Watch: David Frost Interviews Gay Republican Presidential Candidate Fred Karger
David Frost interviews gay Republican presidential hopeful Fred Karger about his campaign for Al Jazeera. Karger, who exposed Mormon financial involvement and deceit in the Proposition 8 campaign, says he wants to get under Mitt Romney's skin in New Hampshire.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
I appreciate Karger's running as an openly gay man, but.....I just don't get it....gay Republican? I know it exists, but I just don't get it.
Posted by: Carolina | Jun 7, 2011 8:19:58 AM
yes he's openly gay, but he worked for Regan! That's all I need to know.
Posted by: The Iron Orchard | Jun 7, 2011 8:27:15 AM
So far, it doesn't look like he's getting a "seat at the table". He's being shut out of the debates and most of the press.
Posted by: Dastius Krazitauc | Jun 7, 2011 8:35:06 AM
I'm not into older men, typically, but damn Mr. President! Can I be your intern?
Posted by: D.R.H. | Jun 7, 2011 8:39:51 AM
There's no way he'll be elected. But, he does start a road in. He is the first gay dude running for the nomination that I know of. Dem or Repub, it's a gay first. Paving the way for others. I don't know much about him, or where he stands, but I'll find out.
Posted by: kodiak | Jun 7, 2011 8:43:27 AM
"David Frost interviews gay Republican presidential hopeful Fred Karger about his campaign for Al Jazeera."
Confusing; at first I thought it read that Karger was "campaigning for Al Jazeera".
Posted by: Rick S. | Jun 7, 2011 8:49:47 AM
We don't get a seat at the Republican table: we're on the menu.
Posted by: Russell | Jun 7, 2011 8:55:22 AM
A few googles later... Karger founded Californians Against Hate, which brought to light the contributors to the Prop 8 campaign and started a series of boycotts against donors who contributed large sums. He also brought to light the role the Mormon church played in the Prop 8 debacle, which had underplayed it's role, but was a major player. He is for gay marriage, against DADT. I don't know where he stands on other issues such as healthcare, the economy, etc., but he obviously doesn't follow party lines, and I give him credit for that.
Posted by: kodiak | Jun 7, 2011 8:59:29 AM
@Kodiak has the right idea. Karger doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting the nomination, but neither did Shirley Chisholm in 1972 or Margaret Chase Smith in 1964. Someone has to be first out of the gate, be the butt of all the bad jokes, be dismissed and ridiculed, and be the first to put the idea out there of a woman or black or Latino or gay President. This guy is doing us all a service. If he even makes a blip in New Hampshire, that'll be progress.
And it's interesting that it's not just the GOP that are excluding him (is he less credible than Herman Cain?), but not a single gay rights organization, aside from the LCR, is giving him the time of day.(If the fact that he's a Republican is the problem, where is the openly gay Democrat willing to go out there and run?)
Posted by: Clay | Jun 7, 2011 9:07:18 AM
"but not a single gay rights organization, aside from the LCR, is giving him the time of day."
Well, that's a big mistake. I think they should be promoting this guy's candidacy. South Carolina excluded him from their debate because he polled less than 1%. I really want to see this man at the debates, mainly to remind the other candidates that gay people are real, and involved, and not just an abstraction for them to oppose to get votes. I want to see if his presence will make Santorum, Gingrich and Bachmann squirm as they say gays are not consistent with "family" or "American" values.
Posted by: Dastius Krazitauc | Jun 7, 2011 9:20:38 AM
HRC is still campaigning for Hillary. Time to go Joe!
Posted by: Harleydudeknoxtn | Jun 7, 2011 9:54:45 AM
The reason Clay et al that no other gay group are giving him the time of day is because he has spent decades working against gay rights only to come out at the grand old age of 65!
He can got to hell for giving us Reagan and Bush snr.
Posted by: Rowan | Jun 7, 2011 10:22:13 AM
That frisbee video told me all I need to know...
Posted by: Michael W. | Jun 7, 2011 10:22:58 AM
For those of you who are too young to understand why someone like Karger would stay closeted for so many years & actually fight against his own people, I have this to say: I don't get it either. But I didn't live his life. Didn't live his childhood. I'm not trying to excuse what he did in the past, but I do give him credit for coming out and trying to make amends. Most wouldn't, especially at his age. The closet can be quite comfortable and familiar and a difficult place to leave. He might never be a big player in the GOP but I applaud his efforts. If he can give even a few gay kids being raised by Republicans even a glimmer of hope I say he's done a fine job.
Posted by: Gigi | Jun 7, 2011 10:38:14 AM
I couldn't support a candidate who was, for example, a racist. and I can't support a candidate who is a Republican (which means elements of racism, active homophobia, profiteering, etc etc - it's a very long list). So gay or not, Karger will never get the time of day from me, and I don't have a quarrel with the big gay orgs for doing the same.
Posted by: ant | Jun 7, 2011 10:48:03 AM
I think if gay republicans would have been like Fred Karger back when they created at LCR (not it's inbred cousin GOProud), there would have been some actual changes in the GOP.
The problem with LCR and GOProud is that they never challenge the leaders when they are wrong. Or they do so in some placating apologetic way. I think there should be gays in both parties, the problem is that the gays in one party weren't going to be pushed over; the other decided to act like Uncle Toms.
Posted by: chrissypoo | Jun 7, 2011 11:01:00 AM
Fred did a great job with Californians against hate. He should have stopped and focused his efforts there.
His candidacy is a non-event. In Iowa and SC they have blocked him from debates. Never let the object of your scorn and discrimination become a human being, people may notice gay people are human.
Posted by: Jonathan | Jun 7, 2011 11:31:09 AM
Plus: Openly gay politician.
Minus: Everything else. Likes Sarah Palin? Wtf?
Posted by: BenB | Jun 7, 2011 1:29:06 PM
Anyone who would vote for a "straight" Democrat over a gay Republican is the real self-loathing traitor.
Vote Karger 2012 or turn in your GayCard.
Posted by: Attmay | Jun 7, 2011 3:09:22 PM
Did a gay man who lived through AIDS nightmare of the 80s just use the words "Reagan" and "never say die attitude" in the same sentence? That is jaw-droppingly stupid, if you ask me.
That look isn't helping either. Reminds me of that creepy guy with the bowtie and nervous/insane laughter who sometimes shows up on Real Time.
Posted by: Randy | Jun 8, 2011 2:52:27 AM