In today’s GW Hatchet, College Democrats Communications Director Matt Ingoglia wrote an op-ed describing the Republican’s Virginia Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell’s 1989 thesis espousing views on working women, contraception, and the homosexual community that make most people cringe.

McDonnell has claimed that his views expressed in this paper he wrote at the age of 34 have changed drastically. The Republicans have accepted this excuse. The GW College Republicans even had him speak for their first event last Wednesday. Is this an accurate assessment? Did he really give up those views?

Despite attempts to portray himself as a “moderate” now, it’s pretty clear that he’s still pursuing his radical, right-wing agenda. Supporter Republican Del. Robert Marshall of Prince William said that McDonnell hasn’t given up his socially conservative views, but is merely hiding them in order to win the election. Bob McDonnell thinks he can trick the people of Virginia to believe he is a moderate, a thought that’s scary enough. This raises another question, however: if McDonnell is trying to cover up this thesis, what else is he hiding?

Bob McDonnell has made a mistake trying to hide his extreme political views from his constituents, and the people of Virginia will see right through his masquerade.