“If you put public policy issues to a religious test, you risk becoming a religious party. And in a free country, a political party cannot be viable in the long term if it is seen as a sectarian party.”
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These are the words of former John McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt before the Log Cabin Republican’s national convention a few days ago, who seems to be grasping for a “lifeline.” Mr. Schmidt believes that in order for the Republican party to remain viable or to even continue to exist, it must halt its continuous march toward the religious right, and begin to embrace and support such controversial issues as gay marriage.
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Steve Schmidt painted a dire portrait of the state of the Republican Party, saying that the GOP has largely been co-opted by its religious elements and that strategy will surely lead to the party’s demise. “If you reject (gay marriage) on religious grounds, I respect that,” he said. “I respect anyone’s religious views. However, religious views should not inform the public policy positions of a political party because… when it is a religious party, many people who would otherwise be members of that party are excluded from it because of a religious belief system that may be different. And the Republican Party ought not to be that. It ought to be a coalition of people under a big tent.”
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Mr. Schmidt’s words come during a time when the GOP is awkwardly in turmoil, without a true leader, and on the verge of irrelevancy. Mr. Schmidt and other republicans are frantically searching for ways to keep the party viable, and the extreme uphill battle of keeping separation between church and state is one option for its survival. Every political party has members with strong religious beliefs and doctrines. But the Republicans are the only major party to allow religion to completely control its agenda and message. Made up of both Christian conservatives AND social conservatives, the party likely needs to split into two separate parties in order to survive. Republicans have long been against gay marriage primarily because they somehow believe preventing homosexual marriage will prevent homosexuality. But anyone with an ounce of sense and not led by religious fanaticism recognizes this is inaccurate. At least the social conservative wing of the party is waking up to the fact that religion is killing the party and must take a back seat in order for it to survive. With an older, more conservative generation dying off, and a younger, more liberal generation emerging (the one that flocked to support Barack Obama), Republicans absolutely must reinvent themselves or they will disappear into obscurity.
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Perhaps Steve Schmidt and some others are on to something. Reinventing the GOP, reigning in total religious control, and making it more generational might be a good move. Ridding the party of antiquated beliefs against gay marriage would certainly be a welcome change to the Log Cabin (gay) Republican movement. But without drastic changes, the “religious led” Republican party is on life support. And soon the American electorate may just pull the plug!
Steve Schmidt is a rethuglican Opportunistic cretin. Everything that he said in front of a room full of LGRs he’s known for a long time_and could have said as much a long time ago. H*ll, he could have demonstrated a “new” way forward for the Rethuglica party when he ran McCain’s campaign against Obama for the Presidency!?!But noooooo. Schmidt and company decided to throw a TON of garbage to the wind AGAIN, using the same OLD dirty rotten tactics, bettin it would pay off One. More. Time.Instead, McMavericky and his pitbull VP choice lost the election. Then lo-and-behold, suddenly Schmidt has a so-called epiphany when it comes to gay marriage and the lethal damage inflicted on GOP by the talibangelicals.The fact that he has a gay sister (who reportedly he loves dearly), who by way of her sexual orientation, is no better than “demon possessed” or "LESS" than human, as per the “base” of his own party…and yet, he didn’t seem to have problem with that before NOW???? The fact that the theoCONS have pretty much owned the GOP for at least the past 10 yrs_and together with the neoCONS have steadily sucked the life-blood out of the party, leaving a “Zombie” party in its place_ Schmidt didn’t appear to mind that either….UNTIL NOW???Amazing what having your azz handed to you by the first African American President in United States history_an educated, highly accomplished, incredibly self-confident, capable, articulate and gifted politician__can do to the mind!All of sudden Schmidt et al can see “the light”???Boy-oh-boy…"what a tangled web {THEY} weave when first {THEY} practice to deceive"…smh.
And umm… what is up with this pattern emerging that Republicans interested in speaking “truth-to-party” are only willing to do so in front of a gathering of rich, GAY, white rethuglican males?!First_Steve Schmidt …then Mehgan Mccain_and now Tom Davis???[ Former Rep. Tom Davis warned on Saturday night that the Republican Party he has been a part of throughout his career had become "a private club with an admissions test," destined to long-term minority status without major structural changes.Speaking before the pro-gay rights Log Cabin Republicans, Davis, a long-serving Virginia Republican, warned that "cultural issues" and a lack of diversity (especially within cities) "has been killing" the GOP. The "old coalition," he concluded, simply "isn't working.""We have been spiraling downhill," he said. "This administration, as they start making their decisions, it is going to be change some people can't believe in…The question for us is, as a party, are we going to be a welcome mat for these people? Or are we going to demand an admissions test and become a club? If that's the way we go, we are not going to be able to capitalize. We are not going to be able to grow. And we are not going to be able to govern." ]Huffpost.comBTW: I’ve heard it said by more than a few gay white males that LCRs tend to be even MORE “racist” than their heterosexual brethern_so suffice it to say, I couldn't care less about how they get “played” by the GOP.But isn’t the very notion of “gay” Republicans a bit like having Blacks join the Klan???
