http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/09/01/really-cant-see-myself-voting-republican Comments On: Really Can't See Myself Voting Republican by Dan Savage en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:32:11 -0700 The Stranger
Neither Republican obstructionism nor the recession explains or excuses the deliberate decision of the Obama administration to toss the gay community overboard. Those things do not explain the failure to even hold hearings on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which has the support of Maine's Republican senators, polls at greater than 85 percent, and has been languishing in Congress FOR NEARLY FORTY YEARS.

Neither Republican obstructionism nor the recession explains or excuses the deliberate decision of the Obama administration to have the Justice Department undertake a crusade to convince courts that anti-gay discrimination never triggers any meaningful constitutional review or, in other words, that gays and lesbians are constitutional outcasts entitled to no right to the equal protection of the laws.

Neither Republican obstructionism nor the recession explains or excuses the deliberate decision of the Obama administration to pressure progressive members of Congress into cancelling hearings and burying the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in committeee. That the repeal isn't completely dead is a result of massive civil disobedience and gay-loyal members of Congress. It is DESPITE the aggressive push by the Obama legislative team to kill repeal this year, notwithstanding Barack Obama's high-profile lie to the contrary in the State of the Union Address.

I could go on, but suffice it to say the Obama administration's betrayals have not been induced by either Republican obstructionism or the recession. They have been motivated by the same thing that has motivated Democratic betrayals for decades: a refusal ever to spend one bit of political capital on the gay community as long as scare tactics, bullying, and bashing are sufficient effective at keeping gays and lesbians donating, volunteering, and voting.

That cycle of domestic violence ends now. Spend some political capital on the gay community for once or try to limp to victory without our money, our work, and our votes--and trying doing it over heckling of your speeches and zaps of your events. Begging has failed. It is time to try disobedience.
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:43:35 -0700 The Stranger
What no one above seems to mention is that a significant reason that no more has been accomplished on on a federal level is that the Republicans, before Obama opened his mouth after inauguration, pledged to oppose everything he did, and have done so. And out of the other side of their faces, now of course decry all the 'partisanship' in Congress.

I also don't see mentioned above any of the other 'minor' issues that have occupied the President, such as the Great (and ongoing) Recession, energy policy (failure to pass a bill, due to deliberate spread of misinformation and Republican opposition, funded by deep pockets of industries supporting the status quo).

Remember in the Clinton administration that women threw fits because Bill hadn't named enough women to executive posts? [Disclosure: I'm a woman.] He called them bean-counters, and I agreed. There were a few other items on the agenda then, too.

We gotta keep our eye on the big picture.
Posted by Shepherdess]]> Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:03:27 -0700 The Stranger
Posted by billygardener19]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:46:06 -0700 The Stranger Posted by "I'm Taking My Ball and Going Home!"]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:07:16 -0700 The Stranger
Yes, some people can fund and support Democrats that are truly committed to full equality AND are DEMONSTRABLY committed to ACTIVELY pursuing it. (Never again will we take Democratic assurances at face value, you see.) It's fine if some want to do that; I respect that course. But I won't follow it. The Party is one big money-shifting machine. Every dollar I give to a progressive candidate is a dollar the Party won't have to give that candidate and can divert to one of their loathsome sell-outs. Every dollar you give a Patty Murray is a dollar the Party doesn't have to give her and will send straight to a Blanche Lincoln. I'm not playing that shell game game because it is about much more than just feeling good about the particular candidate; it is now a crusade against a systemic cycle of abuse.

I prefer to cut the Party off entirely until it learns and internalizes genuine respect. I raved against Nader supporters and worked hard for Gore, notwithstanding the Clinton betrayals. I held my nose and supported Kerry. I worked and gave and busted my ass for Obama and the Party in '08. But now? Going forward, I'm very actively focused on ending what Obama has now unmistakably proved is an endemic, decades-long cycle of domestic violence by that Party against its gay supporters. Positive participation through donating, fundraising, volunteering, and voting has done nothing in 25 years to change it--or even seriously mitigate it. I have concluded that positive participation WON'T change it. We have tried it and tried it and tried it. It failed. The time for begging is over.

The spokesman for the president himself defied us to cut the Party off, and that's exactly what I intend to do--fully aware of the consequences and fully prepared to accept them. I will not be their house faggot anymore, and I understand the potential cost that entails. But I absolutely will not take one more of their betrayals and crawl back asking to be hit again. The gay community is not their personal prostitute to rape and pillage during the campaign and then murder and dump in an unmarked grave the day after the election. When I say never again, I mean never again. It stops NOW. It's not apathy. It is rage.

