Political Courage Rewarded?

Looks like voting for gay marriage isn't the political death penalty many thought -- even for Republicans.

Maybe our President and other politicians of both parties will have the same courage as these four New York State Republicans, and come out strongly for gay marriage.

Bill Keller in the New York Times Magazine:

 

The right wing shriek machine is going berserk over Obama's failure to support their good friends in the LGBT community.


I am concerned.

 

It's a civil rights issue.

It's not a right or left issue.

 

Uh huh.

 

Dick Cheney, Ken Mehlman, Laura Bush and many more are on one side of the issue.

Barack Obama, Bill & Hillary Clinton, and many more are on the other side.

So, tell me, how is this a Republican vs. Democrat issue?

The elderly, Catholics (who skew Democrat), African-Americans, and Hispanics are all against gay marriage. That does not sound like the Republican base to me.

 

Sorry, but this is one of the all-time disingenuous arguments.

Yes, for (I believe misguided) political reasons, Obama and the Clintons have been opposed.

A former Republican VP with a gay daughter and a former Republican First Lady feel differently. Yippee.

Meanwhile, the guy who won states as the "true conservative" in the GOP race believes gay sex should be outlawed, and gay marriage has been a big get-out-the-vote downticket issue for Republicans.

Feel free to criticize Obama's stance, because he deserves it, but let's not pretend it's not a right or left issue.

 

Dispute this then:

"The elderly, Catholics (who skew Democrat), African-Americans, and Hispanics are all against gay marriage. That does not sound like the Republican base to me. "

Or, tell me why these four Republicans featured in Keller's article do not appear to paying a political price?

 

I dunno, if gay marriage is such an awesome groovy thing everybody should support, how come the 90% of all the other Republicans, who vehemently oppose it, aren't paying a political price?

I was concerned before, and even more concerned now. : :

 

Catholics don't skew Democrat. Look at the last 4 presidential elections. Then look at the Catholic vote. No statistical difference between the overall vote and the Catholic vote will be found.

 

Traditionally Democrat. Now, more of a swing vote.

Either way, it still proves my point. Catholics are more likely to be against gay marriage. They are not any more likely to be Republican. They're divided.

 

Seriously?

The fact that you can name groups that may vote Democratic but oppose gay marriage is evidence of something?

How about we check with Gallup:



69% of Democrats support gay marriage. 28% of Republicans support it.

And four lawmakers in a liberal state are not suffering for supporting gay marriage? Knock me over with a feather.

 

Walked right into that one.