Bush losing gay Republicans in N.C.

[Literate Tar Heel]

last section of a 1A article headlined "Voters: What gay marriage issue?" in today's Charlotte Observer ... I'm sure there can't be enough gay Republicans in N.C. to make a huge difference here, but I'm sure similar sentiments are being felt elsewhere

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/9157306.htm

For some gays and lesbians and their families, being Republican during the same-sex debate puts them in a quandary.

Take Ed Farthing, a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay GOP group.

In May, the N.C. Republican party denied the state's chapter a booth at the N.C. Republican convention. Now, he says, some gay Republicans are having to choose between sitting out the election and voting for John Kerry.

"I am going to take the president up on his declaration that he does not desire my vote, and he will not get my vote," Farthing said.

Fellow Republican Fred Thomas faced the same decision, but for a different reason. The registered Republican father of a gay son recently typed up a two-paragraph letter to the party informing it that the issue is costing Republicans his vote. He mailed it in an envelope the party had sent asking for donations.

"My response is I cannot support nor will I vote for anybody who will support an amendment to the constitution, ... that includes Mr. Bush," Thomas said. "I support him on some of the issues, but I think he's gone overboard on a lot of other issues."

[Catfight]

1. That'll show Bush, as if he wanted their votes anyway...DUH.

[LeighAnn]

2. Losing Gay republicans everywhere. And straight ones.

And bi-curious. And celibate. And oversexed. And undersexed.

He gets to keep the votes, though, of morons, idiots, and greedy people.

[LiberalTechie1337]

3. I would imagine that Bush doesn't get much support...

from gay Republicans accross the country, not just North Carolina

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. "...I think he's gone overboard on a lot of other issues."

True for a lot of swing voters. I'm telling you we are going to win big.

[CO Liberal]

5. As Pretzelboy Would Put it....

"Who cares what you think?"

[MallRat]

6. If there really are 1 million gay Republicans out there...

...and the religious conservative base is already going to vote for Bush anyway, then how can this gay marriage amendment gambit result in anything but a net LOSS for Bush?

Strategerically, it makes no sense to me.

:shrug:

Edited for grammar.

[LuminousX]

9. Maybe they think the Zealots of the Right will get so jacked up

about Bush's overt bigotry that they will vote twice.

[truthspeaker]

10. the religious conservative base is fickle and their votes not a sure thing

They have been criticizing Bush for not being aggressive enough on the Federal Marriage Amendment. They will drop their support if the GOP doesn't tow their line.

[truthspeaker]

7. Gay Republicans=Black KKK members

Wake up, the GOP hates you and has sacrificed you to their Christian Right "base".

[RodneyCK2]

11. I agree...

I have never been able to understand how gays can vote for Republicans. What does the party offer that is so enticing?

I am gay, a long-time Democrat and proud of it.

[LuminousX]

8. 10%

In the Republican mind, it is an us vs. them situation and they are thinking that the 10% of the populations that is homosexual (I'm using the generally accepted percentage, I don't know how accurate it is) vote Democratic anyway so who cares. The Log Cabin Republicans represent a very very minor portion of the the GOP, so they are easily dismissed.

What the GOP fails to see is that while most likely a large portion of the 10% will not vote GOP, they whole 10% are interconnected with everyone in society. That 10% have families, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. They have friends and co-workers. They have classmates, are part of church congregations, and communities.

This issue is going to bite Bush in the ass hard. Yes, Americans may not like the idea of allowing people of the same gender to get married, but Americans hate overt bigotry (we prefer bigotry to be covert, to allow us to pretend it really isn't bigotry but something else entirely). Forcing congress at a time when Ridge has announced possible terrorist attacks to disrupt the election to debate a marriage amendment to the Constitution. Nobody is falling for this political chicanery and it just makes the GOP look petty and vindictive, not compassionate.