Former right-wing gay Republican confesses GOP uses gays 'to gin up their base'

Former right-wing gay Republican confesses GOP uses gays 'to gin up their base'

www.rawstory.com

Brock, who until the late nineties was a darling of the conservative media, told of what he experienced as a self-described "right-wing hit man" (the title he gave himself in a 1997 Esquire piece) -- arguing that the Republican Party uses gays as a wedge issue to rally their base even though many in the party actually support gay equality.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This should be no surprise. The Party of "Family Values" needs to promote a "Leave it to Beaver" white bread impression on current members and potential members of the GOP. It's a subtle form of advertising to a targeted demographic of people leaning ideologically to the right. You don't sell Viagra to teenage boys and you can't sell tolerance to homophobes, Religious Right Christians, and racists.

www.rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by whaaa



How is this any different from how the Democrats use the minorities, gays and lesbians, and other special interest groups?

Originally posted by SourGrapes
reply to post by whaaa

 

How is this any different from how the Democrats use the minorities, gays and lesbians, and other special interest groups?

No difference what so ever. I'm just using this an example of what a surreal freak show that American politics has become.

I find it fascinating to watch a culture self destruct with half baked ideology, hyperbole and lies replacing common sense.

God help us...

Originally posted by SourGrapes
reply to post by whaaa

 

How is this any different from how the Democrats use the minorities, gays and lesbians, and other special interest groups?

I think the obvious difference is that when Democrats pander to these groups, it is because they actually want to preserve their rights and improve their lives.

When Republicans pander to the right-wing base, it is for the purpose of denigrating these groups and removing their rights.

One is inherently American, and the other is downright sinister. You can make up your mind which is which.

Sure, and they use drugs as another method. (Even though most of the conservatives I've ever known use, have used or are sympathetic to it). The democrats use wealth envy and class warfare to gin up their bases also.

None of this is puzzling. What IS puzzling is why Americans still vote for either of these parties after their decades of hypocrisy and their consistent propensity to screw the American people to further their power.

This comes as no shock whatsoever. You mean the politicians use us for personal gain? Outlandish, at least most of the minorities know they're being used. By that I mean they know the photo-ops and smiling all disappears when the cameras are off and the approval ratings rise. In order to want to attain high levels of Gov't you must in some way be willing to "sell out" in order to get ahead. The ones that will not sell out generally don't make it past local or state gov't. I know people want to make a difference but our system is money driven, and where there's lots of money there is usually some form of corruption. They aren't like us, TPTB vs. the common man. We couldn't watch people starve while it was in our means to help. We couldn't watch families live in conditions that our animals don't live in and not help to our last dollar. We couldn't watch gov'ts slaughter innocent people by the thousands and not do something. We wouldn't be where we don't belong(middle east), and not taking care of those at home. We couldn't look you in the eye and blatantly and without remorse lie to you. We couldn't create terrorism, sell it, then send someone else's son or daughter to fight a war for their personal gain. They aren't like us and we aren't like them. But I think people are waking up.

This doesn't surprise me and I suspect it's the same with abortion and gun rights. The big emotional issues. They USE the people to divide.

Originally posted by SourGrapes
How is this any different from how the Democrats use the minorities, gays and lesbians, and other special interest groups?

Republicans pretend to hate gays to rally the gay-haters. Democrats don't pretend to hate minorities, gays, etc, to rally haters. Democrats actually want equal rights, etc... It's VERY different, morally.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
This doesn't surprise me and I suspect it's the same with abortion and gun rights. The big emotional issues. They USE the people to divide

No, you're quite wrong here. The majority of the party's supporters are really anti-abortion and pro-second amendment rights. Truth be known, the gay issue has declined in the party's supporters over the past 15-20 years mostly because we've seen issues of real importance arise and become so much more significant than whether gays are allowed to serve in the military or recieve benefits, etc. There is still an old vanguard present in the voter base which applies importance onto the topic, and that's what keeps it alive as a GOP talking point... but with all the more dangerous issues going on today it is rapidly slipping in everyone's mind to the degree that it is nothing more than a side issue. The media is mostly responsible for keeping it afloat anymore.

Also, I'd argue strongly that the Global Warming phantom mennace the Democrats continue to drag out every chance they get is an excellent comparison here. The old GOP claims of how gays destroy family values, military service, etc seem to ring about as true as the Democrats unfounded claims of Joe American's SUV causing melting ice caps, ocean level rises, and overall environmental destruction.

Democrats don't pretend to hate minorities, gays, etc, to rally haters. Democrats actually want equal rights, etc

I'd also argue this is a bit of a doe-eyed, pie-in-the-sky comment. The comparison between GOP/gays & Democrats/minorities is 100% valid in that both are movements that center on unfounded fears. The GOP pushes fear of the homosexual agenda while the Democrats push minorities into fear of the GOP. The incredibly amusing thing is the modern Republican party was founded by Abraham Lincoln, who lead the charge to freedom for all men... white, black, or otherwise. The Democrats fed off of the labor movement, NOT the minority rights movement, until the lagging days of the industrial revolution, at which time they saw their base dwindling and started using fear to divide the minorities from the GOP. The idea that either side is doing anything other than attempting to build upon and pander to their bases is honestly laughable.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


Politics and ideology aside, as a producer/director for our local cable access channel, that attends and documents all political functions in our viewing area; I have noticed that the dembs have more of a party atmosphere with diverse cultures represented, laughter, drinking, dancing and smiles, where as the Republican gatherings are invariably white, male, affluent, serious and business like and the only time they have fun is when they are drunk. At GOP gatherings I see no gays that I can identify and my young black soundman has experienced open hostility; perhaps this is why he is a democrat.

I know this is a broad generalization but it's what I have observed over the years.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Republicans pretend to hate gays to rally the gay-haters. Democrats don't pretend to hate minorities, gays, etc, to rally haters. Democrats actually want equal rights, etc... It's VERY different, morally.

Really? Let us explore this for a minute, shall we?


We can thank the Dems for:

The Ku Klux Klan

The Black Codes

The Jim Crow Laws




We have the Repubs to thank for:

The Thirteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment
The Reconstruction Acts
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Enforcement Acts
The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1960

Bureau of Refugees, Freedman, and Abandoned Lands
The Emancipation Proclamation


I'm sure I left many out, but I'm pressed for time as I have some last minute Christmas shopping to do.

reply to post by SourGrapes


The GOP deserves nothing but praise for social progress of the past!

But just as the Dembs have changed to "supposedly" be the champions of the working man...

The Republicans have embraced Big business, their lobbyist, and turned on the middle class that buy and large voted them into office.

money.cnn.com...

the more i read the sicker i get

Both parties just do whatever it takes to keep us thinking they are two different parties, and to keep the slaves fighting amongst themselves.

Democrats pretend to be for the poor, and lower middle class, and keep them groups pissed at the upper middle class.

Republicans pretend to be for the upper middle class, and keep them pissed off at the minorities and the poor.

Both are full of crap, and laughing all the way to the bank, year after year after year.