GOP Risks Becoming "Religious Party" - McCain Advisor

[Toro]

John McCain's top adviser from the presidential campaign urged fellow Republicans on Friday to warm up to gay rights and warned that the GOP risks becoming the "religious party" with its opposition to same-sex marriage.

Steve Schmidt, in his first political appearance since the election, spoke at the Washington, D.C., convention for the Log Cabin Republicans -- a grassroots group for gay and lesbian Republicans.

He urged Republicans, in the near-term, to endorse civil unions and stop using the Bible as rationale for gay-marriage opposition.

"If you put public policy issues to a religious test, you risk becoming a religious party," he said. "And in a free country a political party cannot be viable in the long-term if it is seen as a sectarian party."

Schmidt, whose sister is a lesbian and who supports same-sex marriage, said he understands the Republican Party probably won't reverse its resistance to same-sex marriage anytime soon.

But he suggested that the party will be increasingly marginalized if it sustains that opposition long-term. ...

Schmidt also said Friday that Republicans need to reach out, not only to gay voters, but young voters and Hispanics.

"The rapid growth of the Hispanic-American population for instance could soon cost Republicans the entire southwest if we don't recover our previous share of the vote," he said.

McCain Strategist Warns GOP Risks Becoming 'Religious Party' - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

 

[KittenKoder]

In spite of a few flaws, I still like McCain, and this is a good example of why.

 

[Yurt]

god damn america

--obama's preacher of 20 years....

Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary would never know that. Hillary ain’t never been called a ******. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person

-- obama's preacher of 20 years....

"rev" wright influenced obama so much that "rev" wright inspired one of obama's propaganda books....

 

[KittenKoder]

god damn america

--obama's preacher of 20 years....

Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary would never know that. Hillary ain’t never been called a ******. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person

-- obama's preacher of 20 years....

"rev" wright influenced obama so much that "rev" wright inspired one of obama's propaganda books....

You do realize women are marginalized more even today, look what happens any time we call someone out on sexual harassment ...

Reality is: everyone is marginalized or oppressed by someone, this won't change. As long as the laws do not do this then we are all equal.

 

[Evangelical]

The simple fact remains that some states will not tolerate homosexual marriage and those states will abandon any party which supports it. The Republicans have no choice but to be traditionalist, because many conservatives are traditionalists anyway.

Besides, California, a state where out of 9 million voters 6 million voted for Obama, still banned gay marriage by the same landslide victory that Obama won the white house. This proves that the issue of gay marriage is beyond religious and is more "traditional" and bridges parties. Gay marriage will undoubtedly redefine the political consensus in the US, I believe it will divide the country more regionally than before since Segregation.

 

[garyd]

And now we know why McCain lost in a landslide.

 

[KittenKoder]

If McCain was any different I wouldn't have considered him better than Obama, and if he hadn't picked a VP that was so bullish I would have actually voted instead of just hoping that other voters would be wise enough to let them know that we want better choices from the Democrats.

 

[Indiana Oracle]

If the Reps are to have any chance of coming back, they need to clean out the leadership, stop making religion per se a platform, and get back to basic, sound principles of governance and fiscal responsibility.

McCain was a fighter pilot who wanted to run the armed forces. A highly principled man, really weak on domestic and economic issues, and, underneath it all, one could not help but feel there was something not right. Wrong nominee crowning off the Rep's unassisted suicide.

 

[KittenKoder]

If the Reps are to have any chance of coming back, they need to clean out the leadership, stop making religion per se a platform, and get back to basic, sound principles of governance and fiscal responsibility.

McCain was a fighter pilot who wanted to run the armed forces. A highly principled man, really weak on domestic and economic issues, and, underneath it all, one could not help but feel there was something not right. Wrong nominee crowning off the Rep's unassisted suicide.

Thus why Palin was truly a bad choice for VP. If he had chosen one that would have filled in his flaws better then he would have been a great candidate. I fear that he will not want to try again though, too many attacks on his age in my opinion. People marginalize the VP really, but they can balance a president in some cases and help them in an advisory capacity. Not sure who he could have picked better, but from what I had heard from Alaskans, Palin was not the wise choice.

 

[Annie]

If the Reps are to have any chance of coming back, they need to clean out the leadership, stop making religion per se a platform, and get back to basic, sound principles of governance and fiscal responsibility.

McCain was a fighter pilot who wanted to run the armed forces. A highly principled man, really weak on domestic and economic issues, and, underneath it all, one could not help but feel there was something not right. Wrong nominee crowning off the Rep's unassisted suicide.

I agree, though I'm hoping their time is running out. Looking for new party with emphasis on government, not people's behavior. Smaller, more efficient government, less intrusive.

 

[Red Dawn]

John McCain's top adviser from the presidential campaign urged fellow Republicans on Friday to warm up to gay rights and warned that the GOP risks becoming the "religious party" with its opposition to same-sex marriage.

Steve Schmidt, in his first political appearance since the election, spoke at the Washington, D.C., convention for the Log Cabin Republicans -- a grassroots group for gay and lesbian Republicans.

He urged Republicans, in the near-term, to endorse civil unions and stop using the Bible as rationale for gay-marriage opposition.

