top republican announces he is gay - no one cares

[Bilge_Rat]

Is this a sign that U.S. Conservatives are moving away from their obsession with social issues and joining the 21st century? :hmmm:


The center of gravity of the conservative movement in this election season is with fiscal conservatives. The Tea Party is infusing the Republican Party with new energy, and Tea Party leaders and supporters say they do not want to talk about social issues: even if they do not personally support same-sex marriage or abortion, they think the Republican Party spent too much time talking about them and not enough time trying to rein in spending.

As head of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Mehlman advocated the Bush administration’s push for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which Republicans had hoped would galvanize the party’s conservative base in 2006.

Now he joins several other members of the Bush inner circle who have publicly stated their support for same-sex marriage. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a daughter who is gay, has said he supports the right of gay people to marry, as has the former first lady Laura Bush.

“There are now more and more Republicans, and conservative Republicans, who have talked about this issue through the prism of being an equal rights issue, and being an issue that should not define the conservative movement and the party,” said Steve Schmidt, who was part of that inner circle as a spokesman and strategist for Mr. Bush’s 2004 campaign.
Mr. Schmidt spoke of his support for same-sex marriage in 2008 to the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, when he was chief strategist for John McCain's presidential run. Like Mr. Cheney, he spoke in personal terms, telling the group that his sister is gay and that she and her partner are an important part of his and his children’s lives.

Matthew Dowd, another top strategist for Mr. Bush who broke with him after the re-election campaign, said that same-sex marriage had ceased to be a big issue for many voters — including conservatives and religious ones — even in 2004. In polling and focus groups before that election, he said, Republicans and conservatives cited terrorism, taxes and the war in Iraq as the issues that would move them to the polls.




http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/politics/27mehlman.html?ref=politics

[AVGWarhawk]

Is this a sign that U.S. Conservatives are moving away from their obsession with social issues and joining the 21st century?


This obsession is not soley exhibited by conservatives and not all conservatives obsess over it. But, yeah, slow news day yesterday. No one really cares.

[Dowly]

Don't care either, I'm just here for the 1up. :hmmm: Anyone seen that ****ing plumber, Marie, Maria, what the hell his name was?

[ETR3(SS)]

Mario? Yeah he's right...well he was right here. He's kinda chubby, couldn't have gotten far.

[Dowly]

Mario? Yeah he's right...well he was right here. He's kinda chubby, couldn't have gotten far.

Ah yes, Mario. Thanks, I'll have a look around, git was here last night, all was well, had a few cold ones and watched telly, then he went all ape**** and jumped thru the ceiling. Now I'm in trouble with my neighbours. :nope:

[ETR3(SS)]

No problem that guy is pretty weird. Always seems to be muttering something about a king and a princess. Wonder what that's all about.:hmmm:

[Sledgehammer427]

you guys crack me up.

I'll be in my shell.

[Dowly]

No problem that guy is pretty weird. Always seems to be muttering something about a king and a princess. Wonder what that's all about.:hmmm:

Jesus tell me about, I had to listen to that drama for one and a half hours, we went from Princess Peach being just careless to be kidnapped all the time, to being attention whore all the way to her being a cheating bastard. I was right about ready to suck on the barrel of a shotgun when we were done. :nope:

Luigi's cool, tho. He's all laid back watching his brother do all the hard work. Which reminds me, should probably go check if he's still alive, poor bugger passed out into my bathtub. :doh:

[frau kaleun]

you guys crack me up.

I'll be in my shell.

It's better than staying in the closet. :O:

[Takeda Shingen]

Ever notice how Luigi just never gets any respect? He didn't even have a name in the original. He was just the green guy you had to be if you were Player 2.

[AVGWarhawk]

Whats up with the mushrooms? :06:

[Takeda Shingen]

And who leaves man-sized gold coins laying around just anywhere? How's a guy supposed to hold 100 of those things anyway?

[The Third Man]

The sky is every color but blue. Blue is the refracted color.

[tater]

The sky is every color but blue. Blue is the refracted color.

?


tater

[The Third Man]

?


tater

On the whole that which isn't will be from.

Notice the sentence ending in a preposition.

[Sailor Steve]

Dowly, you're an old hand here. Are you pushing the asterisk rules on purpose, or just forgetful in your old age?

[tater]

On the whole that which isn't will be from.

Notice the sentence ending in a preposition.


Still don't get it.

Particularly the part about refraction, since the blue sky is actually the disproportionate scattering of high-frequency light, and has nothing to do with refraction.

[AVGWarhawk]

I see where it's at.

[The Third Man]

Still don't get it.

