McCain campaign manager: GOP should back same-sex marriage

[biopowertoday]

Source: cnn


updated 6:47 p.m. EDT, Fri April 17, 2009

McCain campaign manager: GOP should back same-sex marriage

* Story Highlights
* Steve Schmidt served as Sen. McCain's presidential campaign manager
* Schmidt spoke to Log Cabin Republicans on Friday
* Conservatives should embrace same-sex marriage, Schmidt told the group
* The party, he argued, will grow by accepting gay rights


From Dana Bash
CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent



WASHINGTON (CNN) --
.................

In a speech Friday to Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative gay rights group, Steve Schmidt said allowing same-sex marriage is in line with the conservative credo of keeping government out of people's private lives.

"There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same-sex marriage," Schmidt, who was McCain's campaign manager, told the group. "I believe conservatives, more than liberals, insist that rights come with responsibilities. No other exercise of one's liberty comes with greater responsibilities than marriage. In a marriage, two people are completely responsible to and for each other."

He added: "If you are not willing to accept and faithfully discharge those responsibilities, you shouldn't enter the state of matrimony, and it doesn't make a damn bit of difference if you're straight or gay. It is a responsibility like no other, which can and should make marriage an association between two human beings more fulfilling than any other."

............

In fact, nearly 3 in 10 self-identified gays and lesbians voted Republican in the last presidential election, according to exit polling...................

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/17/schmidt.log.cabin/index.html

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I think things are slowly changing in the GOP. Never thought I would see this.

[Turborama]

1. Who?

Anyway, it's a bit late for all this, isn't it? All the straws have floated away and the GOP are fading into obscurity...

[elocs]

13. I think it is foolish to believe that the GOP is fading into obscurity.

Just let Democrats get cocky and overconfident in power and believe they cannot lose and the GOP will be back. Nearly 60 million people still voted for McCain last November, so I wouldn't simply dismiss that number.

[Turborama]

17. "The Republican Point of No Return"

I tend to agree with the author of this piece, they are running out of options and their recent tactic of 'going nuclear' is doing them more harm than good. It's not about Democrats getting 'cocky and overconfident' (I agree that would obviously be a bad idea), they're damaging themselves, on our behalf...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/the-republican-point-of-n_b_188139.html

[opihimoimoi]

2. Is EXPIDIENT here?

[sasquatch]

3. Uh oh, somebody's about to be isolated from his collegues

Sad, they just never get it.

[Politicalboi]

4. Does he mean

3 out of the 10 log cabin Repukes? :rofl: I don't know where he got his "infromation" Faux Noise thanks for infroming us.

[wakeoftheflood]

5. .

Gain a few gay votes, lose lots of bible thumper votes. I don't see the advantage.

[8 track mind]

6. sounds like good old fashioned pandering to me

the GOP will never get it.

[struggle4progress]

7. The Republicans have been gay-bashing for as long as I can remember: of course, it would be great

if they decided to drop the nonsense and concentrate on substantive issues -- but face it: they'll really stuck in the corner until the paint dries

[No Elephants]

8. Republicans cannot keep their neo theo base intact without the wedge issues of

gay rights and choice. However, those issues alienate sane independents, and Republicans cannot win without attracting some independents. By the same token, Republicans cannot win without their nee theo base. So, it seems to me that Republicans painted themselves into a corner with their "Moral Majority" strategy.

Thank you, Richard Nixon.

Here's hoping they don't figure out a way to get themselves out of it. On the other hand, if Republicans become more like Democrats, that's a win for Democrats too. Democrats will win before Dems Lite win.

So, I'm thinking it's all good news for Democrats here.

However, right now, it's the economy, stupid, just as it was when Clinton won. If Obama can fix it, he has a second term If not, he doesn't, which he himself has said. And the last 30 years left us in a hell of a hole. So, best wishes for you success with the economy, President Obama.

[tomm2thumbs]

9. LOL at the 3 out of 10 number - self loathing is so funny to me

sad, and funny

[JI7]

10. things are NOT changing in the GOP, guys like this are not welcome in the party

and will not get anywhere. take Michael Steele as an example, even though he ends up kissing ass they still hold it against him for criticizing their Limbaugh and saying gays are born gay and there should be abortion rights.

[AlinPA]

11. 3 out 0f 10? ! That's very hard to believe. nt

[onehandle]

12. GOP, Don't listen to this guy! Stay the course!

What you really need to do is split into two... maybe three parties.

[JayMusgrove]

14. Nearly 3 in 10 self-identified gays voted R?

That would be somewhere in the 25% range.

I am not sure I believe that, but it could be that they voted for some OTHER Republican on the ballot, I doubt that many gay people are stupid enough to vote for Palin.

[biopowertoday]

15. well, like so many, they probably are not single issue voters

but I have to agree, the number does seem high.

[davidinalameda]

16. now I just wish that the Democrats would back gay marriage as well

including lots on here

[JerseygirlCT]

18. He's absolutely right

and the embrace between the political and religious right is likely to be shown as a deathly one to both parties.

Stampeding individual rights conflicts with their libertarian and conservative (small "c" - meaning slow to change, careful) agendas. There isn't anything to gain but a dwindling radical religious right.

There is simply no legal or civic rationale for refusing to allow same sex partners to marry. And yes, I also agree with him that such a commitment comes with great responsibilities as well. (I remember saying that many, many years ago to a gay friend, when I said I didn't much like the idea that live-in partners could be given benefits... I thought they should be allowed to marry, and then frankly HAVE to marry in order to assume the same rights that married people get. A long-term commitment is what is best for society - gay or straight.)

[and-justice-for-all]

19. Great, back it...but I will never vote for a repuke..nt