Governor of Virginia Bob Mcdonnell, Essay Example

In the United States, the designation governor refers to the chief executive officer of every state, and is not directly subsidiary to the centralized authorities; however, he is the political and official head of the state. Currently, there are, 20 Democrats, 29 Republicans, and one Independent serves as state governors. There are two Republicans and two Democrats who hold territorial governorships. Bob McDonnell is the governor of Virginia since January 2010. This essay tries to examine his brief biography, his political career, what he has been working as well as his potentiality to move up politically. It also attempts to look at his representation of the Hispanic community.

Bob McDonnell was born in June 15^th 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his mother is Emma and the father is Lt. Col. John Francis McDonnell.  On his fathers side he is of Irish Catholic extraction.  In 1955, when he was only one year old, his family left for Fairfax County, Virginia. Four years of his early childhood was in Germany where his father, a United States Air Force officer, was dispatched on mission. On going back to Virginia four years afterwards, the McDonnell build a permanent residence in the County Fairfax. His mother was employed at Mount Vernon. McDonnell completed in Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1972. He was given a scholarship to joint University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana where he graduated a B.B.A. in management in 1976. After graduation, he worked in the United States Army for four years as a medical supply officer. While he was working, he took night classes and obtained an M.B.A. from Boston University in 1980. When he chose a joint degree program at Regent University his profession changed from business to law and public policy he graduated with M.A. in 1989. McDonnell is wedded to Maureen Patricia McDonnell, and has five kids. The oldest, Jeanine, was an U.S. Army platoon officer in Iraq, Their younger daughter Cailin in Republican Party of Virginia organized youth outreach for the election efforts in 2009. Bob McDonnell has twin sons, whom while in University of Virginia were both athletes (McCartney, 2009).

Bob McDonnell is as American politician has been the 71st Governor of Virginia ever since January 2010 and have worked in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006. McDonnell has also worked as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006 to 2009 (“Can the Clinton Coalition Survive Obama?”). He was voted as the Governor of Virginia at height of the campaign catchphrase, “Bob’s for Jobs” and overpowered his rival Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds in a 2009 election manifested by the late-2000s depression. Currently he serves as the chairperson of the Republican Governors Association. Ever since he took office, McDonnell has announced a Confederate History Month, effectively gave out two successive budget surpluses, and advocated for privatisation, enlarging an agreement to subcontract the state’s computer operations and trying to public sale off the state’s ABC liquor stores, and supported offshore drilling for Virginia. He has wanted to finance transportation developments from non-traditional income sources with the suggestion to auction-off liquor stores and setting up a toll stall at the Virginia-North Carolina boundary. He has utilized his amendatory veto authority to curb state financial support for abortions (Kumar, 2009).

McDonnell first ran in 1992 and was designated to the Virginia House of Delegates, working seven terms. In the 1998–2001 power-sharing accord between Democrats and House Republicans, he was Co-Chair of the board on the Chesapeake and its branches in 2000–2001. In 2003, he turns out to be the Chair of the Courts of Justice Committee. He once worked on the Rules Committee 2000–2005, and was Assistant Majority organizer. Whereas working in state office, he continually worked in the Army Reserve as a JAG officer awaiting his retirement in 1997as a lieutenant colonel.

In 2005, McDonnell vied for a position of Attorney General. He fought for matters like defending children against sexual predators, identity theft drug enforcement, terrorism and gang violence. The initial outcome gave him with a success of 323 votes, out of over 1.9 million votes casted, over his rival, Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds. Deeds filed a case for a recount of the votes, which took place on December 20, 2005. A court verdict limited the recount to just giving a summary instead of checking on individual ballots. After recompiling the votes, it was exposed that  McDonnell had 37 additional votes more than that of Deeds, and therefore he cannot  make up the distinction, he thus agreed the defeat  the following day, benevolently giving McDonnell a 323 vote difference of victory (Kumar, 2009).