Particularly the part about refraction, since the blue sky is actually the disproportionate scattering of high-frequency light, and has nothing to do with refraction.

:har: get it you really don't.:O:

[AVGWarhawk]

Dowly, you're an old hand here. Are you pushing the asterisk rules on purpose, or just forgetful in your old age?


The alcohol made him do it. :O:

[Ducimus]

top republican announces he is gay - no one cares

What? Another one coming out of the closet? Hardly surprising. Shock value wore off ages ago, at least on me.

[Dowly]

Dowly, you're an old hand here. Are you pushing the asterisk rules on purpose, or just forgetful in your old age?

So are you, and I think this is the third or fourth time I say to you that the asterisk rule is for occasions when someone says f*ck or sh*t, for everything else, there's the filter.

Yes, I know it's not polite to say bad words, but what's the difference, the filter will censor them. And I like to use those words, like an habbit, they just come in, judge me all you want, the rules say "use language you'd use around your mother" and I sure as heck us the finnish equilevant of the f- word around her, she doesn't mind because she has gotten used to it.

What's with the sudden care about this issue? You've been here for a loong loong loong time, if it really would offend you, you'd been gone already.

This no attack against you or anything, you are one of the few I respect around here fully, but I just dont get this sudden thing with you and censored swear words.

Here, I quote the rules one more time:

Please use language that you would use around your mother. No vulgarities, obscenities, hate speech, or foul language. Do not use *******ing w*rds with aster*cks, that's the same thing as vulgar languge. Express yourself with respect to others.
Besides, in this case, it's a part of a joke, it's not like I'm saying "Hey, Steve, **** you you ****ing ****!" Joke! Not harming anyone!

[AVGWarhawk]

******! Also, *********! And another thing**********! :stare: Nuff said!

[Skybird]

What? Another one coming out of the closet? Hardly surprising. Shock value wore off ages ago, at least on me.
I wonder why the media even reports it. That a gay man makes a public affair of him being gay is as strange as it would be if a heterosexual man would launch a press confernece to announce that he is a heterosexual.

[Dowly]

******! Also, *********! And another thing**********! :stare: Nuff said!

Was thinking of getting a shirt like that, but figured no one would get it. :doh:

[The Third Man]

clocks warm is apple's love worn envelope lovely.

[The Third Man]

I wonder why the media even reports it. That a gay man makes a public affair of him being gay is as strange as it would be if a heterosexual man would launch a press confernece to announce that he is a heterosexual.

Bingo.

[AVGWarhawk]

I wonder why the media even reports it. That a gay man makes a public affair of him being gay is as strange as it would be if a heterosexual man would launch a press confernece to announce that he is a heterosexual.


If I remember correctly this guy was against gay marriage during the Bush administration. Now he claims he is gay. I guess the media felt it was news worth.

[The Third Man]

If I remember correctly this guy was against gay marriage during the Bush administration. Now he claims he is gay. I guess the media felt it was news worth.

And perhaps that tells us something about the 'gay marraige' issue. Has he changed his mind on the policy? The story is mute on the subject, yet that could be the only reason to write the story.

[frau kaleun]

I wonder why the media even reports it. That a gay man makes a public affair of him being gay is as strange as it would be if a heterosexual man would launch a press confernece to announce that he is a heterosexual.

Not quite, since gay-bashing is one of the preferred pasttimes of the social conservatives in the religious right, whose votes are of great importance to the GOP, which therefore makes a habit of either overtly pandering to their homophobia or at the very least not speaking out against it.

The less hostile and more tolerant the GOP is perceived to be towards the GLBT community, the less attractive it becomes to a portion of its base that it has counted on for several decades now.

[Platapus]

Perhaps one day we will evolve as a society when no one will ever care when someone declares their sexuality. :yep:

[The Third Man]

Not quite, since gay-bashing is one of the preferred pasttimes of the social conservatives in the religious right, whose votes are of great importance to the GOP, which therefore makes a habit of either overtly pandering to their homophobia or at the very least not speaking out against it.

The less hostile and more tolerant the GOP is perceived to be towards the GLBT community, the less attractive it becomes to a portion of its base that it has counted on for several decades now.

The medias portrayal of

gay-bashing is one of the preferred pasttimes of the social conservatives in the religious right

is more accurate. Yet Chelsea Handler, a TV phenom regular degrades her people for being gay. Another double standard, indeed.

[AVGWarhawk]

Not quite, since gay-bashing is one of the preferred pasttimes of the social conservatives in the religious right, whose votes are of great importance to the GOP, which therefore makes a habit of either overtly pandering to their homophobia or at the very least not speaking out against it.

