07/07/2008
Weekly Standard Editor: McCain Should Gay Bash to Revive Campaign
What John McCain needs to invigorate his campaign, argued Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes on FOX News Sunday, is a bit of good old-fashioned gay bashing:
"He needs to touch on, and - some of the social issues which energize the right. In particular, gays in the military for one. We know Barack Obama is for allowing gays in the military, and Bill Clinton tried to do and then backed off. This is not a popular issue. Gay marriage is another one. These are both issues that I think McCain's gonna have to use. He can't ignore the right. If he does, he'll lose."
Of course, two weeks ago he promised to do just that...
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 8:52 AM EST by Andy Towle in Election 2008, John McCain, News, Republican Party | Permalink
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Another desperate attempt by the GOP. But I got to admit, I'd be curious to see how Sen. Obama would hold his front against this one.
Posted by: Rafael | Jul 7, 2008 9:42:58 AM
According to this, a 60% majority of Americans supported repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell in 2006:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/us/politics/08gays.html
I would have thought the figure is only likely to have risen since then. So I'm not sure where this genius is getting his information from.
Posted by: Sasha | Jul 7, 2008 9:54:48 AM
Great advice from a closet queen dressed like an Easter egg!
Posted by: ggreen | Jul 7, 2008 10:03:43 AM
Where are the lab cabinites to say how wonderful the GOP is in spite of this unabashed open declaration of the benefits of hate to their power
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Jul 7, 2008 10:20:04 AM
Fred Barnes is only offering advice on how McCain could lose to Obama by stating that going anti-gay would benefit him. For the idea of keeping the ban on gay and lesbian soldiers, almost all leading demographic groups oppose Don’t ask don’t tell. Independent voters see through all this pandering and do not find McCain genuine.
This is what I sent to the Fox News Sunday people.
Posted by: Matt from California | Jul 7, 2008 11:31:48 AM
I agree with the closing comment in the clip (Obama is the better campaigner), but I think Fred Barnes is essentially wrong because McCain HAS been harping on these issues, particularly the marriage issue. McCain's problem is, even though he's from Arizona, he lacks Goldwater's libertarian streak, thus allowing him to take progressive stands on things like gay rights (something Goldwater championed late in life). Nor does he come across as a true-blue (true-red?) conservative like Bush. Nor is he a Reaganesque figure of regal stature (here Obama seems ready to fill those shoes).
Posted by: anon | Jul 7, 2008 11:49:45 AM
lol, GGREEN.
JIMMYBOYO, the Cabinettes are probably soiling their panties right now, along with the deluded Gaytriots.
for the life of me, i don't see why anyone still cares what Barnes and Kristol and the rest of the neo-con nuts over at the Standard have to say.
Posted by: nic | Jul 7, 2008 12:01:27 PM
If "opinion polls" actually equated to reality, we would all be tiptoeing through the tulips of Gay Nirvana but, unfortunately, we're still deep in the briar patch in terms of significant change.
Most polls are flawed, often misleading, and ones about gay issues are particularly problematic for a variety of reasons. But the BIGGEST problem with opinion polls on ANY subject involving legislation or government policy subject to popular vote is that there is NO way to know for certain how the respondents will actually vote. Even "exit polling," that is, polling of people soon after they have actually voted isn't scientific because it falsely assumes the honesty of the respondent in revealing how he/she actually voted.
Further, "NEGATIVE" voters are typically far more motivated to actually vote than "postive" voters AND are better organized! Have you ever heard of HRC or NGLTF or your state LGBT action group loading pro-gay voters onto buses to take them en masse to the polls the way homohating churches often do?
The 2006 Pew Research poll wasn't even of "likely voters," and, in relation to DADT would be irrelevant anyway as it is something only members of Congress can vote on.
The same study said that, nationally, only 51% of American adults now oppose legalizing "gay marriage." Considering that all but about 5 states either have their own version of DOMA and/or a marriage equality ban in their state constitutions, raise your hand if you believe that....then tell us what size dunce cap you take!
OF COURSE, things are getting better, but we are still far from the tipping point that such polls suggest EVEN AMONG OUR OWN COMMUNITY where at least 20% of self-identified gay voters STILL VOTED FOR GEORGE BUSH in 2004 just months after he endorsed ripping them out of the US Constitution.
The ONLY way federal DOMA and DADT will be repealed is if gays get as angry and as organized as people like Fascist er Freddie Barnes.
Posted by: Michael Bedwell | Jul 7, 2008 1:12:10 PM