A Field of Bigots: Will They Continue to Hijack the GOP?

Unfortunately, it’s easy to be a bigot. We’re all biased in one way or another. Sometimes we fight those feelings and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes our prejudice is silly (would you hire a guy with a huge hair comb-over to be your director of marketing?) . . . and sometimes not so much . . .

The current flock of Republicans is going to find many of them have a bigotry issue that may play to the far right, but won’t play, even in this era of “throw all the bums out,” in the general election . They have a gay issue , , , a woman issue . .  and a poor people issue . . . (and I haven’t even started on things like environmental and regulatory issues , , , don’t worry, I will.) It appears to be a field full of bigots. And they to have hijacked the GOP.

Congressman Rick Santorum has showed his colors time and time again. He doesn’t like gay people . . . doesn’t want them to get married and, I’m guessing, won’t be having any of “them” over for a cookout any time soon. That’s too bad, because maybe if he spent some time talking with gays he’d start to see them as actual people. He continues to rail against the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” saying, "They're in close quarters, they live with people, they obviously shower with people," Santorum said, saying the presence of gay soldiers could have an adverse "effect on retention and recruitment."

It's talk without knowledge. Talk designed to get people hyped up over some base issue.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current GOP frontrunner, has time and time again said he is opposed to any gays, or any unmarried people living together, holding jobs as teachers.

Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum have signed a pledge saying they will back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Oh come on. Why is it that those people so intent on waving the constitution every chance they get are so intent to change it to fit their political views? Leave the damn Constitution alone.

And too often the heavy Christian talk of Perry or Michelle Bachman leaves one wondering if they’d throw non “born agains” out of the country. After all, the president lords over all the people, not just those who happen to believe exactly what he or she believes. Creating a message of “I’m superior to you” because I believe this or that is a slippery slope from which it’ll be hard to recover. And while primaries tend to bring out the most fervent believers in both parties, the risk is that the person who remains standing may be unelectable to the larger and more moderate voter pool.

And herein lies a problem for the Republicans. In snuggling up to the far-right, they’re writing off independent voters and the apparently silent and endangered moderate Republicans . . . and even (gasp) moderate and conservative Democrats.

Too bad . . . it may cost them by the time we wade through all the political bull that will be thrown at us over the next year. And it may cost them at a time when Obama is falling out of favor with his base. If he can effectively hammer the Republicans on the perception that their radical conservatism, anti-woman, anti-environment etc. positions are actually anti-middle class positions that have nothing to do with lowering unemployment, fixing the tax code, cutting corporate subsidies, rebuilding infrastructure, improving the mortgage/foreclosure mess and reigning in earmarks, he can start to turn his political ship around.

Thus far he hasn’t done it. People love a good talker who pokes and jabs with his or her opponent (Reagan was a master and Clinton managed to weather all the Republican arrows with his verbal prowess and nimble political footwork). Come election time, the only issue will be whether or not Obama has damaged himself enough to allow the far right to slip into power. I shiver . . .

Keep a keen ear, don’t just suck up the 30-second sound bites, read, read, read, and remember that nothing is spontaneous . . . it’s all part of a politician’s grand plan to get your vote and spend your money.