Blogs Mar 17, 2011 at 10:53 am

Republicans Accuse Dems of Using Gay Rights as a Wedge Issue

Dan Savage
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Comments

1
Figures the minority groups like the Republicants would say that.

0.005 percent of the population should not determine what happens to other minorities like LGBT.
Will in Seattle on March 17, 2011 at 11:00 AM Report this
2
Yeah, as empty gestures go, this is a nice one.

Cynical as fuck from the Democrats, who didn't bother when they had majorities in both houses, but a "nice" empty gesture.

2012 is coming so expect a shit load of empty gestures from your elected Democrats.

Everything you wanted from them when they could have given it to you.

On the other hand, there's a possibility President Obama's political advisors have convinced him it's a bad move to slash Social Security before an election. So you can expect that slice and dice in 2013.
judybrowni on March 17, 2011 at 11:20 AM Report this
3
@2 You may be right, or, perhaps dems have realized that fence-sitting and kowtowing to repubs wasn't working so well with their base, and these gestures now are a result of holding their feet to the fire earlier in the year...?
Canuck on March 17, 2011 at 11:26 AM Report this
4
Like other "culture war" issues, the Republicans have been using this as a wedge issue for years. Most of the Repub's success in the last 5 decades can be attributed to manipulating the fears of large parts of the population.
Tingleyfeeln on March 17, 2011 at 11:28 AM Report this
5
@3 Or perhaps the Dems realized that while this is an important issue, there were a whole shitload of important issues in 09-10 that also needed addressing, and marriage equality and other gay rights issues, if brought up for debate, were likely to be used by the Reps to distract from the other matters at hand. Clinton learned this lesson very clearly, and it pisses me off to no end to hear people whining that Obama didn't take up their cause earlier. If he had, the first half of his (what I hope to be) first term would have been completely lost.
Looking For a Better Read on March 17, 2011 at 11:34 AM Report this
6
4

whaaaaa.....

Or, Republican's success in the last 5 decades can be attributed to the fact that they address the concerns of Real America....
on March 17, 2011 at 11:38 AM Report this
7
@4: I love the term "Real America." Apparently my America is imaginary.
jeccat on March 17, 2011 at 11:49 AM Report this
8
Sorry, that should have been @6!
jeccat on March 17, 2011 at 11:50 AM Report this
9
How does Dan know about Pinup Girl Clothing shoes??
Caralain on March 17, 2011 at 11:51 AM Report this
10
Are you sure the Republican Party isn't some giant Sacha-Baron-Cohen-esque prank on the United States?

They're just a little too perfect at being ridiculous. Ten years ago, the phrase "I cheated on my wife because I just love America so much" would have been an exaggerated SNL parody, not an actual fucking excuse. It's the same with Republicans accusing Democrats of using gay rights as a wedge issue. They're not even trying to hide their falseness anymore.
Bonefish on March 17, 2011 at 12:06 PM Report this
11
Dims: Gay marriage
repubs: illegal immigration

neither issue really matters right now.
Spindles on March 17, 2011 at 12:34 PM Report this
12
@11: Yeah, not while we could be tackling the real issue of vaccine-caused autism!
venomlash on March 17, 2011 at 12:41 PM Report this
13
I think part of why the Democratic party has been getting more done and looking better is that they lost most of the "Blue Dog Democrats". They were the more right-leaning Democrats. The Democrats who are left, are mostly the ones who share the opinions and values of their base. A couple of good Democrats got lost too, unfortunately, but mostly it was the Blue Dogs. They got replaced with Republicans, who are worse and doing more damage, but what you're seeing is that these Democrats really have been trying and still are. But they couldn't fight their own not really on their side Democrats within their party that they had to work with. So, the Democrats appeared spineless, when they really were divided. They've been smaller, but much better since then. If we can replace the Blue Dogs with good Democrats, maybe we'd actually have a chance of getting something decent out of the government. If you follow individual politicians, some of them actually do seem to consistently try to do good things. Sure, none have perfect records, but there are better and worse ones. And some are pretty good. The Dems are now a higher percentage of the pretty good ones.
on March 17, 2011 at 12:44 PM Report this
14
I guess it's a "wedge issue", in the same way that chattel slavery was a "wedge issue" between the Northern and Southern states. People who oppose same-sex marriage* are both demonstrably incorrect (with respect to their asserted reasons) and morally bankrupt. I'm not sure what calling it a "wedge issue" is supposed to mean, exactly. That strikes me as one of those coded phrases that only means something if I've already bough into a particular discourse, like "Elections have consequences". (No shit; did someone suggest that they don't? If elections DIDN'T have consequences, I wouldn't need to be out here, protesting my ass off.) So, yeah, its an issue that drives a wedge between people who support equal rights for everyone and people who want to oppress a sexual minority for Yahweh knows what actual reason. And...?
John Horstman on March 17, 2011 at 12:55 PM Report this
15
Wasn't gay marriage a major issue for the Republicans in the 2004 elections? Osama bin Laden was still free, a fake war was concocted to compensate, and the only thing the Republicans seemed to say was that they would stand against the tyranny of gays marrying. What right do they have to bitch when the issue is turned against them?
Y on March 17, 2011 at 1:06 PM Report this
16
Just when I think it's impossible for Repugnants to be any bigger pricks, they prove me wrong. The party that has made hate against gay people their strategy for getting votes, now complains Dems are using it as a wedge issue?!? That's rich.
Vince on March 17, 2011 at 1:10 PM Report this
17
jeccat, somehow I think your initial address to me in your correction of #6 was still appropriate.

@6 The repubs addressed the "concerns of real America" through widespread misdirection and blame shifting. They exploited the ignorance, fear, and prejudice of much of "real America". They have fought to make the powerful more so by campaigning on so called moral decency, disguising their real agenda.
Tingleyfeeln on March 17, 2011 at 1:23 PM Report this
18
@10 It is a huge joke. Unfortunately a large segment of the population have their heads so far up their colon they can't tell if it's day or night (it only being dim enough in there to read the bible), never mind get a joke.
hamish108 on March 17, 2011 at 1:24 PM Report this
19
13
what has the democrap party been getting done?
on March 17, 2011 at 3:24 PM Report this
20
Boner can suck my dick.
SecretBYUBottomBoy on March 17, 2011 at 6:18 PM Report this
21
You know what's a real wedge issue? Being legally married and having your spouse forcibly deported to another country, with the icing on the cake them being banned from the USA for 10 years. Just another way DOMA makes our lives hell.

http://stopthedeportations.blogspot.com/
puppydogtails on March 17, 2011 at 9:37 PM Report this
22
There's a case in the courts in Vancouver right now over whether it's unconstitutional to deny polygamists the right to marry.
on March 18, 2011 at 8:29 AM Report this
23
"Hey, they're using substantive policy differences to attract voters! Uncool!"
Proteus on March 18, 2011 at 10:14 AM Report this
24
We no longer can afford to give more rights to Americans. Were broke the GOP knows it and that is why they are going to use the last few dollars buying things that are really important like porno mags and erotica toys for their Family values tour.
the big truth on April 21, 2011 at 5:23 PM Report this

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