The last paragraph is, to my mind, the most remarkable. It's advising Republican candidates to emphasize the conservative nature of gay marriage, to say how it encourages personal responsibility, commitment, stability and family values. It uses Dick Cheney's formula (which was for a couple of years, the motto of this blog) that "freedom means freedom for everyone." And it uses David Cameron's argument that you can be for gay marriage because you are a conservative.

bizarre.

I think the choice of the word "evolve" is going to be big. Instead of pushing people back into a corner it's basically Obama saying, "I used to disagree with marriage equality like you, but I thought about it over time and I can't find a reason to oppose it any more".

FlashHarry: The last paragraph is, to my mind, the most remarkable. It's advising Republican candidates to emphasize the conservative nature of gay marriage, to say how it encourages personal responsibility, commitment, stability and family values. It uses Dick Cheney's formula (which was for a couple of years, the motto of this blog) that "freedom means freedom for everyone." And it uses David Cameron's argument that you can be for gay marriage because you are a conservative.

bizarre.

Actually, it's 100% correct. The only reason it's "bizarre" is that conservatives are no longer conservative.

James!: I think the choice of the word "evolve" is going to be big. Instead of pushing people back into a corner it's basically Obama saying, "I used to disagree with marriage equality like you, but I thought about it over time and I can't find a reason to oppose it any more".

I think they'll more likely use "intelligently designed"

The GOP convention is going to be a hoot. This might be the extreme right wing's last real chance to shoot themselves in both feet.

GAT_00: CPT Ethanolic: FlashHarry: The last paragraph is, to my mind, the most remarkable. It's advising Republican candidates to emphasize the conservative nature of gay marriage, to say how it encourages personal responsibility, commitment, stability and family values. It uses Dick Cheney's formula (which was for a couple of years, the motto of this blog) that "freedom means freedom for everyone." And it uses David Cameron's argument that you can be for gay marriage because you are a conservative.

bizarre.

Actually, it's 100% correct. The only reason it's "bizarre" is that conservatives are no longer conservative.

They are steadfastly opposing progress, innovation, and anything new. That is conservatism at its heart.

Not if it explodes or shoots.

You mean the people opposing gay marriage are just a very loud but very small minority?

Chariset: You mean the people opposing gay marriage are just a very loud but very small minority?

Pretty much

/along with one Utah based cult

MaudlinMutantMollusk: Chariset: You mean the people opposing gay marriage are just a very loud but very small minority?

Pretty much

/along with one Utah based cult

Romney is going to have a hell of a time with this issue. Support gay marriage and you lose the Mormons and the bigots and don't really pick up anything in return. Against gay marriage and you alienate half the people in the country.

Like I said, this will be fun to watch.

They should be for Gay Marriage but against Lesbian marriage... because it is a continuation of the war on women.

And the GOP is also increasing the chocolate ration to 20 grams a week.

James!: I think the choice of the word "evolve" is going to be big. Instead of pushing people back into a corner it's basically Obama saying, "I used to disagree with marriage equality like you, but I thought about it over time and I can't find a reason to oppose it any more".

That's exactly how I discarded my religious beliefs in my 20s. Just like that.

At some point, it occurred to me, "Why do I continue to believe this stuff?" and then it evaporated.

CPT Ethanolic: FlashHarry: The last paragraph is, to my mind, the most remarkable. It's advising Republican candidates to emphasize the conservative nature of gay marriage, to say how it encourages personal responsibility, commitment, stability and family values. It uses Dick Cheney's formula (which was for a couple of years, the motto of this blog) that "freedom means freedom for everyone." And it uses David Cameron's argument that you can be for gay marriage because you are a conservative.

bizarre.

Actually, it's 100% correct. The only reason it's "bizarre" is that conservatives are no longer conservative.

Oh please. Conservatism, for as long as conservatism has ever existed, has been built on a bedrock of antagonism toward minorities and those who are different from the norm, including homosexuals. The idea that conservatism and homosexual freedom are somehow naturally aligned is simply absurd.

James!: I think the choice of the word "evolve" is going to be big. Instead of pushing people back into a corner it's basically Obama saying, "I used to disagree with marriage equality like you, but I thought about it over time and I can't find a reason to oppose it any more".

Big in a positive manner or a negative manner?

Marcus Aurelius: The GOP convention is going to be a hoot. This might be the extreme right wing's last real chance to shoot themselves in both feet the face.

/whittington.jpg

I think the evangelical wing of the GOP would rather chew their own lips off than change their stance on gay marriage. in their view, they'd rather see the Republican party destroyed than 'compromise with evil'.

meh. works for me.

We're trying to fix the economy right now, yes? And we'd like to create more jobs, right?

The wedding industry is huge. It's a miasma of small businesses and large businesses. And in a typical wedding - even a small wedding - a lot of money goes to a lot of those businesses. A typical wedding is going to involve a wedding venue and a reception venue. You're going to need food, wedding clothes, wedding party clothes, drinks, entertainment, decorations, flowers, and cake. This means a lot of different businesses or individuals getting a cut of that money, which will stimulate the economy.

Allowing same-sex marriages will increase the amount of weddings, which means more money changing hands. It also means more cake.

And I'm not going to sit here and listen to anyone tell me they hate the economy and cake.

GreenAdder: We're trying to fix the economy right now, yes? And we'd like to create more jobs, right?

The wedding industry is huge. It's a miasma of small businesses and large businesses. And in a typical wedding - even a small wedding - a lot of money goes to a lot of those businesses. A typical wedding is going to involve a wedding venue and a reception venue. You're going to need food, wedding clothes, wedding party clothes, drinks, entertainment, decorations, flowers, and cake. This means a lot of different businesses or individuals getting a cut of that money, which will stimulate the economy.

