The OUTINGS: Where It's At And Where It's Headed (Real Live Witch Hunt!!!)

[Beetwasher]

Right or wrong, ethical, not ethical, it's happening. It's going to get worse as the Repubs get really desperate and start chewing each other faces off for real (I have a feeling we ain't seen nuthin' yet). And make no mistake, a lot of this is the REPUBS outing other Repubs and I'm sure the Dems will get thrown into the mix too. This is the purge we've been hearing about. This is a real live witch hunt in action (remember McCarthy and Communism?) and we're going to see it get insanely vicious w/ reprisals and retribution and pretty soon just about EVERY Repub is going to be accused of being gay.

Essentially what's happening is psychological in nature. It's a witch hunt and it takes on a life of it's own. They are SELF-DESTRUCTING and need enemies from within. This is NOT some designed strategy w/ any sort of goal and you can't think about it that way. It's a witch hunt and it has psychological imperatives driving it. There's no reason, no goal, no appeal to any voter base. It's an appeal to their psychological need to BLAME an enemy for their problems, and since blaming external enemies hasn't been working, they turn on themselves.

This Is The Repub Party Self Destructing. They have been reduced to pointing fingers at eachother and saying "You're gay!". Think about it. This is not some strategy at work, this is infantile recidivism from people who are freaking out.

Things like this can only snowball from this point forward and I think this is just accelerating the imminent crack up of the Republican party. Hang on.

[madmusic]

1. In the end...

It will all be the gay's fault and there ought to be a law!

And Clinton's.

[Beetwasher]

3. This Is The Repub Party Self Destructing

They have been reduced to pointing fingers at eachother and saying "You're gay!". Think about it. This is not some strategy at work, this is infantile recidivism from people who are freaking out.

[TlalocW]

7. This will be the rational for the religious wingnuts

And let's face it, there is little chance of getting them to change their minds.

The democrats aren't going to abandon gay issues or their gay constituents.

TlalocW

[SharonAnn]

2. Perhaps it will finally allow us to recognize that being gay makes

no difference. A good representative or Senator is good regardless of his/her sexual orientation. And the same with bad ones.

[Pharaoh]

4. Bwaha haha!!

the morons!:rofl:

[Catherine Vincent]

5. Throw out the closet. Be gay and be proud.

:)

[mondo joe]

6. McCarthyism and witch hunts weren't about exposing

people who are liars - it was about demonizing people with little or no regard for the truth.

[Beetwasher]

8. Withchunts Have Psychological NOT Ideological Causes

They are rooted in the group dynamics and have deep seeded psychological causes. The ideology associated w/ any witchhunt, be it the Salem witch trials to the Holocaust to the McCarthy era are mere window dressing for the more primal causes that lead to group psychotic episodes (which is what a witch hunt essentially is).

[cally]

9. Many Dems will also be outed

I'm sure the Repubs are desperately searching for closeted Dems so they can blame them. I'm very, very worried about where all this will lead. Already, the crazies are pushing Gays on Capitol Hill hid the predatory behavior of Foley (possibly others). I'm afraid that the end result is that too many folks will think that political Gays will always protect and coverup for a fellow Gay.

[Beetwasher]

11. It's Not A Designed Strategy

And yes, there will probably be some Dems outed, but it won't be nearly as destructive to a Dem and his constituency. They hypocrisy is not as ingrained.

"..too many folks will think that political Gays will always protect and coverup for a fellow Gay."

I understand your concern, but I think this will really only mostly effect the Republican party. It's only mostly their constituency that is that rabid about sexuality. If the Repubs lose power, and hopefully they will, this won't really be an issue anymore, IMO. Only for the REPUBS will it still be an issue. The Dems won't turn on gays in their own party, they have no reason to do so and every reason not to. The Dems look mature and reasonable next to a horde of diseased rats chewing eachother's faces off.

[cally]

13. I hope so

I think Dems in red areas would be hurt and their constituency would be less tolerant. I home I'm wrong. Folks wouldn't care where I live but I live in liberalville. We'll see.

