In his recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, How the GOP Can Avoid Becoming the Pan Am Party, Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, wrote:
Gay rights is another issue in which Republicans risk alienating potential conservative voters, particularly younger ones. It is reasonable to believe that the states and the people should determine what constitutes marriage, not five justices. But the Supreme Court ruled last month in Obergefell v. Hodges—and it’s over.
There has been talk of a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision, and candidates should drop it. That would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by 38 of the states. The chances of that happening are nil. More than 35 states had already legalized same-sex marriage before Obergefell, and Pew Research found in June that 57% of Americans and 73% of millennials favored it. It’s counterproductive for Republicans to look like social Neanderthals to a majority of Americans and a supermajority of young voters. There are better issues for the GOP—religious liberty, for instance.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker obviously disagrees, and last week doubled down on his courting of evangelicals in Iowa (where he leads in the polls) and the Deep South by condemning the Boy Scouts of America’s recent moves toward allowing openly gay scoutmasters. Walker said the Boy Scout’s current exclusionary policy “protected children and advanced Scout values.” Two days later, following an uproar over equating gay adults and pedophiles, Walker tried to, well, walk that back somewhat, but not very convincingly.
Jeb Bush had a better week, as he continues to try finding a course that recognizes reality without further alienating the GOP’s socially conservative base:
He added that in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, the country must work to carefully balance the rights of those seeking to marry and the religious beliefs of those who oppose those unions.
Citing the frequently-used example by religious freedom advocates, Bush said that in the case of a florist approached by a gay couple, “you should be obligated to sell them flowers, doing otherwise would be discriminatory.” But he said that the objecting florist should not be required to participate in the wedding, a fine line that he hopes will appeal to all sides of the debate.
When the employee followed up to ask specifically whether he would support anti-discrimination laws for LGBT Americans for their housing and employment—the next target for gay rights marriage advocates—Bush said he would at the state level.
The state-level ploy isn’t going to win many adherents on either side, but at least he’s trying to find a consensus on anti-discrimination and religious liberty that might be an alternative to the outraged polarization that dominates the argument today.
More. David Lampo, who serves on the national board of the Log Cabin Republicans, explains Yes, Governor Huckabee, Gay Rights Are Civil Rights. Posted on the conservative Daily Caller site, not the liberal echo chamber.
8 Comments for “Pandering and Ploys”
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Governor Walker is as dumb as a box of rocks, but he is a committed, hard-core social conservative up and down the line, and not just on gay/lesbian issues. He panders, but it is to the moderates during general election cycles, not to social conservatives. The bright spot in the Walker picture is that he won’t make it to the nomination.
posted by tom jefferson Iii on
Walker is shooting for something.
If not a spot on the GOP ticket, then he is probably shooting for a cushy job as a consultent, paid speaker or lobbyist.
The “all power to corporate interests” faction already love Walker, so now he is positioning himself in some sort of well paid, post-Governor gig.
Much like Rick Santorum, Walker is trying to say the most outrageously anti-gay thing he can think of, without actually calling for concentration camps.
Oddly enough, Donald Trump – who is a front runner in the GOP primary – has not said much about anything….beyond some race baiting, vague jabs at the media and some pleasantries about how great America is and how great Trump is.
posted by tom jefferson Iii on
Ah, so the current idea by candidate Bush is to toss equal opportunity under a bus, while pretending to care about religious freedom.
If he had actually shown an interest in protecting civil rights and religious freedom, I would be very impressed and interested in his campaign.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Plaudits in this case:
But dead silence in this case:
And ditto in other similar cases involving inter-religious marriages, inter-denominational marriages, and remarriages after divorce.
If anyone is wondering why “outraged polarization that dominates the argument today”, look no further.
posted by tom jefferson Iii on
So, the argument is; Support religious liberty, by opposing religious liberty…….
posted by Mike in Houston on
No – I think what most of us are saying is that there is a line between a commercial transaction and ‘participation = endorsement”.
It’s a line that’s been drawn very well when it comes to other federally protected traits (like religion or race)… and unless you want to artificially redraw the line to exclude LGBT people from equal means equal in the public square – which Stephen clearly advocates – then a floral arrangement is just that.
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posted by Clayton on
This post, dated July 18, is apparently the last post having to do with the people running for the presidency. So much has happened since then–and not one word, for example, on the Trump surge or Ben Carson’s surprising performance. Not one word on the RNC’s resolution supporting Religious Liberty. Why the silence on such timely and relevant issues?