You seem to be filled with a lot of hate and overbearing opinions "Truthis" but your rant is totally off-base and wrong! The Republican party is a party of morals and family values. We raise our kids to grow up with a strong belief in christian values and standards. We are not "theocons, zombies" or any other name you want to throw at us, nor are we a party which permits or tolerates immoral type behavior such as homosexuality and what not. I don't know what Steve Schmidt is smoking all a sudden but gays are not to marry. I don't care if his sister is gay. Long as I'm a Republican we will not be in support of them ruining the sacntity of marriage. God made Adam & Eve not Adam & STEVE. I have faith Sarah will take care of things come 2012!!
SPARE ME your blather. I won't be sucked in. I know the Christianist CON game. To anyone I may "offend" with my post: Please SKIP OVER them.Now moving on….I read this over at Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish:The Faux Libertarianism Of Christianist BigotsThe “victimized” Christianist bigots are of course not making a thorough, comprehensive (i.e., truly libertarian) demand for full entrepreneurial freedom of contract — and its reciprocal “right to refuse service to anyone.” All they want to do is discriminate against gays. Not “anyone and everyone.” Just gays.Which is precisely why they should not be allowed to do so. As I have blogged previously: Whether or not you approve of bans on private discrimination is not the point — we are not debating the creation of Libertopia.The point is instead whether, given that we already have such laws, are we going to craft and apply those laws consistently, logically and equitably — or are we going to short-circuit the entire raison d’être of such laws by allowing the majoritarian mob to fashion carve-outs for the very same insular minorities who are most in need of such laws?If the religious bigots really want to invoke libertarian arguments to legitimize their bigotry, then they better be prepared to be judged by real libertarians about the entire spectrum of libertarian issues — including separation of church and state.Think they’ll go for it?Hat-tip: A Stitch In Haste via Andrew Sullivan-The Daily Dishhttp://www.kipesquire.net/2009/04/on-religious-bigots-new-found-faux-libertarianism/ The Faux Libertarianism Of Christianist BigotsThe “victimized” Christianist bigots are of course not making a thorough, comprehensive (i.e., truly libertarian) demand for full entrepreneurial freedom of contract — and its reciprocal “right to refuse service to anyone.” All they want to do is discriminate against gays. Not “anyone and everyone.” Just gays.Which is precisely why they should not be allowed to do so. As I have blogged previously: Whether or not you approve of bans on private discrimination is not the point — we are not debating the creation of Libertopia.The point is instead whether, given that we already have such laws, are we going to craft and apply those laws consistently, logically and equitably — or are we going to short-circuit the entire raison d’être of such laws by allowing the majoritarian mob to fashion carve-outs for the very same insular minorities who are most in need of such laws?If the religious bigots really want to invoke libertarian arguments to legitimize their bigotry, then they better be prepared to be judged by real libertarians about the entire spectrum of libertarian issues — including separation of church and state.Think they’ll go for it?Hat-tip: A Stitch In Haste via Andrew Sullivan-The Daily Dishhttp://www.kipesquire.net/2009/04/on-religious-bigots-new-found-faux-libertarianism/
@DJ-I apologize for the double-posting of the Daily Dish exerpt. I don’t see any way to correct it(?)Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
(oops posted under wrong thread DJ can you help?)GOOD FIND TRUTHIZ!I am amazed at how many supposed "Christians" honestly believe they are somehow immune to bigotry. More bigots hide behind the guise of Christianity than nearly anywhere else. Blacks were killed in the interest of "Christianity." Jews were persecuted in the interest of "Christianity." And now gays and lesbians are being denied basic human rights in the interest of "Christianity." We have nothing against what is called "traditional" marriage. We pose no threat to anyone else's already existing marital bond. We just want the same rights that everyone else already has. I am not sure of Steve Schmidts true motives but I hope he GETS it and isn't doing this only for publicity. It's 2009 people! Wake up! It's time!!!!!
TO FRISCO415: I removed your double posting from the other thread and left the comment under this thread.TO TRUTHIZ:Don't worry about the additional posting. I'd have to delete your entire comment and get you to redo it, which wasn't worth it. So for now it's fine as is.THANKS FOR THE POSTINGS ALL. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORDS!- DJ