McDonnell publicized his contention for the 2009 Virginia Gubernatorial election at American State of Virginia 2007, making him the seventh successive designated Attorney General to run. The state-wide contesters, McDonnell vying for Governorship, were chosen at a Republican State conference rather than a primary. No more than two weeks later, State Senator R. Creigh Deeds triumphed in his party’s selection in a primary level, leading to a “rerun” from the state attorney general’s contest four years previously. In early June, Creigh Deeds had a slender edge by a 47%-41% improvement in the early polls. As the battle progressed, the polls changed towards McDonnell’s favour, making him lead in some. According to the Washington Post revealed McDonnell’s proposal from Regent University, he led declined to only two percentage points per Rasmussen polling. As the election continues McDonnell’s crusade regained momentum. McDonnell won the general election by a vote of 59%-41%, defeating his opponent and received the highest fraction of the vote for all candidates for governor ever since 1961. The other two state wide offices on the election were also won by Republicans (Kunkle).

McDonnell  advocated for the improvements on some issues during his tenure in office, Issues In a political and economic environment manifested by the late-2000s depression, McDonnell assured that his main apprehension as Governor would be employment of Virginians, with such a crusade slogans as, “Bob’s for Jobs”. He promoted, low operating cost of government, right-to-work laws and a basic tax code. Having lived in different areas of the state, his way-side posters varied with geographic sites. The McDonnell crusade approach cast itself as focusing on economic issues, public safety and transportation. Bob McDonnell’s suggestion incorporated new job initiatives, upholding Virginia’s tourism, hospitality, and film productions, hence making Wallops Island the top business-oriented spaceport in America, and maximizing expansion in rural Virginia. McDonnell operated as a rival of elective abortion. As a state politician, he was the main sponsor for legislation that would have forbidden partial birth abortions, as well as laws requiring parental approval before a minor undergoes an abortion and knowledgeable consent for women in quest of an abortion. He opposed state and federal administration funding for elective abortions (Kunkle).

McDonnell advocated rating of Virginia as the energy resource of the East Coast. He for the idea of drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia whilst concurrently promising new machinery for wind, solar, biomass, and various renewable power resources. He proposes the expansion of investments in renewable energy resources and incentivizes green job creation. In Same-sex marriage, McDonnell supported a state constitutional amendment referring marriage as between one man and one woman, and consequently was against same-sex marriage (McCartney, 2009).

Donnell’s campaign also turned to transportation, a most important subject in heavily crowded areas of Virginia, advocating the release of $3 billion in haulage bonds that had been allowed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2007, although not funded by a revenue supply, modernizing the Virginia Department of Transportation, and stimulating public-private associations to develop infrastructure.  McDonnell appended a bill in quest of nullification of the insurance purchase obligation in the then planned federal health care legislation. On March 10, 2010, prior to Congress completed its final reflection of the package, a mutual Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act passed the General Assembly by 80-17 majority, which McDonnell signed on March 24, 2010. In Virginia, communal schools are financed by both area real estate taxes and state general funds under a formula that tries to guarantee minimum state-wide values called “The Standards of Quality.”

Works cited

“Can the Clinton Coalition Survive Obama?”. RealClearPolitics. 2009-11-13. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/11/13/can_the_clinton_coalition_survive_the_age_of_obama_99046.html. Retrieved 2010-03-04.

Kumar, Anita (August 13, 2009). “Virginia Notebook: Where Is McDonnell From?”. Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/08/post_293.html. Retrieved 2010-05-12.

McCartney, Bob (October 8, 2009). “Can Northern Virginia trust McDonnell’s promises?”. Washington Post. http://www.standard.net/topics/opinion/2009/10/08/can-northern-virginia-trust-mcdonnells-promises. Retrieved 2010-05-12.

Kunkle, Fredrick (2009-08-23). “Fact Checker”. washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/22/AR2009082202242.html. Retrieved 2010-03-04.