The Religious Right flexes its electoral muscles. Will it make a difference?
by digby
This should be interesting:
Conservative activists are launching “an unprecedented campaign” against three Republican candidates — two of whom are out gay men — because of their support for marriage equality and abortion.
The National Organization for Marriage, Family Research Council Action, and CitizenLink “will mount a concerted effort to urge voters to refuse to cast ballots” for Republican House candidates Carl DeMaio in California and Richard Tisei in Massachusetts and Republican Senate candidate Monica Wehby in Oregon, according to a letter sent to Republican congressional and campaign leaders on Thursday.
“We cannot in good conscience urge our members and fellow citizens to support candidates like DeMaio, Tisei or Wehby,” the presidents of the three groups write. “They are wrong on critical, foundational issues of importance to the American people. Worse, as occupants of high office they will secure a platform in the media to advance their flawed ideology and serve as terrible role models for young people who will inevitably be encouraged to emulate them.”
DeMaio and Tisei are the only out LGBT federal candidates from the Republican Party to be appearing on the ballot this fall.
“The Republican Party platform is a ‘statement of who we are and what we believe.’ Thus, the platform supports the truth of marriage as the union of husband and wife, and recognizes the sanctity and dignity of human life,” NOM President Brian S. Brown said in a statement.
Brown called it “extremely disappointing” to see candidates supported “who reject the party’s principled positions on these and other core issues.”
Obviously, I find their position to be reprehensible. But this is how internecine party politics are played. Those people feel very strongly about these issues and do not want the Party to welcome anyone who agrees with that. They are flexing their muscles. I can easily imagine similar circumstances happening within the Democratic Party. Now if it were the latter, the establishment would immediately disavow the lefty upstarts and the entire political establishment would mock them as foolish extremists.
Will that happen with these folks? I doubt it. They are "sacred" due to their religious affiliations. And they are a powerful faction insides the GOP. But, as I said, it should be interesting...
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