An official "clarification" over at NationalReview.com makes clear that former Senator, and likely Republican presidential candidate, Fred Thompson opposes a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Of the four leading Republican presidential contenders, three-Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and the all-but-declared Thompson-oppose what only three years ago was the Republicans' most prized cultural wedged issue. Recall that in 2004 all but five Senate Republicans voted for the amendment. Now it's amendment-supporting (and exquisitely inconsistent) Mitt Romney who's the odd one out.
This is a sea-change. And yet another sign that George W. Bush's sharp turn right is proving ephemeral.
Thompson does favor an amendment leaving gay marriage to the states. On the merits, that's a debatable measure. But it's a far cry from a national ban. Just ask James Dobson and Gary Bauer, who must be gnashing their teeth right now.
34 Comments for “Thompson Makes Three!”
posted by ETJB on
I would not call it a “sea-change”, all of them oppose just about any measure of equal rights, except that now they are hoping that “that issue” can cease to be a federal one.
posted by Brian Miller on
Ah, I love Republicratic spin.
Fred Thompson is a bigot, as non-partisan blogger Kip Esquire notes.
Toward a grand unified theory of radical social conservatism:
Fred Thompson does not support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
That is a lie:
Q: Would a President Fred Thompson actively push a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage?
A: Yes. Yes.
Thompson did not call for a “constitutional DOMA amendment.” He invoked (sloppy) full faith & credit arguments, yes. But he was asked, unambiguously, whether he would actively push a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. And he said yes. Twice.
The video is here ? decide for yourself.
So an emphatic double-yes answer to supporting anti-gay constitutional amendments is now “clarified” to mean “opposition.”
Yeesh. Let it never be said that Bill Clinton didn’t have a legacy in the political arena.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
I’m pretty sure GAY LEFTISTS (!!!) are to blame for Fred’s flip-flop. Whatta ya’ say ND30…hit us with some of your trademarked craziness!
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
(smiles) Remember this?
ND30: “that has never stopped you from attacking Republicans, conservatives, or organizations for allegedly supporting the FMA…”
OK big boy, care to back that statement up with some citations? You can’t, because you are (once again) LYING!!!
And here we catch you bashing a Republican for allegedly supporting the FMA.
However, when I point out Democrats who support the FMA and state constitutional amendments, and the gay leaders and organizations like HRC that support them, you insist that that’s not antigay.
right-o.
posted by Randy on
Oh wow. A really gutsy move. Opposing an amendment to the constitution that has no chance of ever going anywhere — really a curageous move.
Sheesh. The FMA went nowhere even with a Republican congress, and it surely won’t pass with a Democratic one. So for Thompson to be against it is like saying he is against any amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit eating shrimp.
Okay, I’m glad he’s against — better against it than for it. But to make this some sort of sea change — well, perhaps it is. It is a sea change when a republican can actually read the polls and do what the American people want, rather than James Dobson.
posted by Michigan-Matt on
The flip-flopping Fred? He might just out-do the King of Flip Flops, John Kerry… nawh.
Fred is just doing what he thinks he needs to do to get the nomination –not piss off all those gay GOPers whether they be LogCabineers or not… and the few Libertarian gays who aren’t still foaming at the mouth over immigration reform (strike that, “amnesty”).
Fred’s no bigger or smaller whore than Clinton, Obama or McCain… just taller.
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Oh wow. A really gutsy move. Opposing an amendment to the constitution that has no chance of ever going anywhere — really a curageous move.
Like the Democrats who you praised as gutsy for opposing the FMA, even though you admit it was “going nowhere”?
In fact, I believe that was the whole argument of gay Democrats for supporting John Kerry; since he “opposed” the FMA (although he mysteriously vanished when it came time to vote on it), he was pro-gay and gay-supportive, even though he supported state amendments and laws banning it and promoted them as doing the right thing.
Isn’t it amazing how gays and gay leaders will criticize everything a Republican does, but wholeheartedly endorse and support even an FMA supporter as long as they’re a Democrat?
And that’s why Republicans (and gay conservatives and Republicans, for that matter) don’t bother “outreaching” to liberal groups; we know HRC, for example, has nothing to do with gay rights and everything to do with supporting Democrats, no matter how homophobic. They’ve made that abundantly and directly clear.
posted by Brian Miller on
Fred is just doing what he thinks he needs to do to get the nomination
Exactly — saying anything to get elected since, like most Republicans, he doesn’t stand for anything other than getting power for himself and his buddies (at everyone else’s expense).
No thanks!
