Human Rights Campaign head honcho Joe Solmonese tells D.C.'s Metro Weekly (in the May 12th issue) that "there are a lot of people out there who are advancing this [anti-gay agenda] because it makes rich people richer and poor people poorer."
Yeah, that's it, Joe. Fall back on hackneyed, leftist dogma to explain the culture wars. But thanks for making it clear how you intend to address the fears of middle Americans that gay marriage is too great a change to bedrock social institutions. Just explain that they're being manipulated by the forces of capitalist exploitation. I'm sure they'll jump right up to support your oh-so appealing redistributionist political agenda!
By the way, Solmonese's remark could have come right out of What's the Matter with Kansas, the best-seller by liberal strategist Thomas Frank, alleging that the rightwing uses hot-button social issues (gays, abortion) to fool the "working class" into voting against its economic self-interests. The problem with this thesis is that higher taxes and more business regulation are not in the interest of working Americans, since such policies slow the very economic growth that creates jobs and raises incomes.
But to Thomas, Solmonese and many on the left, working Americans vote Republican because of "false consciousness." It's exactly the sort of paternalistic, patronizing thinking that ensures Democrats will keep losing national elections for years to come.
Update 1: I disagree with the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto regarding his embrace of social conservatives, but I think his critique of liberal condescension toward the "working class" hits the nail on the head. Those on the liberal-left would help themselves if they listened - but they won't.
Update 2: Reader "Remy" comments:
Steve may have let his reflexive opposition to leftwing ideologues like Matt Foreman of NGLTF color his critique of Joe Solmonese somewhat. Foreman is a redistributionist; Solmonese is just an abortion rights advocate.
Still, even if Solmonese's remark was not some major declaration, I think it does reveal a worldview that refuses to see that the values fight is about, well, "values" (rather than economics). And given Solmonese's background as an abortion activist, maybe he'd prefer not to face that truth (i.e., associating abortion and gay rights doesn't win support for gay rights among so-called "red state" voters).
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