Of course, all the backstabbing and betrayal has been about currying favor with the Rick Warrens of the world. So I suggest Obama drop by the Saddleback Church and start making some fundraising pitches there. They like him; he pandered to them by telling them "God's in the mix" when it come to those faggot marriages. Maybe they'll toss him a penny or two. Regardless, this gAyTM is closed until further notice.
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:20:36 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Morosoph]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:15 -0700 The Stranger
I will never again take abuse from a bunch of self-centered straight Democrats who discard every gay interest the day after the election and order us all to push the de-gayed agenda that caters to their wants.

To them I say welcome to the underside of the bus. How do YOU like it?
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:12:11 -0700 The Stranger
So far, Obama has provided pretty speeches and little else. 2012 is his election to lose, and the way things look, he is speeding god speed in that direction.

If Obama comes out in favor of equal civil rights for all Americans, and makes substantive moves in that direction, he will have earned my vote. So far this has not happened and as of today I would not vote for him again.

Yea, yea, yea, I know, I should continue to vote for asshole democrats who could give a rats ass about me except during campaign season, but somehow I can't seem to follow this logic. So for all of you with this opinion, do you also advise spousal abuse victims to return to their abusive spouses? Not the same thing you say? Really? I don't stay with abusive persons, no matter how pretty or polished they are in the public square.

Single issue voter? You're damn right I am. My civil rights are worth more to me than anything other than my family and my health.
Posted by Vanhattan]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:46:37 -0700 The Stranger
"* I'm setting Reagan and AIDS aside, and that's one great, big, enormous, huge set-aside, I realize. But that was a pretty exceptional circumstance (that's why we called it the "AIDS crisis"). The Reagan administration failed to act and allowed gay people to die—with an invaluable assist from a gay sex culture bent on suicide and self-destruction—but Reagan "revolutionaries" didn't undo what few rights we enjoyed when they were swept into office."

As follows: At that point in our history gay men were often more comfortable coming out to family via HIV than otherwise. See psychologist Walt Odet's work.

Tragically this is still true for some men. I feel it shows the depths of homophobia that too many still live in as well as the source of the self-destructive behavior.

Homophobia breeds self destruction, once you buy in then you're on that downward spiral.

I was fortunate, I came out at nineteen, met Harvey Milk personally and was surrounded by life affirming gay men. What a blessing in retrospect.

It certainly helped me stay alive and have a chance at a happy life.

Posted by berkeley9]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:40:24 -0700 The Stranger Posted by berkeley7]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:24:33 -0700 The Stranger
Posted by Old Crow]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:47:05 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:20:15 -0700 The Stranger If democrats don't have the balls to stand up for our civil rights
I will have to hope that twenty years brings a change in the
Republicans with a new generation.

I am willing to look at Green party candidates for the Senate because that
Is where the problem is most profound. One impressive aspect of the
Tea party movement is their willingness to get rid of incumbants.
I certainly believe that deems like Ben Nelson and Max Baucus need to go.
It just may be that the only way to get rid of the is if the lose to a republican.
Then hopefully six years later a new progressive democrat can win the seat.
Posted by Kww]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:00:17 -0700 The Stranger
You can say whatever the fuck you like; voting is still the absolute minimum level of participation in a democracy. If you can't pick a lesser evil, so be it.

Suggesting that things will turn out worse if, say, Rossi is elected, however, is not an attempt to bully anyone. It's a statement of fucking fact. It may have no impact whatsoever on equal rights, but that's not at all the same thing as saying the result will be free of negative consequences.

If that's what happens, though, who's more to blame? You or me?

I'm at least going to vote.
Posted by maxbell]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:40:18 -0700 The Stranger ______________________________________

Wrong. I will speak whenever I damn well please and you can shut the fuck up about it. Refusing to pick between the bigot and the do-nothing IS A STATEMENT.

So spare me your Democratic Party bullying. Yes, we know, desperate bullying, mocking, belittling, and antagonizing is all the Party has left to motivate people, having utterly and completely squandered its time in office.
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:55:27 -0700 The Stranger
This wasn't a case of gay people wanting to be suicidal or self destructive. It was a group of people who had been marginalized by society and told what to do from the beginning of time FINALLY getting rights and feeling free. Finally getting a piece of the sexual revolution themselves after years of oppression.