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
ND30: “And here we catch you bashing a Republican for allegedly supporting the FMA.”
Huh? Where did I bash someone for supporting the (dead) FMA? You REALLY need to work on your reading comprehension dumbass…but, please, feel free to cite an example of my “bashing.” You can’t because I didn’t…I can cite examples of your lying though. Want me to?
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Let me clarify, ColoradoPatriot: you are saying that you have never once attacked Republicans, conservatives, or organizations for allegedly supporting the FMA or anything like it.
Do you really want to go there?
posted by Michigan-Matt on
Colorado”Patriot”, let’s see… you’ve called people here butt-boys (thanks), dumbasses, et cetera. And YOU take exception to the appropriate label of your conduct as juvenile??
When can we expect you to drop the juvenile name calling and help build an independent moderate gay community that can appeal better to Mainstream America?
I know, you claim to be a conservative gay person (lol)… but your taunting and name calling is nothing but demeaning to your own, albeit, flaccid opinions.
I wonder about gay guys like you who seem stuck in “drama 24×7” rather than informed dialogue. Give it a rest, your conduct impinges on the work of responsible gays.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
MM: “And YOU take exception to the appropriate label of your conduct as juvenile??”
No exception taken here…why do you think I do? I’m just calling bullshit on the bullshitters…but seeing as how you are one of the troublemakers I can understand your animosity. I was commenting on the article when ND30 attacked me and accused me of “bashing” FMA supporters. He has no basis for his claims yet you support him. That is the definition of a butt-boy, not just idle name calling.
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
I was commenting on the article when ND30 attacked me and accused me of “bashing” FMA supporters.
Mhm.
He asked; I obliged.
I just don’t think he was expecting that.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
Still waiting ND30…you can try to change the subject all you want. You said I attacked Fred for his support (?) of FMA, I asked for proof. You have none because I have didn’t do it. You are a LIAR.
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Mhm, ColoradoPatriot.
posted by kittynboi on
Must ND30 hijack every thread here and make it about his own battle with liberals?
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
ND30, how is your link to the current thread any sort of response? What is your point?
posted by Randy on
ND30: “Like the Democrats who you praised as gutsy for opposing the FMA, even though you admit it was “going nowhere”?
Well, yes. As I said, it’s good to oppose the FMA. And I also said that it’s good that Thompson opposes the FMA. And I’m very glad that whereas the Republicans supported the FMA in the last election cycle, they mostly oppose it.
But to charactize this as a gutsy move is silly. It’s very easy to oppose something that doesn’t cost you anything. Where was ND30 when they supported it?
posted by TSUGambler on
You know, I really enjoy reading the articles here, but I don’t know why I ever bother with the comments. They are never instructive, and usually just devolve into the internet equivalent of a hair-pulling, eye-scratching, high-school girl fight.
And as a gay man, I can tell you that does nothing for me.
posted by Michigan-Matt on
TSUGambler, I agree completely with you. I wish ColoradoPatroit and others would stop the girlieboi eye-scratching name calling juvenile behavior and stay on the topic.
On topic, I’ve watched FredThompson’s potential candidacy enliven everyone from the few remaining moderate and even progressive GOPers struggling to take back their Party to even the radical and often irrational Libertarians hiding under GOP wolfskins laboring to keep the mantle of RonnieReagan and the issue of a FlatTax alive in the Party.
The only group that FredT seems to have problems igniting are the corps of seasoned GOP campaign staffers… I think he’s on “campaign director” #4 at this point and still hasn’t been able to put together a launch event. That’s pretty lame. Even Obama could find 10k people for a day to applaud his entry last spring.
FredT’s re-positioning on FMA hasn’t been vetted yet with his trophy wife, so I’m not sure it’ll stick even if it helps him with the few progressive gay GOPers left in the Party. I bet she’ll be his downfall and finally crush those anti-Rudi McRomney libertarians sitting on the GOP sideline.
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Must ND30 hijack every thread here and make it about his own battle with liberals?
If you want to lessen the odds of someone showing up at your party, don’t invite them.
But to charactize this as a gutsy move is silly. It’s very easy to oppose something that doesn’t cost you anything. Where was ND30 when they supported it?
Saying they were wrong.