The less hostile and more tolerant the GOP is perceived to be towards the GLBT community, the less attractive it becomes to a portion of its base that it has counted on for several decades now.


May I ask what Obama thinks of gay marriage?

[The Third Man]

Perhaps one day we will evolve as a society when no one will ever care when someone declares their sexuality. :yep:

Perhaps somethings can be kept to onesself. When folks start giving out their S/S numbers ,Bank acount numbers and tax returns then we can start talking about our sexual preference.

[Gerald]

and that he then are politicians, the media gives an extra kick to publish more of his great business, which I do not care about,to be gay or lesbian, is everyday food today this is an example of making a spring to a hen, :hmmm: or if it was contrary.

[tater]

I know no conservatives who "gay bash," myself. I know many who are against legislating gay marriage from the bench, though. I'm one of them. I'm FOR passing a law, but I think there are no rights violated right now.

Bashing conservatives as "hateful" is BS, IMHO.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Perhaps one day we will evolve as a society when no one will ever care when someone declares their sexuality. :yep:

One can hope, but I suspect there will always be people who have some problem with it. Assuming Dawkins and his disciples are mostly correct, sexuality is a pretty big part of, well, everything people do, whether they realize it or not. Everything we are (biologically) comes from the people before us who reproduced most successfully, a theory that holds broad implications for the rest of our behaviour, both directly and indirectly.

[antikristuseke]

Whats up with the mushrooms? :06:

Why did the mushroom go to the party?

Because he was a fun-gie

[Skybird]

Perhaps one day we will evolve as a society when no one will ever care when someone declares their sexuality. :yep:
Or better - that somebody not even care for declaring his sexuality.

[The Third Man]

Or better - that somebody not even care for declaring his sexuality.

yep. It only happens when it is politicized.


I'm straight. But like Thai transsexuals. All the body without the smell.

How do you feel about me now?

[frau kaleun]

I know no conservatives who "gay bash," myself. I know many who are avaunt legislating gay marriage from the bench, though. I'm one of them. I'm FOR passing a law, but I think there are no rights violated right now.

Bashing conservatives as "hateful" is BS, IMHO.

I did not bash conservatives overall as hateful. However there are those on the religious right who do engage in very public displays of anti-GLBT sentiment, and generally speaking they are part of the "Moral Majority" crowd that - like it or not - makes up part of the GOP base and has for some time. Whether or not other conservatives or the GOP leadership itself agrees with them with regard to their social/cultural agenda is another matter entirely. As is the question of whether or not they will remain part of the base if the GOP appears to be moving away from support of that agenda in some fashion. Which IMO is what makes it somewhat newsworthy when a fairly prominent Republican chooses to come out as a homosexual.

[AVGWarhawk]

I did not bash conservatives overall as hateful. However there are those on the religious right who do engage in very public displays of anti-GLBT sentiment, and generally speaking they are part of the "Moral Majority" crowd that - like it or not - makes up part of the GOP base and has for some time. Whether or not other conservatives or the GOP leadership itself agrees with them with regard to their social/cultural agenda is another matter entirely. As is the question of whether or not they will remain part of the base if the GOP appears to be moving away from support of that agenda in some fashion. Which IMO is what makes it somewhat newsworthy when a fairly prominent Republican chooses to come out as a homosexual.

What is news worthy about it is the fact he was part of Bush's administrations and he strongly opposed gay marriage. Now that he has come out it makes it kind of ironic.

Now, we have spent enough time with the GOP and this anti-gay stuff is part of the GOP but we have failed to explore Obama. Has anyone taken a good look at what Obama thinks of gay marriage? It ain't pretty I assure you.

[Platapus]

What is news worthy about it is the fact he was part of Bush's administrations and he strongly opposed gay marriage. Now that he has come out it makes it kind of ironic.




Is it accepted that every homosexual is in favour of gay marriage? I don't think that has been demonstrated yet. So it is entirely possible for this man to be both
1. A homosexual
2. Against homosexual marriage :yep:

[AVGWarhawk]

Is it accepted that every homosexual is in favour of gay marriage? I don't think that has been demonstrated yet. So it is entirely possible for this man to be both
1. A homosexual
2. Against homosexual marriage :yep:

That is not the point of putting this in the media. No one cares if he is for gay marriage. The man was not out of the closet when he was working for Bush. As far as the world was concerned he was as heterosexual as a heterosexual can be. He opposed gay marriage at that time. Yesterday he comes out of the closet. That is the irony that the media decided was enough to plaster it all over the news. Being for or against gay marriage has no bearing at present. It is the irony of covering up during the Bush administrations and being against gay marriage yet staying in the closet playing the part.