Suddenly you had people wagging their fingers, judging them for their actions and telling them what to do sexually again? There was bound to be a backlash from the gay community over that. ANd Pat Buchanan in the White House blaming people for their deaths from a disease while 23 year old men were dying in THREE WEEKS! Incredible.

It's little offhand comments and thoughts like this which just buy into AIDS being a gay plague and our "fault". (Which in reality came from some probably straight man in Africa eating a diseased Monkey - should we blame ALL the black people? C'mon)

Get a history book already.
Posted by cub8869]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:20:19 -0700 The Stranger
I will not be voting for Obama. I hope he bows out in 2 years and lets someone else run.

I will no longer vote for ANYONE for strategic reasons. I will be counted along with my friends. Obama is not a friend.

Obviously I won't be voting Republican.

You call me a fool for letting the Republicans win. I call you a fool for believing empty promises.
Posted by Leef]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:07:09 -0700 The Stranger ___________________________________________________

I will never again be bullied, bashed, and abused by this kind of personal attack into donating one more penny to the Democratic Party or casting one more vote for a sniveling Democrat who doesn't support full equality.

Pass ENDA, pass the DADT repeal, and stop the DOJ's crusade against our constitutional rights, and then I'll reconsider. Now before and not until. And browbeating, mocking, bullying, and bashing only lock my wallet tighter. Go mock, belittle, and bash someone else. I refuse to take one more second of it from this manipulative, incompetent, abusive Party. Period.
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:49:54 -0700 The Stranger
I have supported the Democratic Party for 25 years, through one broken promise after another, always subordinating gay issues to the greater good.

Well, you know what? I'M NOT DOING IT ANYMORE.

I'm not contributing this year. I'm not fundraising this year. I'm not cavassing or phonebanking this year. And I'm only voting for candidates committed to full equality, including marriage.

I will no longer bargain away my equality for the greater progressive good as long as the greater progressive keeps stabbing me in the back the day after the election. I will no longer subsidize a de-gayed greater progressive agenda. Let the greater progressive good finally do something on gay rights! Until then, the greater progressive good can pay for its own damned de-gayed agenda!

As long as we keep making Dan's deal with the devil, we keep enabling the cycle of battery by the Party. When Robert Gibbs says, "You faggots don't have anywhere to go," my response now is: watch me.
Posted by Skeptical Cicada]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:33:52 -0700 The Stranger Posted by DontWasteYourVoteOnTheTwoParties]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:42:09 -0700 The Stranger Posted by caphillprof]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:59:18 -0700 The Stranger
I don't get the half assed "i'll still vote for them, but i'll hold my nose" attitude. If you do that, they DO NOT CARE why you voted for them, or gave them money.. only that you did.

Stop giving them what they want until they give you what YOU want.

Don't vote for them. Don't give them money.

Send Barack a nice note saying "I'm going to give your re-election the same level of support you gave my equality."
Posted by Gridlock]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:45:50 -0700 The Stranger
(from http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/Values.h…)

"Preserving Traditional Marriage

Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives.

Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. Children in homes without fathers are more likely to commit a crime, drop out of school, become violent, become teen parents, use illegal drugs, become mired in poverty, or have emotional or behavioral problems. We support the courageous efforts of single-parent families to provide a stable home for their children. Children are our nation’s most precious resource. We also salute and support the efforts of foster and adoptive families.

Republicans have been at the forefront of protecting traditional marriage laws, both in the states and in Congress. A Republican Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of states not to recognize same-sex “marriages” licensed in other states. Unbelievably, the Democratic Party has now pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which would subject every state to the redefinition of marriage by a judge without ever allowing the people to vote on the matter. We also urge Congress to use its Article III, Section 2 power to prevent activist federal judges from imposing upon the rest of the nation the judicial activism in Massachusetts and California. We also encourage states to review their marriage and divorce laws in order to strengthen marriage.

As the family is our basic unit of society, we oppose initiatives to erode parental rights. "
Posted by dangerkitty5000]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:31:06 -0700 The Stranger
If you vote, for whatever reasons, and however sensibly or stupidly I feel your reasons were, then I support your participation in the subsequent discussion about how it all turned out and what the bastards who got in are doing at that point.

If you stay home, then shut the fuck up about politics until you vote in another election. If you are eligible to vote and don't, then you don't deserve to have anyone listen to your opinion.

Even if you can't vote FOR someone, you should be able to at least vote AGAINST someone with a clear conscience.
Posted by Lymis]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:08:13 -0700 The Stranger