him. They seem to love those with a questionable background. He would be the head of one of the Coke Brothers’ foundations. He might even join Wall Street with Cantor. But I don’t see no love lose in that marriage.
Tengrain September 7th, 2014 at 15:35
Yeah, I’m not so naive as to think that he will get the full sentence he deserves, but I do think he is forever out of elected office and will receive the largess of Wingnut Welfare. My best guess is that he will either end up at a Think Tank of some sort or (heh) end up on the faculty at one of the barely accredited Christian Colleges (Regent or Liberty).
Rgds,
Tengrain
Rixar13 McGinnis September 7th, 2014 at 14:38
One down and counting.
Rixar13 McGinnis September 7th, 2014 at 14:38
One down and counting.
Anomaly 100 September 7th, 2014 at 15:04
He got probed.
Anomaly 100 September 7th, 2014 at 15:04
He got probed.
vinceNYC September 7th, 2014 at 21:10
McDonnell , Edwards , Perry , Walker………these sociopaths do get elected somehow
Dwendt44 September 8th, 2014 at 13:12
He’d look good in orange.
vinceNYC September 7th, 2014 at 21:10
McDonnell , Edwards , Perry , Walker………these sociopaths do get elected somehow
Dwendt44 September 8th, 2014 at 13:12
He’d look good in orange.
Denise September 19th, 2014 at 15:43
Lets see, Walker, Deal in Georgia, Martinez in NM, McConnell in Va are either about to use prison orsnge or have been indicted/investigated because of corruption. Then there is Grimms in the House who may have Mcconnell for a cellmate. Next?
Denise September 19th, 2014 at 15:43
Lets see, Walker, Deal in Georgia, Martinez in NM, McConnell in Va are either about to use prison orsnge or have been indicted/investigated because of corruption. Then there is Grimms in the House who may have Mcconnell for a cellmate. Next?