A comprehensive look at how Dems take gay money and return very little for it. This article in the Advocate (the gay magazine, definitely not the Michigan Christian Advocate newsmagazine of United Methodists in Michigan) reviews why many gays are disenchanted with Obama and the Dems. Some are saying gays shouldn't be all that surprised or upset because Obama and the Dems are doing very little for progressives in general (the health care bill probably won't contain a Public Option).
Are gays making a strategic mistake in aligning with Dems? The NRA has shut down debate on gun rights by supporting Dems as much as to the GOP (more properly, appealing to the rural vote in both red and blue states). Can gays do the same? Alas, no (or not yet) because gays are still toxic to the GOP base. Gays are tired of the choice between one party that uses us for political gain and the other party that takes our money and ignores us. Many gays are now looking at bypassing party politics and directly funding supportive candidates, lobbying efforts (carefully avoiding those organizations closely aligned with Dems), and challenging state laws.
Obama seems quite willing to ignore laws he doesn't like (even more than Bush) -- except when those laws involve gays. Another call to not fund the Democratic Party, only individual Dems who actively support us. The party might be able to buy off the rich gays and the leaders of the various lobbying organizations, but it won't work for the regular folks anymore.
No comments:
Post a Comment