By Peter J. Smith
October 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Olivia Gans is the President of the Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL), the oldest pro-life organization in the United States, founded in 1967. Gans has spoken in all 50 states and abroad on behalf of the pro-life movement.
LifeSiteNews.com presents this exclusive interview with Gans, conducted Thursday, about VSHL's efforts in the 2009 Virginia elections, and their view that the participation of pro-life voters is crucial to the election of three thoroughly pro-life candidates: Republicans Bob McDonnell for governor, Bill Bolling for lieutenant governor, and Ken Cuccinelli for attorney general. They are opposed respectively by Democrats Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Steve Shannon who are considered pro-abortion by VHSL.
The latest polling from Public Policy Polling reveals that all three pro-life candidates show strong leads over their pro-abortion adversaries, but Gans warns that overconfidence can prove fatal on Election Day. “A strong pro-life turnout can make all the difference,” she said.
“The lines between the candidates are so clearly drawn that it puts pro-lifers in a perfect position to really make a huge difference,” Gans tells LifeSiteNews.com in this exclusive interview. “But as we all know the only polls that count are those on election.”
The interview follows:
LSN: Virginia has traditionally been regarded as pro-life – a conservative “red” state as opposed to a liberal “blue” state – so what significance does this election have for Virginia and its future?
GANS: I think that over-all one would look at Virginia and expect it to be pro-life. But there is no doubt that because of the influx of the last few years into Northern Virginia and the areas around Norfolk, that the state has been going “purple.” Let's not forget that we've had two Democratic governors in succession, and several of our traditionally Republican congressional districts swung to Democrats.
So there is a purple streak now definitely defining Virginia. And that is what the race is about this year: will Virginia stay true to its traditional family life roots or will it slip blue?
LSN: As you canvass the state, what have you observed of voters' reaction to the pro-life ticket?
GANS: Voters are quite excited about the candidates. Mainstream Virginians across the state – traditional Virginia voters who vote on pro-life questions and family value issues – are strongly excited about the entire ticket – by McDonnell, Bowling, and Cuccinelli. There is a clear line of demarcation between liberal and conservative, or rather shall we say pro-life values.
That resonates in Virginia, and I'm hearing that resonate loud and clear across the state. I have been traveling around the state as much as our top three statewide candidates have, and I've put as many miles on my car.
LSN: How are the differences in the governor's race so clearly defined? Why does this resonate with Virginians?
GANS: In particular, Virginians are very much aware – pro-life Virginians who vote clearly on that issue – are very aware that Bob McDonnell has spent his entire professional career in the general assembly using every opportunity he had to protect the unborn and their mothers from the violence of abortion. As well as recognizing the need to protect all vulnerable life in Virginia. Bob McDonnell is the man who actually wrote and sponsored not only the “Women's Right to Know” bill, but also Virginia's “Prevention of Physician-Assisted Suicide” law. So he understands both the need to protect life at the beginning and the end.
LSN: And Creigh Deeds?
GANS: Well, Creigh Deeds, who is endorsed by NARAL, has taken every opportunity to oppose every and any protective legislation that has been put forward. That includes the fact that Creigh Deeds opposed or tried to kill parental involvement legislation, he voted against the partial birth abortion ban in Virginia, against the women's right to know law, and against the choose life license plates law. So he has spent his professional legislative career working hard to protect the extremist abortion agenda.
So it is, in fact, Creigh Deeds who stands in stark contrast to the traditional values of Virginia voters.
LSN: How are the other two races going – the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General races?
GANS: Sen. Ken Cuccinelli and Lt. Gov. Bolling both stand fairly well-placed in the polls. Their numbers are both up. Frankly, we have not seen much of Ms. Wagner: she doesn't seem to be around very much on the beat. Mr. Shannon is a pro-abortion Catholic who in fact stands diametrically opposed to everything that Ken Cuccinelli and Virginia voters stand for.
LSN: How do you gauge the enthusiasm of the pro-life base?
GANS: We have very good reason to believe that the groundswell is there, but the key thing is to make sure that Virginia voters don't take this for granted. Particularly, pro-life voters in Virginia must realize that in years like this one, every, every, individual must be at the polls.
LSN: So what would you say to these voters?
GANS: It must be your commitment to get out the vote that will make the difference. Getting overconfident in a time like this is absolutely the death-knell.
LSN: What other groups are VSHL's pro-life allies in this upcoming Nov. election?
GANS: Well what we've got right now is a situation in Virginia, where traditionally the only single issue [political action committee] that works on the pro-life question is the Virginia Society for Human Life PAC. We are the only single-issue pro-life PAC.
But there is the Virginia Values Voters and groups like Family Foundation and others in the state who have been helping people know with comparison guides, etc. about the issues. I'm delighted to be able to work companionably with those groups.
We are strictly looking at the pro-life question, but it is exciting to see that other groups in the state are equally interested in watching this race go well for traditional family pro-life values in the state of Virginia.
LSN: On its website VSHL provide information about the differences between the two candidates. One video features a Virginia obstetrician explaining why she believes Deeds would be a bad choice for women, and then you have launched a site DeedsIsForAbortion.com that goes into Deed's stridently pro-abortion record. How effective is your outreach? What are your thoughts on this?
GANS: I'm from the generation before, but I'm very excited about the opportunity to communicate to people through media like YouTube. We launched a second video this morning that was actually a clip from Mr. McDonnell's speech to the National right to Life Committee a year ago in Arlington, Virginia.
So we really want to push the envelope here and make sure that as many Virginians as possible get the message that Creigh Deeds does not care about women, Creigh Deeds does not care about unborn children, Creigh Deeds is not supportive of traditional pro-life Virginia values. And that instead, Bob McDonnell is a reasoned and sensible man who recognizes that what Virginians want right now on pro-life issues are good protective, common-sense laws. And that is what he has pursued during his time in the General Assembly and as Attorney General.
LSN: What do you believe the average pro-life voter can do in this race?
GANS: There are two simple things that people can do: one is spread the word. They can go to vshlpac.org, they can send out e-mails to all of their friends and neighbors, they can talk to their friends and neighbors, they can get people to go to our website, get the information, download what is available to them by way of comparison pieces, and talk to your neighbors, communicate, particularly to friends and family, who are good church-going stand-up folk. Make sure those people realize they cannot stay home this election.
Overconfidence because the polls tell us that our guy is in the lead is absolutely the way the pro-abortion side will win. They will be pulling out all the stops in the last few days. That means we have got to stay on our guard and communicate to our neighbors.
Second, if you can't get up and go out and do something, if there are limitations, if you want to just see us do more of these kinds of things – the website, the videos, mailing pieces, radio ads – if you want us to help us communicate with people we don't know, then a donation. Make a donation – big or small. It makes it possible for us to do more by communicating and beating the bushes to get out pro-lifers this November 3.
On that note, I'll say that it is easy to make a donation to VSHL. All you have to do is click the button on the website (vshlpac.org) and the job is done.
LSN: Thank you for this interview, Olivia. Do you have any final thoughts for our readers before this election?
GANS: I'm looking forward to reminding Virginia voters that the entire country is in fact watching Virginia. That they know that keeping Virginia in the pro-life categories this year is the first and most powerful launching step to successfully electing pro-lifers in 2010. And that is Virginia's job this year: making it clear to the rest of the country that we are not a pro-abortion country, we are in fact a pro-life state and a pro-life America.