Remember Christine O’Donnell? The silly U.S. Senate candidate suffered from a variety of serious problems as a candidate, but one of the more glaring issues was the way in which humiliating quotes from her past would come to public attention, one at time. There was a seemingly bottomless well of O’Donnell embarrassments, and the more researchers looked, the more head-shaking gems they would find. It wasn’t long before the extremist candidate looked like a clown that few could take seriously.
Three years later in Virginia, E. W. Jackson is caught in the same kind of loop.
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Virginia, E. W. Jackson, compared abortion, pornography, in-vitro fertilization, and cloning to Hitler and Stalin in his 2008 book Ten Commandments to an Extraordinary Life. Jackson wrote the book when he was serving as a minister.
To be sure, those who equate in-vitro fertilization and Hitler have a whole host of issues, none of which reflect well on someone who’s currently seeking statewide office in a competitive commonwealth on a major-party ticket.
But what amazes me is Jackson’s Christine O’Donnell problem — it seems like there’s yet another story, just about every day, that makes him look ridiculous. Today it’s his comparisons of abortion, pornography, in-vitro fertilization, and cloning to Hitler and Stalin. This story came within hours of a report on Jackson having a history of money and legal troubles that date back 30 years.
A few days ago, it was his argument that evolutionary biology can’t be true because most animals can’t talk. And shortly before that, we learned that Jackson had warned that yoga can put you at risk for satanic possession.
Before these revelations, there was the melon video. And the bizarre condemnations of homosexuality. And the comparisons between Planned Parenthood and the KKK. And the time he accused President Obama of having “Muslim sensibilities” and seeing the world “from a Muslim perspective.” And the time Jackson said Democrats have a policy agenda “worthy of the Antichrist.”
And on and on.
If all of this came out at once, it might be easier for Jackson and Virginia Republicans to deal with, but instead, with each passing day, Jackson looks increasingly nutty. That’s not a positive development with an election less than five months away.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."