Posted on 04/23/2015 7:06:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
This NYT story, an obvious attempt at a gotcha that’ll damage Cruz among his base, will do more damage to the two businessmen within their own circle of allies, I suspect. It’s one thing for Ted Cruz, social conservative, to socialize with gay friends. It’s another for gays to socialize with — gasp — Ted Cruz, social conservative.
During the gathering, according to two attendees, Mr. Cruz said he would have no problem if one of his daughters was gay. He did not mention his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying only that marriage is an issue that should be left to the states.
The dinner and “fireside chat” for about a dozen people with Mr. Cruz and his wife, Heidi, was at the Central Park South penthouse of Mati Weiderpass and Ian Reisner, longtime business partners who were once a couple and who have been pioneers in the gay hospitality industry.
“Ted Cruz said, ‘If one of my daughters was gay, I would love them just as much,’” recalled Mr. Reisner, a same-sex marriage proponent who described himself as simply an attendee at Mr. Weiderpass’s event…
Mr. Cruz also told the group that the businessman Peter Thiel, an openly gay investor, is a close friend of his, Mr. Sporn said. Mr. Thiel has been a generous contributor to Mr. Cruz’s campaigns.
If you think, as the NYT obviously does, that opposing gay marriage necessarily means you’re driven by hatred of gays, then yeah, that’s one odd dinner party. And in fairness, some of Cruz’s rhetorical flourishes during the gay rights/religious liberty debate did make him seem less likely to attend an event at the home of SSM supporters than, say, Jeb Bush might be. But Cruz doesn’t categorically oppose gay marriage, as the Times is forced to admit. He’s personally opposed but thinks the states should decide, even if that means the practice is gradually legalized. Nor is it news that Cruz’s base includes some prominent gay right-wingers. Peter Thiel, a libertarian, has been donating big bucks to him for years, starting back when he ran for AG of Texas. Weiderpass and Reisner are apparently strong supporters of Israel, an obvious point of common ground with Cruz. Other potential Cruz backers, although straight themselves, are outspoken in supporting gay marriage despite their alliance on most other issues with the GOP. The most famous example: David Koch, one half of the “Kochtopus” that haunts lefty dreams nightly. Cruz seems to respectfully disagree with most SSM supporters, assuming they’re not trying to shut down pizzerias for declining to cater gay weddings, and some famous SSM supporters seem to respectfully disagree with him. (Shucks, even Mike Huckabee cops to having gay friends.) If you liked him before reading this, why would you like him less now?
But I don’t know. Maybe I’ve achieved a status of such candy-ass RINO-hood that the Times’s radar on what will and won’t alienate social conservatives is better than mine. Supporting gay marriage obviously will alienate them. Attending a gay wedding might (although opinion seems to be divided on that) for a similar reason, namely, that some who regard marriage as a sacred union between men and women conclude that that means they shouldn’t tacitly recognize a gay marriage by witnessing it. It’s not clear what sacred precept is violated, though, by saying you’d love your daughter no less if she were gay; it’s even less clear which one forbids having dinner at a gay friend’s home. But I’ll leave that to the comments to hash out. In the meantime, WaPo finds 61 percent now support gay marriage, a new high nationally although not dramatically higher than the numbers have been in recent years. Republican opposition is strong at 34/63, but interestingly not as strong when you ask whether states should be allowed to ban the practice. In that case, support stands at just 52/45. Maybe there’s some small section of SSM opponents who think that gays nonetheless have a constitutional right to marry. Other than that, I’m not sure what explains the discrepancy.
So how much money did he get from them?
I don’t care. If they support Cruz then they must agree with me more than a whole slew of straight Hillary supporters.
Good ole Allahpundit. Doing his best to Rino everything up.
My neighbor are lesbians (both were married with abusive husbands) and the landlord of my office is gay. Their are conservative.
“Are these gay men out shoving gay down other peoples throats?”
I’m sure they would like to.........
Call me Cynical, but I suspect he is blowing a dog-whistle for all the gays. He's letting them know that despite his rhetoric, he's not going to be their enemy.
Just a guess, but the guy strikes me as shrewd.
It is a booboo? Really?
Jeez...he was at a fund raiser at a gay couple’s house. I mean, Cruz, wasn’t at a NAMBLA meeting. I have gay friends and I don’t care for homosexuality.
I stand with Ted
Don’t care about this article
I’m for Cruz all the way—I have met and spent some time with him, and I’m convinced he’s the real deal.
The president should be the president of all the citizens of the USA—not just certain groups who share or don’t share his beliefs.
Ok then. We thought it was unnecessary “ bad optics” but will quiet down about it. Thanks
(This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)
We thought it was unnecessary bad optics, as they say. But okay. Apparently others didn’t see it that way. We will quiet for. Thanks
He is very shrewd or smart. And quick too. Lots of positive characteristics so far.
It would be nice to try and make the rats live up to their rules....not that they have any other than lie and steal whatever you can.
I guess this doesn’t bother me any more than it bothered me that Scott Walker said he attended a gay wedding. If they start talking about legalizing gay marriage or that gays have special rights then I’ll be concerned.
This isn’t the first time Cruz has gone into the belly of the beast. He has been booed at events for saying what he believes knowing it will not be popular.
He spoke at a Middle East Conference of Christians and was booed for making statements supporting Israel. He spoke of his non-support for ethanol in Iowa. I myself question why conservative candidates go on liberal talk shows to be interviewed. But they do.
There are Gays who are Constitutional Conservatives and I’m glad they are helping Sen Cruz fundraise.
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