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.
The unstated assumption here seems to be that a conservative is so prejudiced and biased against gays that they cannot have gay friends or supporters.
Well, I am conservative and DO have gay friends. I just don’t care about what they do in their private lives.
It’s those who try to push their lifestyle in my face that I object to, and I bet that’s how Cruz feels as well.
So?
Are these gay men out shoving gay down other peoples throats?
That’s the real issue for me. That they want to be tolerated, but won’t tolerate people whose values won’t allow them to tolerate it.
I could care less what “most” people do in the privacy of their homes. But bring it out into the open, and trample on thousands of years of tradition, culture, and religion. Then we have a problem.
Hey, NYT, a gay woman mows my lawn, and I oppose gay marriage. Send out a reporter to interview me.
See this is what happens when the left believes their own rhetoric.
I don’t have any more problem with this than I had with Elton John performing for Rush Limbaugh’s wedding reception.
I wouldn’t respect Ted Cruz if he said he wouldn’t love his daughter if she were a lesbian.
I’m not a politician, but on religious grounds, I don’t socialise with homosexuals. I’m a separatist fundamentalist though. I don’t think one of those could ever be elected to anything in this country, but then again, they don’t run for anything.
>>Well, I am conservative and DO have gay friends. I just don’t care about what they do in their private lives.
As a public school employee, I know quite a few, and some I know I don’t because I don’t care about their sexual activities. If they ever ask me my opinion on marriage, I’ll tell them in a logical, easy to understand manner.
That Cruz, if elected, will try to be President for all Americans I have no doubt or problem with...
but it is choice whose homes to visit and make part of his campaign,
This was a boo-boo (one of very few for Cruz so far, but nevertheless a mistake)
RE: I don’t think one of those could ever be elected to anything in this country
Have you forgotten Barney Frank (he of Dodd-Frank fame)?
Better check out your current C in C
Leftists really do not understand the concept of love the sinner and hate the sin.
I mean the separatist fundamentalist, not the homosexual. They government is riddled with those.
Ronald Reagan had gay friends.
He came from Hollywood where you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting one even in the 50s and 60s.
Really? I think the opposite. Our 2016 candidate has to win over voters who disagree with us on this one issue. Refusing to associate with gay people is not the way to do that. He hasn’t changed his views on marriage, and even spoke of it at this event. He’s got ballz.
this is a stupid issue and a non-starter with voters, whether it’s Cruz or anyone else.
Ah, the sound of lib heads exploding.
Cruz once hung out with sinners. Boom!
This was a political dinner. It’s not about loving the sinner, but about loving the votes.
(loving the sinner is nowhere in the Bible).
If at least some prominent sodomites back Ted Cruz he’s more appealing to the establishment.
All of the Repub candidates so far will be acceptable to the establishment; none will stand up to or even hinder at all the elites that run America.
There is nothing new or different about the 2016 election, American continues on its moral decline and increasing statism.
A President Cruz would simply lull a lot of rank-and-file conservatives into a false sense of security, while the machinery of statism was greatly enlarged.
He will enable the military ventures the elites have planned for the US military, and will quietly approve massive increases in domestic paramilitary and espionage against Americans.
Any conservatives who do not support those actions will be called disloyal to the Repub party and America itself.
Since he will leave conservatives largely alone, they will be fine with the building of the machinery under his watch.
Then, when the next President takes over, probably another socialist/communist, the greatly expanded domestic “security” apparatus can be used against conservatives and Christians, who will be shocked at their government turning on them so aggressively.
well, we just disagree on this one matter I guess, is all.
he can associate with homosexuals in his normal campaign rallies along with everybody else... he doesn’t have to go visiting homosexual couples specifically in their homes.
anyway, he’s strong on a lot of other issues....to be sure!
thanks
OMG... Cruz had an event at a gay couple’s house. I guess I got to vote for Squaw Speaking Bull... :-)
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