Will Social Issue Torpedo Christie and McDonnell?

Will the slavish groveling and politico fellatio that Virginia's Bob McDonnell and New Jersey's Chris Christie to Christian extremists come back to bite them in the ass (and Christie has a huge ass) as they jockey for position as a vice presidential nomination? Some are asking that question. Being viewed as a social issues extremist could potentially keep them of the ticket or as occurred with John McCain, a toxic VP pick could scuttle the entire ticket. While Christie's bugaboo could be his veto of a same sex marriage bill passed by the New Jersey legislature - with polls showing a majority in that state supported that bill - McDonnell may have many more issues that will make him appear far out side the mainstream of Americans. Which, of course he is in fact. Probably the most delusion bill is the so-called "personhood bill" but he also will be plagued by the anti-woman bills and anti-gay bills passed by the GOP controlled General Assembly on the orders of The Family Foundation, an organization deserving of hate group classification by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its head, Victoria Cobb, in my opinion wouldn't know how to tell the truth even if it beat her about the head with a 2x4. Here are highlights from an ABC News story that looks at how social issues could trip up the ambitions of these puppets of the Christian Right:

Vetting a running mate, as Sarah Palin’s run for VP showed in 2008, is a critical ordeal for a party’s presidential nominee. But already two of Mitt Romney’s top choices for the bottom half of the ticket are embroiled in emotional social issues in their states that could spill over onto the national stage if they are picked for the GOP ticket.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a gay marriage bill passed Thursday by the state assembly. And in Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell might be forced to approve or dismiss a bill that defines life as beginning at conception, not birth.

In both cases, the potential running mates’ predicaments underline the dilemma of being governor of a state while under consideration for the VP spot on the presidential ticket.

In recent years, more Americans have said they are comfortable with gay marriage. In May, for the first time, a majority of Americans approved of it, according to the Gallup poll. Christie, a conservative who was courted by the right wing of his party to run for president this year, has staked himself to the right of the mainstream by vetoing New Jersey’s gay marriage bill, but at the same time has won cheers in the conservative camp for his position.

McDonnell’s situation in Virginia is murkier. The state’s House of Delegates passed a bill that gives a fetus the same rights as a grown person, defining conception as the beginning of life, a key distinction for opponents of abortion rights. If the State Senate approves it, the bill goes to McDonnell. McDonnell’s office said he hasn’t made up his mind on what he would do yet.

Signing the bill would surely please conservatives while possibly diminishing McDonnell’s appeal among independents on a ticket with Romney.

Time will tell whether McDonald places his own ambition ahead of following the orders of the most hate-filled and bigoted elements in Virginia today. If he does veto the personhood bill, it will be most entertaining to watch the flying spittle and conniptions among the Kool-Aid drinkers of the far right.