[Beetwasher]

17. Oh, I Agree, An INDIVIDUAL Dem Might Suffer

Especially in a Red area, but as a whole, the Dem party is far more insulated from this than the Repubs. This is a disaster for them, for the Dems, not so much because tolerance is part and parcel of their ideological structure and that ideological structure insulates them better (as a group) from this type of psychological, psychotic event.

[Joe for Clark]

10. I think your right.

I think it is just wrong - and I do not like the idea of winning that way - but in the end - individually, they just want to keep their job and and they will do what they think they can to keep their individual jobs.

It is a sinking ship for them now, every man will go look after himself.

I'll say this though, at least when the dems went down in 94 there was a certain degree of dignity about them - not this time for the gop for sure.

Did you ever see the history channel program about the great fighter pilots? WWI thru Vietnam.
Cunningham is in it, one of the only aces from Vietnam. I do not like the "Duke" - but I think it is so sad that he could do what he did. He was a great pilot - that show will haunt him for the rest of his life. He was great once - as a fighter pilot - and the level he sunk too, it is really sad.

Joe

[librechik]

12. I suspect there are LOTS of closeted Pukkkes in the Greedy Old Pervert

party. I think it will only do them good to come out, I hope they do so voluntarily. But I can't stop gay activists from outing particularly odious specimens of hypocrisy. I don't have the heart. Not the tactic I would choose, but I'm sure they are sincere in their attempts to bring out the truth. If there are Dems, they should be fair game too--but I doubt there are many, since the Dems are openly tolerant of gays, unlike the bigots on the Right, who need to be fed the fruits of their devious crimes, IMO

[Beetwasher]

14. I Refuse To Get Involved In Ethical Discussions On This Matter

Suffice it to say it's an EXTREMELY complex ethical issue.

I agree w/ you that there will be Dems and it won't have nearly the effect on Dems or the Dem party as it will on the Repubs. In fact, I don't really think it will be any issue at all for the Dems if some of them get caught up in the Witch Hunt.

[B Calm]

15. Now that Republican Senator Craig from Idaho has been outed,

the question is will the christian conservatives of Idaho recognize the hypocrisy of their party?

[Riverman]

22. I missed that one. Who outed him, when?

[onenote]

24. only if someone can prove the outing

I doubt that the christian conservatives of Idaho are going to pay much attention to the unsubstantiated assertions of a liberal blogger.

If someone credible comes forward and claims that they had a homosexual relationship with Craig, then the situation changes. Without that, this doesn't hurt Craig or the repubs and could bounce back against Democrats.

[Lex]

16. Exposing hypocrites who vote one way and act another.

If all the hypocrites are exposed there won't be much of Repuke party left.

[Bake]

18. They gonna out Barney Frank?

I'm sure he's shakin'. We Dems don't give a damn about the sexual orientation of our leaders; we give a damn about the kind of job they do and the things they believe in.

Bake

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. Yea. Barney Frank. That guy definitely sets my gaydar off! LOL

[Beetwasher]

20. Exactly

This a GOP internal problem.

[Jack Rabbit]

21. Agreed

I think this is eaxactly what Paul Weyrich has in mind.

[Beetwasher]

23. You Think He Wanted A Witch Hunt?

I dunno. I'm not sure something like this can be planned. It just happens as result of group dynamics.

[Jack Rabbit]

25. Yes, I do.

It's a wedge issue.

The Republicans are beyond saving this year, but people like Weyrich are very good at thinking ahead. We could be in for a lot of the slander all gays are pedophiles in the coming years.

If the Republicans think this is how they're going to ride back into power, then they will play this gambit.

[Beetwasher]

26. I Don't Think So

These things are inherently uncontrollable and unpredictable. He's destroying the party to save it? No way. This is a beast that is on no leash and it's not planned.

[davidwparker]

27. "a lot of this is the REPUBS outing other Repubs and I'm sure

the Dems will get thrown into the mix too"

So what if Dems get thrown into the mix about being outed. Dems don't care if someone is gay. I want to get back to the repub list of those who knew about Foley's being a predator of children and didn't do anything about it.

[Beetwasher]

28. I Don't Dispute That

I've made the same point repeatedly in this thread; that this would mainly hurt the Repubs.