The GOP and Gay Marriage: Let's Get it Straight

Maine leaped to the right side of history today with the passage of a gay-marriage bill through legislative channels. I'm impressed with the momentum of the LGBT movement post-Iowa, and it looks likely that advocates will reach their goal of marriage equality throughout New England by 2012.

What's overblown is all this talk, from Meghan McCain to Jon Huntsman, of the Republican Party "embracing" gay marriage. Not taken into account is what is sure to be a brutal 2012 primary decided largely by Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. In a recent poll, only 3 percent of Iowa Republicans found candidates who favored gay marriage appealing. And does anyone seriously think Huntsman has a shot at the GOP nomination? Republican primary voters in early 2012 states are too conservative for him, and he's the governor of Utah!

More likely than the GOP endorsing gay marriage is that 2012 candidates will be racing to support "traditional families" the most. (Huckabee may get super-duper-married, instead of just super-married.) It's gonna get really ugly, further regionalizing the party and peeling away young voters.

Lead by the Huckabees, Palins and Gingriches of the party, opposing gay marriage will be a cornerstone of the 2012 Republican candidates. We haven't heard the worst yet.

Originally posted on The Hill's Pundit Blog.

2012 Watch: Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.

Gov. John Huntsman, of Utah, recently announced that he supports gay civil unions. The "good" people of Utah don't agree with their popular governor, 70% oppose them. Huntsman is not seeking reelection, leaving many to wonder if he plans to run for president as a GOP moderate.

It's not just civil unions, Huntsman is a fan of LGBT legislation in general.

Beyond civil unions, Huntsman also threw his support behind a bill to allow two unmarried, co-habiting adults to sign a "joint-support declaration" to gain inheritance rights and medical-decision making decisions for one another, as well as a bill to outlaw employment and housing discrimination for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

I can actually see how being more moderate on gay issues may help Huntsman in New Hampshire, but fail to see what his path to the nomination would be. Does he think he could win South Carolina in a primary against Palin? Doubtful.

He seems like a cool guy for a Mormon. He speaks fluent Chinese and is a fan of progressive rock, but still goes to the opera.

Part of my continuing series, 2012 Watch.

David Paterson: SNL Insensitive To Bad Governors

David Paterson is complaining about SNL's treatment of him again. He says the show's continued parodies hurt disabled people not in a position to fight back.

What Paterson doesn't understand is the show isn't making fun of him for being blind. It's making fun of him for being a lame governor. From his bizarre pick of Annie Oakley to represent New York in the Senate to his regressive, terrible budget. Also, it's references to your past of youthful drug use and womanizing are historically unchallenged.

SNL doesn't hurt disabled people not in a position to fight back, it hurts lame Governors who are facing increasingly tough reelection bids. So stop complaining, you're starting to remind me of Sarah Palin.

2012 Watch

Mike Huckabee

During the 2008 primary campaign I though of Huckabee as a sweet, misguided guy. But, now he's getting on my nerves. Huckabee sent an e-mail to his supporters saying: “The dust is settling on the ‘bipartisan’ stimulus bill and one thing is clear: It is anti-religious.”

Huckabee, a minister, cites wording that doesn't allow higher education funds in the bill from being used on a “school or department of divinity.”

In 2008, Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Caucuses, propelling him into the spotlight. He's going after the same voters Palin will need in '12.

Bobby Jindal

Although Bobby Jindal has expressed doubts about running against Obama in 2012, he's taking him on now. Jindal will deliver the GOP response after Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on February 24th.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said that Jindal was chosen because of his "commitment to bringing forth new and innovative ideas." Jindal is a creationist, an idea I wouldn't call either new or innovative.

Part of my continuing series, 2012 Watch.

2012 Watch

The 2012 Republican Presidential Primary is going to bring me great joy. There is nothing I like to see more than a party desperately trying to justify their own existence. Although the January 2012 Iowa Caucuses are a few years away, I'll keep track of the contenders here. A few to start with:

Sarah Palin


Palin is all over the place with ads for her new PAC. This one, which i grabbed from the Drudge Report, has been running nonstop. She also came out against Obama's Stimulus Package on her Facebook Page - which has 497,683 supporters. I consider her the one to beat in '12.

Mitt Romney

I have a soft spot in my heart for Romney. He's super handsome and willing to say or do anything, absolutely anything, to get elected. Plus, as a Mormon, he is extra divorced from reality. Romney is attacking Obama with the best of them (From Time Mag): “I think President Obama is off to a rocky start. The theme ‘Yes, we can’ seems to have been replaced with ‘Well, maybe we can’t.'" He only has 56,353 supporters on Facebook.

David Petraeus

General Petraeus is the one to watch. He's brilliant and in control of a large part of the military. Plus, it looks like he's leaking misleading documents to the media to make Obama look bad. It's unknown if he's running, or just trying to get what he wants out of Obama - either way it's interesting. (He only has 3,985 fans on Facebook.)

Palin 2012

Sarah Palin launched her new PAC today - SarahPac, moving her 2012 campaign forward. There isn't any actual content or policy. She's probably saving that for her upcoming book. But, the site does allow you to contribute money that "will allow Gov. Palin to help find and create solutions for America's most pressing problems." Frightening.




Her logo appears to be Alaska literally smothering America.