He’s Still Here?

Via Towelroad: HRC’s Joe Solmonese Submits Question to GOP Debate.

More. Will the future of the GOP be more akin to Santorum, or Brown?

I didn’t catch the debate and don’t have much to add to the general response to Santorum’s ugly, and misleading, characterization of gay servicemembers. The format of these debates certianly isn’t helpful—why not ask all the candidates the same questions? Ron Paul and Gary Johnson are against “don’t ask,” and it would be interesting to have seen Jon Huntsman reply.

15 Comments for “He’s Still Here?”

  1. posted by Doug on

    Is there any question. . . the booed at serving gay soldier.

  2. posted by esurience on

    If Jorge gets his way, it’ll be like Santorum. Jorge proudly donated money to Santorum’s campaign.

  3. posted by Jorge on

    Hmmmmmmmph. And I’m still proud of it. He’s the only person in the field who’s even close to being a neoconservative. The others are faltering in their support of Bush’s foreign policies, and they largely reject the notion that the government can and should solve social problems. It is extremely regretable that Ron Paul’s views in these areas (which I have come respect this year) are exerting more pull than Rick Santorum’s. We see also that he is one of the candidates who stands and attacks based on what he believes, not based on cheap shots like Perry and Bachman–and Romney has an old reputation for being a flip-flopper. He is no opportunist.

    I missed it at the time, but I can see why everyone’s angry about it. GOProud made a good observation and demand and it is welcome. Even considering that everyone knows that Rick Santorum wants to reinstate the repeal and everyone knows why he’s against the DADT repeal (which is controlling, in my view), that ranked right up there with Michael Dukakis’s death penalty question in insensitivity. It was very good of Megyn Kelly to press him on what he would do going forward. His answer… I think his instincts are passable (*hummmmmmmmmph* at least he shows some ethical squeamishness–I’d prefer an ethical spine which I still think he has), but it’s senseless.

    Well. I’m not about to let GOProud have the last word on this one.

    • posted by Jorge on

      Oh, and speaking of GOProud, what’s Ann Coulter’s position on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, again?

      Yeah, that’s what I thought.

  4. posted by daftpunkydavid on

    jorge, would you still support santorum in 2012, monetarily or otherwise?

    • posted by Jorge on

      It’s too early to tell. There are things I am angry about in Santorum’s response that go beyond his actual political position on DADT (which I am willing to overlook), and it is Santorum’s words beyond his political positions that make me like him in the first place. That’s what I will look at.

      Like I said, Rick Santorum is the only candidate (besides perhaps Gingrich) who I agree with on foreign policy and the role of government. I’d vote for Obama over some Republican candidates. As of right now, Santorum is not one of them, but the fact that I am willing to consider voting for President Obama in the first place (a very recent development) would have its influence.

      I don’t understand why you asked a question I already answered in my previous post.

      • posted by daftpunkydavid on

        because i didn’t think you had answered it clearly. your latter answer is clearer.

      • posted by BobN on

        Rick Santorum has a foreign policy???

  5. posted by Houndentenor on

    THIS is your big story from last night’s debate? Seriously?

  6. posted by Jim on

    Yeah. It’s kind of sad, but sort of fitting and ironic, that Miller has to take a catty swipe at Joe Solmonese on the eve a Republican debate where members of the audience booed an active duty soldier for being gay and where none of the Republican candidates had the decency to criticize the boo-ers, defend the soldier, or thank him for his service. Let’s get real. Whatever else you think of him, Joe Solmonese has devoted his professional life to advancing the cause of gay equality under the law, while this Republican crowd, and every one of the candidates, took a steaming shit all over a gay soldier.

    • posted by Jorge on

      Santorum is claiming he didn’t hear the boos.

      …and he still didn’t thank him for his service.

      • posted by Tom Scharbach on

        Santorum is claiming he didn’t hear the boos.

        I would invite you to watch the video, paying attention to Santorum’s expression and body language, and draw your own conclusions about that …

        In any event, Santorum today condemned those who booed and thanked the serviceman for his service (“I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier. That soldier is serving our country. I thank him for his service to our country.“), and I’m very glad that he did.

        I imagine that the other Republican candidates present will do likewise quickly, if they have not already. It was outrageous.

        The yahoos went too far this time.

        • posted by Jorge on

          He did?

          I saw *another* video of Santorum doubling down on his support for the DADT policy. I was about to say something about it. This event is interesting and I’m glad you pointed it out to me.

          Santorum’s expressions and body language were very interesting, especially when Megyn Kelly cornered him on “well what would you actually do?”

          Let’s sit on it for a while longer and preach to the world about this incident.

  7. posted by Carl on

    Still no comment from Perry, Romney, et al about the boos.

    I was most interested in the column at Daily Caller which actually defended the boos and said there’s no reason to treat a solider any differently than anyone else (and of course added the “liberals do it too.”)

    I guess this is a glimpse at the new reality if the ban continues to be repealed – no “supporting the troops” if they’re gay.

  8. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    I guess this is a glimpse at the new reality if the ban continues to be repealed – no “supporting the troops” if they’re gay.

    I think that this is a tempest in a teapot, in one sense. The booing at the Orlando debate was not general, as I understand it, and reports suggest that at least some people in the audience vocally objected to the booing. But the booing is getting a lot of media, and you can bet that most Americans — and probably more than a few conservatives — found it unacceptable.

    I continue to believe that the vast majority of Americans honor military service and will not tolerate this kind of behavior toward men and women who put their lives on the line for us. Admittedly, I am a veteran and live in a rural area, where most men are veterans and from which a majority of service personnel are drawn in today’s volunteer forces, so my sense of what America as a whole will or will not tolerate might not be accurate. But that’s what I believe.

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