Here is Some "Straight Talk" for John McCain's Gay Supporters

For the well-heeled gay more interested in tax cuts and interventionist foreign policy than, say, gay rights and hate crimes laws, neoconservative writer James Kirchik, one of the openly gay editors of The New Republic, offers the "gay case" for Sen. John McCain. The oped at The Advocate presents a bland, revisionist coating to McCain's dard right record on social issues.

[While McCain has racked up an unimpressive voting record in Congress—he supports "don't ask, don't tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act and opposes adding sexual orientation to the federal hate-crimes bill and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act—what distinguishes him from many of his Republican colleagues is that he has also taken some courageous stands.

McCain was one of the very few outspoken Republican opponents of the Federal Marriage Amendment in the Senate, calling the proposed ban "un-Republican." This was a crucial initiative for the religious right, endorsed by President Bush and used as a wedge issue in the 2004 presidential campaign. McCain spent far more political capital in standing against this divisive amendment than Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or, for that matter, any Democrat.

Kirchik's essay retreads the nauseatingly familiar territory of McCain groupies—ie, he's not as bad as you think he is. "McCain loathes the religious right, and the feeling is mutual." Well, that depends upon what your definition of "is" is. The "new" John McCain panders to religious right and campaigned for that proposed draconian anti-marriage amendment in Arizona that ultimately failed. The contradiction explains why Kirchik felt the need to end his essay with "frequent instances of [McCain's] positive attitude toward gay people."

Former Washington Blade editor Chris Crain is also unimpressed: "We've been here before, haven't we? Those who knew George W. Bush were universal in praising his comfort with gay people, in and out of politics, and yet look where it got us. Since when is the absence of personal discomfort in the presence of homosexuals somehow a qualification for the presidency?"

Why John McCain Isn't So Bad [Advocate]
The Gay Case fore McCain [Citizen Chris]

More POLITICS
More JOHN McCAIN

You May Want to Read ...
McCain Targets Romney with Anti-Gay Robo-calls [R20]
NH Voters Targeted by Anti-Mormon "Push Polls" [R20]
Romney, McCain Offer More Anti-Gay Rhetoric [R20]
McCain Flip-Flops on Gay Rights [R20]
McCain Promotes Abstinence [R20]
McCain Hires Producer of Racist Ads [R20]
McCain Flip-Flops on Gay Rights [R20]
Yes But No—But Yes [R20]
McCain: Not "Catering" to Far Right [R20]
McCain Promotes Abstinence [R20]
McCain's MLK Day: "Pandering" to Racists [R20]
McCain Wins Republican Nomination [R20]
McCain Camp Enlists Racist Shock Jock [R20]

Comments

[Timothy R]

Someone said it in a comment yesterday, or maybe the day before. Obama or Hillary would be a huge improvement to George Bush and a better alternative than John McCain.

[TheRevKev]

AS ALWAYS:

"I AM FOR A MCCAIN-FREE AMERICA!"

[Tony R]

Preach on, reverend, preach on.

[ATL Kid]

And someone asked in another post why the McCain concern trolls never, ever comment in McCain posts ...

[Spinner]

"Concern trolls"?

[ATL Kid]

Concern trolls, aka the commenters who are so very "concerned" about John McCain or the "good of the party" and talk about "unity."

[Rod Mc]

LOL @ "concern trolls." I've mentioned that in several posts.