Do you smell ozone?
Posted on 09/03/2010 10:22:09 AM PDT by BitterKlingon
Former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt tells Sam Stein of the Huffington Post why gay marriage is now a conservative cause:
"There is a strong conservative case to be made in favor of gay marriage," former McCain campaign manager and fellow same-sex marriage fundraiser Steve Schmidt told the Huffington Post on Tuesday. "Marriage is an institution that strengthens and stabilizes society. It is an institution that has the capacity to bring profound joy and happiness to people and it is a matter of equality and keeping faith of one of the charters of the nation, the right to live your life.
"More and more conservatives are saying that opposition to gay marriage would not be a litmus test for membership in the GOP," Schmidt added. "And more conservatives are making the case that no more do you want big government conservatives in the bedroom than big government liberals telling you how to live your life."
To be sure, the Mehlman fundraiser is not entirely a Republican-driven affair. Some of the big names on the ticket are Democrats, including former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta.
But reading through the list of attendees, it's remarkable to see how many prominent conservatives are not just comfortable associating with the gay-rights cause but are eager to fundraise for it. Pair that with rumblings from elsewhere in the party (most notably from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels) that conservatives should have a "truce" on social issues for the time being and the frictions within the GOP tent become even more apparent.
If anything, the hostility between the social conservative element of the party and those less adherent to that doctrine is already palpable. As one prominent Republican who supports gay rights put it:
"I think there is a growing mass of people in Republican politics who are fundamentally sick and tired about being lectured to about morality and how to live your life by a bunch of people who have been married three or four times and are more likely to be seen outside a brothel on a Thursday night than being at home with their kids... There is a fundamental indecency to the vitriol and the hatred directed against decent people because of their sexuality. People have reached a critical mass with this."
Based on trend lines and generational breakdown of poll results (obviously, younger voters are going to stay around longer than older ones, Chicago Democrats notwithstanding), they may be right....
“I don’t understand why this is suddenly even coming up. We had ONE Republican come out of the closet this week”
Yes, there seems to be a full court press going on. They must think that they are on the brink of a victory.
I also think the Libertarian influence in the GOP and on these boards is a factor.
The GOP doesn’t need to “purge” anyone. You know nothing about Newt’s life or what was going on in his marriage. Vitter either. The Left will always manufacture what they can’t prove and that will never change. Just make sure your house is in order and don’t worry about anyone else’s “morality issues”.
Your point is wrong. There is no equivalent between opposing divorce and opposing the radical homosexual agenda. To act like we have to do both equally or else we have no credibility is only a phony liberal talking point.
And now we are going to make a point about cheating? What do you suggest we do? Put tracking devices on our candidates? Get real.
Michael Moore, Larry Flint, Gore Vidal, George Soros, David Brock, Barak Obama, Bernie Sanders and Sean Penn.
Frum, Schmidt, McCain, (throw in Romney too) ... very appropriate for them to talk to the HuffPo.
Bitter Klingon (so you love to be bitter and cling to your guns and religion huh?), help us understand your point in posting this article on FR as well as your encouragement to "purge" people. That sounds more socialistic/fascist than conservative.
Bullschtize!!!
Name three issues on which she departed from the McCain line.
Should be easy, if she disagreed on "most," as you claim.
Personally, I can’t think of even one, and I stay pretty well informed.
Welcome back, Zort.
Gay “marriage” is about all it’ll take to shove this country down the poop hole.
Gay “marriage” is about all it’ll take to shove this country down the poop hole.
There is a strong conservative case for going along with what 5000+ years of Judeo-Christian religion and tradition have to say about marriage. I sure as heck don’t care what some loony atheist gay has to say about it. Some gay theorist who has nothing to base his gay theories of marriage on?
Gay marriage is 80% for financial reasons...much of it so one gay can get on the others health plan and other benefits. Not that I approve of the legal gay domestic partnership arrangements either which help gays glom onto health plan coverage etc..... But they can have that, not marriage
You're welcome.
Methinks this noob is a ‘cross-dresser’.
The Day the Republican Party makes support for Same-Sex Marriage part of their platform will be the LAST time I will have EVER voted for a Republican...PERIOD!
I don’t make mortal sins a conservative cause.
Do you smell ozone?
Marriage is about Children, we know this from historical, and practical experimentation.
There is and can be no conservative case for the abomination of “Gay marriage”. marriage is not just about love its mostly about children. Just as 2 people of the same sex are not capable of having children with each-other naturally they also cannot get married.
If Marriage we’re about love then there would never have been any arranged marriages.
If Marriage we’re about love they would not be exclusively between just 2 people. After all you love a great many people, why be restricted to just marrying one of em?
In-order to justify “gay marriage” you have to redefine marriage upon a foundation which is untenable. This is akin to driving the final nail into the coffin of marriage.
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