An Honest Man

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/newt-gingrich-tells-gay-iowa-man-scott-arnold-better-voting-obama-article-1.994735

Newt Gingrich isn't exactly chasing the gay vote.

The Republican presidential candidate told a homosexual Iowa man at a campaign event on Tuesday to vote for President Obama.

Scott Arnold, a Democrat and associate professor of writing at William Penn University, approached the ex-House speaker in Oskaloosa wanting to know how Gingrich would represent him as President, according to the Des Moines Register.

"When you ask somebody a question and you expect them to support all Americans and have everyone's general interest," Arnold said. "It's a little bit frustrating and disheartening when you're told to support the other side, that he doesn't need your support."

Well, that was surprisingly blunt. But now Newt has firmly taking a stance on a big issue and one way or another this is going to push a lot of people giving him a "maybe" one way or the other. Frankly, I think this is an awful move. By doing this Newt fully hitches his cart to the far right (not a surprise) but also gives a lot of moderates who might be unhappy with Obama but cool with gay people a reason to go elsewhere.

So it looks like it might be back to the GOP having to hold its nose and back Romney after all.

Comments

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I'm not really seeing this as "awful," outside of the fact that I wish things were moving quicker overall on the gay marriage front. I think it's actually pretty interesting and honest that Gingrich is essentially saying "We're not going to waste each other's time here, as we're not going to convince each other, so if that's your major issue, I'm not your guy."

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

This. I don't really care for Gingrich, but this story is being spun to make it look worse than it is.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

If his reasoning for not supporting gays doesn't include the phrase 'sanctity of marriage', this really shouldn't affect him if he moves on to the next round.

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

What other reasons do people not support gays?

[oportet.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure of other reasons not related to that, but as long as he doesn't use that specific phrase...

[merig00.livejournal.com]

For the reasons Newt listed in his response? People are concern with issues that they find to be more pressing than gay marriage.

[surferelf.livejournal.com]

Scott Arnold did Gingrich a favor. This is a shrewd tactical move on Newts part. The anti-gay marriage folks in Iowa are energized and well organized. If he becomes their guy, he can do well in the caucus. Sure, it will cause problems later on. If he bombs in Iowa, though, there won't be a "later on".

Also, it doesn't hurt to have all this free publicity at a time when the airwaves are filled with anti-Gingrich attack ads, and he doesn't have the bank to fight back.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

This might catipult him all the way to being defeated in the genaral!

[surferelf.livejournal.com]

In the general he can always spin it like, "I see you're mindlessly reporting the talking points of the secular-socialist machine. What I actually said was I want to be the President of all Americans, not just the special interest groups."

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Here is a video http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392399n&tag=mncol;lst;3

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I noticed that Mr. Arnold admitted that he backed Obama anyway.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

By doing this Newt fully hitches his cart to the far right (not a surprise) but also gives a lot of moderates who might be unhappy with Obama but cool with gay people a reason to go elsewhere.
Go where? Unless the federal recognition of gay marriage is one of the main issues for the person, they won't reconsider. That's pretty much what Newt said.

So it looks like it might be back to the GOP having to hold its nose and back Romney after all.
Romney supports federal gay marriage?
Obama supports federal gay marriage?

Here's a very good response from GayPatriot http://www.gaypatriot.net/2011/12/21/putting-newts-response-to-a-gay-iowan-in-context/

And finally Gingrich never "told a homosexual Iowa man at a campaign event on Tuesday to vote for President Obama." So uhm a bit misleading to say the least.

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

Unless the federal recognition of gay marriage is one of the main issues for the person, they won't reconsider.

Which for some people it might be.

And my point is that the GOP is currently in "Anyone but Romney!" mode. If Newt goes down then he's the best bet the GOP has no matter how much they might hate it.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Well that would be the case with or without this question.

Care to address the second part?

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

At least he's an honest bigot. He's also a pretty poor politician.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Which do you think is worse: his refusal to consider the marriage equity issue or Bachmann's assertions that gays are perfectly free to marry people of the other gender?

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

Bachmann grosses me out more. O_O I guess that's not really an answer, heh...

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

How soon people forgot the Contract With America...

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Poor politician? This was exceptionally shrewd and displayed his skill at saying multiple things that aren't unified.

I still dislike the guy but you're wrong on this being poor politicking.

[korean-guy-01.livejournal.com]

Can you provide some tangible evidence that moderates care more about the gay agenda as opposed to majority issues such as the economy (you know, things that actually affect all moderates and 0bama has royally fucked up)?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Ooo "the gay agenda."

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

So the word "might" flew over your head?

Also, the gay agenda? Seriously? When did gay people become a hive mind?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

"The gay community has infiltrated the very centres of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today," he said during the 2004 campaign. "Why do you think we see the rationalisation for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda." (Tom Coburn, R Senator)

And here I thought the gay agenda was convincing us to pay attention to interior decorating, to wear smart clothes and listen to Doris Day... Now I realise that freedom is at stake here.

(And the prospect of multiple sexual partners).

[kardashev.livejournal.com]

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

you expect them to support all Americans and have everyone's general interest

That's a good example of what's wrong with liberals. They don't understand the concept of representative democracy.