[Tribesman]

The only real news is that when he was secretly gay he followed the party line and supported those who oppose gay marriage and now he is saying he supports gay marriage

[Skybird]

Is it accepted that every homosexual is in favour of gay marriage?
No. I knew two gays at university (they were no couple). Both were aginst gay marraiges, and their freinds as well. All of them also hated CSD. They indicated that most gays are not in favour of these two. especially CSD is quite hated amongst many gays, for it is a freak show that gives all gays in general a bad image.

I feel I am in good company when I speak out against parades and legal and financial equality between normal families and homosexual partnerships.

[Bilge_Rat]

whoa, 4 pages already!!

to re-focus the thread a bit and maybe the title of the thread is misleading :D, the original article I linked to discussed the fact that Republicans as a whole and conservatives in particular are now saying that the most pressing issues are economic.

Social issues, like gay marriage, appear to be less of a hot button issue than in 2004, partly because republicans, like democrats, are all over the map on the issue, much like american society as a whole.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/politics/27mehlman.html?_r=1&ref=politics

[Tribesman]

Social issues, like gay marriage, appear to be less of a hot button issue than in 2004, partly because republicans, like democrats, are all over the map on the issue, much like american society as a whole.

Maybe its not such an issue as there have been a raft of very vocal "homophobes" who turned out to be rather fond of the back door delivery which has weakened the moral outrage angle for the religious right.

[tater]

I did not bash conservatives overall as hateful. However there are those on the religious right who do engage in very public displays of anti-GLBT sentiment, and generally speaking they are part of the "Moral Majority" crowd that - like it or not - makes up part of the GOP base and has for some time. Whether or not other conservatives or the GOP leadership itself agrees with them with regard to their social/cultural agenda is another matter entirely. As is the question of whether or not they will remain part of the base if the GOP appears to be moving away from support of that agenda in some fashion. Which IMO is what makes it somewhat newsworthy when a fairly prominent Republican chooses to come out as a homosexual.

The moral majority crowd (who I can't stand, BTW) seem to want to "save" the gays from themselves. Are they against gay marriage? Yeah. So are the vast majority of blacks in the US (90% democrats). The "god hates fags" guy and his church? Democrats.

It crosses lines.

[AVGWarhawk]

The only real news is that when he was secretly gay he followed the party line and supported those who oppose gay marriage and now he is saying he supports gay marriage

My God man.....we see eye to eye on this dribble of a news article! :yeah: However, you cut to the point of it much more cleanly than I. :yeah:

[Konovalov]

My God man.....we see eye to eye on this dribble of a news article! :yeah: However, you cut to the point of it much more cleanly than I. :yeah:
Agree with you both. He wouldn't be the first to be stuck in such a situation of having to tow the party line.

[frau kaleun]

The moral majority crowd (who I can't stand, BTW) seem to want to "save" the gays from themselves. Are they against gay marriage? Yeah. So are the vast majority of blacks in the US (90% democrats). The "god hates fags" guy and his church? Democrats.

It crosses lines.

In reality, most things do. I'm talking about perception. For many in the moral majority crowd, the GOP has long been perceived as the (major) party most likely to support or at least not stand in the way of their social agenda. If the party is instead perceived as "harboring" without complaint more and more people who are anathema to that agenda by their very existence (regardless of their views on particular bits of potential legislation), does this lessen the amount of support it can count on from those who consider that agenda the most important factor in casting their votes? Only time will tell.

FWIW, I went to the Westboro Baptist Church's website (godhatesfags.com) and looked through as much of it as I could manage without, you know, retching. I couldn't find any indication that they support or endorse any one party or its candidates. It's all about their self-described Calvinist doctrine and hating gay people. If you look at their "Library" page you'll see Obama referred to as the Antichrist and Bush as a mongrel, so it seems that at least officially they're an equal opportunity bunch when it comes to hating on politicians and their presumed platforms. Who the individual members actually vote for, assuming they actually vote, is another matter of course, but I see no reason to label the organization itself as Dem or Repub or anything other than, IMO, certifiably nuts or some kind of extended and perverse performance art.

[tater]

Find the wiki on the founder, he's a registered democrat.

The overwhelming majority of US Muslims are democrats, too. As are Nation of Islam idiots (any overlap with actual Islam purely coincidental ;) ). Being a religious nut job doesn't constrain you to one party.

I agree, the "moral majority" and some other groups are certainly R voters, almost entirely on the abortion issue.

Bottom line is that pols on both sides fall over themselves to proove they are religious, even those that are likely not religious at all. Lying about your religion is pretty despicable, IMHO.