The
Chicago Tribune's feature on the Log Cabin Republican is one of
the better pieces on the group and its struggles. The Trib notes,
among other things, that Democrats have stepped up their efforts to
recruit gay Republicans (four years ago, exit polls showed Bush
received support from 25% of all self-identified gay voters, or a
cool 1 million votes). Get this:
On its Web site, the DNC posts a feature called "Leaving the Log Cabin" including samples of what it claims are "the hundreds of e-mails we've received from proud new Democrats."
That's a little too reminiscent of Christian right "gay conversion" web sites, I'd say. In any event, the Trib reports that, when pressed, a Democratic official admits there were "about 100 such e-mails." Over at the RNC website, however, there's no mention of gay Republicans at all, though it otherwise has links to all manner of GOP constituency groups.
The Trib also says that LCR's plans for the GOP presidential convention in New York City
include the renting out of Manhattan's elegant Bryant Park for a Log Cabin reception on the convention's eve --"literally a big-tent event under a big tent"-- with Republican Govs. George Pataki of New York and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California as hosts, [LCR head Patrick Guerriero] said.Guerriero urged delegates to use the August convention as an opportunity to display to the country and to the party that there are "thoughtful, conservative gay Republicans" and to "celebrate the fact there is a big tent in the Republican Party."
Otherwise, he said, "If we abandon it, the far right will be able to claim it as their convention."
But all gay gatherings in NYC this August won't be so polite. The AP reports that a number of gay activist groups are planning large, and no doubt angry, demonstrations. Whether they join with all the manifold zanies in one of their "grand coalitions of the left" unity fests (e.g., confer yesterday's item about GLAAD's anti-gun rights crusade) will be interesting to see.
Not Even Evangelicals Support It.
A new
poll commission by US News & World Report & PBS, and
conducted by the respected polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
Research, has some surprising results. Summarizes the Religion News
Service:
Researchers found that while evangelicals were generally opposed to gay marriage -- 83% -- that view did not equate with a universal call for a constitutional amendment banning such unions. 41% of evangelicals said an amendment is needed while 52% said it was sufficient to prohibit gay marriage by law without changing the Constitution. Moreover, evangelicals were almost evenly divided over whether gay marriage would provide a litmus test for their vote in an election.
Andrew Sullivan has already made the obvious point -- Karl
Rove's strategy is in meltdown.
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