"If you put public policy issues to a religious test, you risk becoming a religious party," he said. "And in a free country a political party cannot be viable in the long-term if it is seen as a sectarian party."

Schmidt, whose sister is a lesbian and who supports same-sex marriage, said he understands the Republican Party probably won't reverse its resistance to same-sex marriage anytime soon.

But he suggested that the party will be increasingly marginalized if it sustains that opposition long-term. ...

Schmidt also said Friday that Republicans need to reach out, not only to gay voters, but young voters and Hispanics.

"The rapid growth of the Hispanic-American population for instance could soon cost Republicans the entire southwest if we don't recover our previous share of the vote," he said.

McCain Strategist Warns GOP Risks Becoming 'Religious Party' - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

what else have they got, besides God guns and gays?


Do you really think a viable party can run anymore on privitizing social security and giving it to wall street bankers? Deregulating corporate america and the markets? Giving more tax cuts to Exxon Mobil and Rush Limbaugh? Invading countries that aren't a viable threat to us?


All they've got left is the fringe rightwing, and some crap about marxism.

 

[amrchaos]

SO--the GOP is afraid of becoming the party of CHRIST? OK--what drugs is this guy on??

Cement your influence with the main religion in a civilization and you obtain power over it. What the hell is that Republican afraid of? Pushy Priests? Screaming southern women singing "Go tell it on the mountain"?

To late for Secularization--Stay Traditionalists--and there is nothing "Traditional" with gay marriage!!

 

[Indiana Oracle]

If the Reps are to have any chance of coming back, they need to clean out the leadership, stop making religion per se a platform, and get back to basic, sound principles of governance and fiscal responsibility.

McCain was a fighter pilot who wanted to run the armed forces. A highly principled man, really weak on domestic and economic issues, and, underneath it all, one could not help but feel there was something not right. Wrong nominee crowning off the Rep's unassisted suicide.

I agree, though I'm hoping their time is running out. Looking for new party with emphasis on government, not people's behavior. Smaller, more efficient government, less intrusive.

Same here. The pendulum has swung too far in one direction. Sooner or later it will swing back.

 

[garyd]

In about two years. The Reps can't win without the Christians. Sorry that's the reality. And no one else will beat the Dems without them either.

 

[Annie]

In about two years. The Reps can't win without the Christians. Sorry that's the reality. And no one else will beat the Dems without them either.

Not saying to dump the Christians, saying that making it the 'Christian Party' is a loser.

 

[Evangelical]

In about two years. The Reps can't win without the Christians. Sorry that's the reality. And no one else will beat the Dems without them either.

Not saying to dump the Christians, saying that making it the 'Christian Party' is a loser.

Actually making it a Christian party may be a winner. It worked in Germany. Why would it not work in the US. "Christians believe x, y, z. Democrats attack these beliefs. Vote Republican".

It's really not hard to put two and two together. If Democrats attack Christian beliefs, then Republicans should support them.

 

[Bfgrn]

If the Reps are to have any chance of coming back, they need to clean out the leadership, stop making religion per se a platform, and get back to basic, sound principles of governance and fiscal responsibility.

McCain was a fighter pilot who wanted to run the armed forces. A highly principled man, really weak on domestic and economic issues, and, underneath it all, one could not help but feel there was something not right. Wrong nominee crowning off the Rep's unassisted suicide.

Actually John McCain was the "affirmative action" candidate. The son of an Admiral that fell UPWARDS at every turn...

Bottom of the class at the Naval Academy, a school he could NEVER qualify for without his daddy's influence, McCain constantly violated every rule and curfew, BUT...he leapfrogged the whole class of Cadets above him to enter flight school.

5 crashed aircraft later...

 

[KittenKoder]

In about two years. The Reps can't win without the Christians. Sorry that's the reality. And no one else will beat the Dems without them either.

Not saying to dump the Christians, saying that making it the 'Christian Party' is a loser.

Actually making it a Christian party may be a winner. It worked in Germany. Why would it not work in the US. "Christians believe x, y, z. Democrats attack these beliefs. Vote Republican".

It's really not hard to put two and two together. If Democrats attack Christian beliefs, then Republicans should support them.

There is a second angle to this though, that you are missing but it's a problem with both parties, many churches are seeing their rights infringed on more through laws which even the Republicans helped to pass. This makes it very wise for one party to start pushing for more "separation of church and state" laws so these rights are once again protected. McCain is once such person who is pushing for this move. I say it's time to give other parties a chance (not necessarily the others that exist right now, just different ones) and maybe McCain could start one. I would vote for him with the right VP if there is another chance, partially because of this which he started saying prior to the last election but was too quickly drowned out.

Also, you are forgetting the fact that christian following is shrinking in many areas. So to get votes a party cannot limit themselves to one group anymore. Well, not really shrinking, more like balancing with other belief systems in number of followers.

 

[Xenophon]

Full gay rights is still a generation away, it's too soon.

The kids growing up the last 20 years believe in it, the generations before that don't, as times change so too will this issue until it's gone.

Within the next 20 years you will see it, but the time is still not right, too many still oppose it.

 

[Toro]

Actually making it a Christian party may be a winner. It worked in Germany. Why would it not work in the US.

Because the Christian Democrat party is not really Christian. Most Germans would not be supportive of what evangelicals believe in America.