And Randy, quite frankly, Democrat gays have no problem with the FMA; your own organizations and leaders endorse its supporters when they’re Democrats.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
MICHIGAN-MATT: “…everyone knows GayLefties have the attention-demand needs of a 3 yr old who just fell off the Ritalin wagon…the GayLeft’s perverse hate-filled animus toward religion, this is just another example of the GayLeft’s perverse hatred for anything mainstream or normal…We’ll never be able to forge a coaltion with moderate Americans in order to advance real civil rights for gays as long as we tolerate these barn-burning, molotov cocktail throwing petulant GayLefties…Honestly, GayLefties are looking like the perpetually immature adolescents in our community who bug chase and bareback…”
Good luck with defeating the juvenile name-calling here Matt, although you might want to start with cleaning up you own behavior. Asshole.
posted by Mark on
Mr. Rauch may not think he’s a “leading” contender, but Ron Paul also opposes the Amendment.
posted by Someone in FL on
I have been reading this for awhile. Seems like the only ones who talk or are paid attention to are about 10 of you. It’s like a bunch of blue claw crabs in a basket. How many of you spend time writing your Member of Congress and other elected officials rather than on here?
posted by Michigan-Matt on
MM writes, presaging Colorado”Patriot”‘s latest juvenile rant: “TSUGambler, I agree completely with you. I wish ColoradoPatroit and others would stop the girlieboi eye-scratching name calling juvenile behavior and stay on the topic.”
Colorado”Patroit”, like with your claim that you’re a conservative gay, your latest plea continues the ol’ juvenile rant. “Asshole” now is it? Right up there with calling me a buttboy of ND30… way to prove the point.
It’s time for you to quit swimming in the shallows and get serious –your “everyday I act like I’m the Pride Parade Grand Marshal” has run its course. Grow up, ok?
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
Huh?
posted by Michigan-Matt on
Colorado, congrats on defying another law of physics… you’re not only dense as lead but you can still manage to float in the shallow end of the pool.
The very thing you accuse others of doing, you turn right around and do it yourself… like contending you aren’t screaming and then Cap Shouting. It’s juvenile and moronic.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
MM: “…like contending you aren’t screaming and then Cap Shouting. It’s juvenile and moronic.”
I’ve never been offended by name calling on the internet…you are the one who brought that up (while name-calling and slandering others, how trite). I called you on your hypocrisy. Your bad behavior has nothing to do with mine. I will gladly accept your charge of juvenalia (when in Rome, etc etc). Well, at least you’ve given up name calling…oh wait, you haven’t. I’m sorry that I defended myself against the lies that ND30 was spreading. Obviously I should just let his deception (and your insipid posts) continue without pause…so, please, continue on with your dishonesty and juvenile name calling. It means nothing to me.
posted by JulaMtns on
hey kids, maybe you ought to get a private room? Michigan Mark, you aren’t going to change Colorados behavior; quit trying & accept that some things are beyond redemption or instruction or logic
its just the way it is for gay liberals
posted by Zeke on
What to make of this:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/bauer_confident_thompson_backs.php
It seems that people here may be speaking a bit too soon based on an UNCONFIRMED and UNOFFICIAL statement that the OFFICIAL Thompson campaign has not verified.
I’m afraid that you gay boys and girls who are jumping on the Thompson bandwagon are destined to be thrown under it once they realized that their wagon can’t pick up speed among the fundy base while you?re on board.
posted by Zeke on
I don’t have a dog, or a pony, in this dog and pony bitch fight but it seems to me that Michigan Matt gives as good as he gets in the name calling and “juvenile rant” departments.
posted by Michigan-Matt on
Hey Jula, thanks for the advice, but I’ve had to endure guys like ColoradoPatroit for years drowning out reason, compassion and progress on civil rights just so they can continue pushing society’s limits.
Like the quiet plea for moderate Muslims to come out of the shadows and denounce the radical Islamic agenda, I think gay guys need to start talking down the GayLeft’s liberal, anti-progress agenda.
And Zeke, I haven’t called anyone an asshole or buttboy, like ColoradoPatroit does with a juvenile’s sneer. You need to get it right before shootin a salvo from the cheap seats.
posted by ColoradoPatriot on
MM: “…I’ve had to endure guys like ColoradoPatroit for years drowning out reason, compassion and progress on civil rights just so they can continue pushing society’s limits.”
Well, as long as you are not calling me names what’s a little slander between friends…what a joke.
posted by Brian Miller on
It seems that people here may be speaking a bit too soon based on an UNCONFIRMED and UNOFFICIAL statement that the OFFICIAL Thompson campaign has not verified.
Yep. The Thompson campaign was for the FMA before he was against it, before he was then for it. Kinda. With changes. Mostly. But generally opposed. Not completely opposed — broadly in favor. For the children.