Allowing same-sex marriages will increase the amount of weddings, which means more money changing hands. It also means more cake.

And I'm not going to sit here and listen to anyone tell me they hate the economy and cake.

And gay divorces will send money to our starving lawyers!

To be fair, I always have been. I'm still waiting for the rest of the party to catch up and stop listening to mouth breathers who only pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they like, and who seem to hate freedom of religion and equality under the law...

Marcus Aurelius: Romney is going to have a hell of a time with this issue. Support gay marriage and you lose the Mormons and the bigots and don't really pick up anything in return. Against gay marriage and you alienate half the people in the country.

Like I said, this will be fun to watch.

It gets worse.
Someone will ask the question, "what do we do with states which have amended their constitutions or have laws banning gay marriage?"

The GOP is for states' rights. But the only way to fix this is with federal law/SCOTUS.
So unless the GOP is going to do something about the issue ....

"Candidate Romeny, you claim to be in favor of equality, including, gay marriage. What will you do as president, at the federal level, to remove the unconstitutional bans on gay marriage at the state level?"

Bwahahahahahahaah

They love marriage, many have done it three or four times. Perhaps if they were able to marry persons of the same sex, they might be more satisfied with their partners.

Why public attitudes might be changing:

"As more people have become aware of friends and family members who are gay, attitudes have begun to shift at an accelerated pace. This is not about a generational shift in attitudes, this is about people changing their thinking as they recognize their friends and family members who are gay or lesbian."

1. You're lying. This is a generational shift in attitudes.
2. Fark you. If your reason to support gay rights is "I know someone who's gay", that both does nothing to convince anyone who doesn't know gay people, and is so obnoxiously self-serving as to make you detrimental to the cause.
3. Piss off. "People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination" but we will still bow to those who insist we not call it "marriage".

I honestly think this is a Republican strategist trying to triangulate liberals into "accepting" a lesser solution (and then rejecting that solution anyway as commie atheist socialismizing).

GreenAdder: We're trying to fix the economy right now, yes? And we'd like to create more jobs, right?

The wedding industry is huge. It's a miasma of small businesses and large businesses. And in a typical wedding - even a small wedding - a lot of money goes to a lot of those businesses. A typical wedding is going to involve a wedding venue and a reception venue. You're going to need food, wedding clothes, wedding party clothes, drinks, entertainment, decorations, flowers, and cake. This means a lot of different businesses or individuals getting a cut of that money, which will stimulate the economy.

Allowing same-sex marriages will increase the amount of weddings, which means more money changing hands. It also means more cake.

And I'm not going to sit here and listen to anyone tell me they hate the economy and cake.

you left out a couple parts

1) Gay marriage will also be a boon to the divorce industry a few years/weeks down the road.
2) the gop is NOT for job creation. the gop is for WEALTH creation for the 1%. Gay marriage does not benefit the 1%.

Seems like a no-brainer to me, if you're going to tout no big government in economic , why not apply the same credo to social issues? You know the whole libertarian Republican sect and all that jazz. Also there is something to be said to actually listening to the poll numbers of the people you actually claim to represent.

brap: if you're going to tout no big government in economic , why not apply the same credo to social issues?

Because Republicans can only get the non-wealthy vote by appealing to racists and homophobes, ie "social conservatives". And they're very good at it.

Makh: They love marriage, many have done it three or four times. Perhaps if they were able to marry persons of the same sex, they might be more satisfied with their partners.

Why, marriage, boy,
Is such a joy,
So lovely a condition,
That many ask no better than
To wed as often as they can,
In happy repetition.

Sorry, but the only principle that binds the Republicans together is a fetish for legislating away the rights of people who don't vote Republican. You aren't going to get them to give up their favorite past-time.

Three words to help the economy: Gay Wedding Registry

brap: Seems like a no-brainer to me, if you're going to tout no big government in economic , why not apply the same credo to social issues? You know the whole libertarian Republican sect and all that jazz. Also there is something to be said to actually listening to the poll numbers of the people you actually claim to represent.

to all issues

drinking age is 21 to protect the kiddies? nope. no drinking age. the government should not interfere with parenting. period
illegal drugs? no such thing. legalize all drugs. period. (we already have laws to deal with bad behavior while under the influence, so there is no need to even change those or add more. right?)
legalize prostitution. period. the government has no right to tell anyone what job they can do for a living.
legalize all gambling. period. but but but think of the families. nope. that is not the government's job.


yah, the GOP is filled with self0serving hypocrites

Mrtraveler01: I take it a lot of Republicans just tossed this memo into the garbage can.

nope
did you see foxnews coverage right afterward? they are fighting a holding action, rather than attacking. unless that has changed in the last day

Chariset: You mean the people opposing gay marriage are just a very loud but very small minority?

The minority that repeatedly bans it in multiple states by obtaining more than enough votes?
Oh how I wish those religious farkers were a minority.

They'll need to be brought into line the same way as woman's suffrage or the civil rights movement: kicking and screaming but eventually publicly giving up to save face.

I've given this matter some thought and I've compiled a list of reasons to oppose gay rights, and a list of strategies for dealing with the issue:



List of reasons to oppose gay rights

1/. Gay sex is icky.


List of strategies for dealing with the issue

1/. Don't have gay sex.

hubiestubert: To be fair, I always have been. I'm still waiting for the rest of the party to catch up and stop listening to mouth breathers who only pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they like, and who seem to hate freedom of religion and equality under the law...

I'll never understand how you're a conservative, much less a Republican.
It just goes against everything I know about this universe.

What's that?

Ron Paul has a mole in the GOP publicity machine?

You guys just don't understand.

The GOP was for gay marriage before they were against gay marriage before they were for gay marriage.