Gays Become Just Another ‘Special Interest’
Having pandered to a labor union audience in Chicago on August 7, Tuesday night, the Democratic presidential field decamped to Los Angeles for a debate pitched to the interests of gay voters on the LOGO cable network Thursday (Aug.9) and broadcast several times.
The Democratic Party has clearly decided to align itself with traditional gay lobbying groups and the affluent donor base they can deliver. But while the association has clear advantages, signs also suggest that a substantial part of the electorate may be uncomfortable if Democrats become too closely aligned with another politically correct pressure group.
Three new statewide polls by Quinnipiac University in the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania found that a significant number of voters were likely to react to a high-profile endorsement of a candidate by gay groups by voting against that candidate.
In Ohio, the mother of all swing states, 10% of voters say an endorsement by gay groups would make them more likely to support a candidate versus 34% who said such an endorsement would make them less likely (54% said such an endorsement wouldn’t matter). A majority of the voters in each of the states opposes gay marriage, but at the same time more than half favor some type of legal recognition for gay couples.
Troubling for Democrats, independent voters, much sought-after by both parties, essentially tracked with the rest of the population in viewing the endorsement of gay groups negatively. Among independent voters, the numbers were 12% more likely and 28% less likely. The numbers in Pennsylvania and Florida roughly tracked those in Ohio.
An anti-gay animus explains some of the hostility, but polling analysts say a general antipathy to special interest groups dominating American politics also plays a part.
– John Fund, in Political Diary, August 9, 2007
From LOGO TV studios in Los Angeles: When Biological Determinism Is PC
If former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been most helped by his performances in the Republican presidential debates, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson continues to convince party insiders he simply isn’t ready for prime time.
Mr. Richardson has delivered indifferent debate performances so far, but at last night’s gay-themed session in Los Angeles he managed to do a belly flop into treacherous political waters. Asked about whether being gay was a matter of biology or choice, Mr. Richardson - who previously has had to apologize for the use of a Spanish-language gay slur - wandered into a politically incorrect answer that left the largely gay audience treating him as if he were, well, a Republican.
“It’s a choice,” he told the audience, then sunk into his armchair as listeners sat in shocked silence.
“I’m not sure you understood the question,” singer Melissa Etheridge promptly upbraided him. But Mr. Richardson stumbled on with neither the confidence of someone who was saying what he really believed or the agility of a candidate who knows how to recover from a faux pas. “I’m not a scientist. I don’t see this as an issue of science or definition,” he said. “I don’t like to answer definitions like that, that perhaps are grounded in science or something else I don’t understand.” The crowd continued its stony silence.
It didn’t take long for Richardson aides to try their own damage control operation. They issued a groveling statement in which Mr. Richardson says he doesn’t believe homosexuality is a matter of choice.
But the damage is done. Mr. Richardson, already on probation for the anti-gay slur, will now be marked as someone “who doesn’t get it” by a key Democratic donor base. Chalk up his chances of getting the Democratic vice presidential nomination as fading fast.
– John Fund, in Political Diary, August 10, 2007
National Survey Shows Gays and Lesbians Outpace U.S.
Average In Voting Participation
A new national survey reveals that gay and lesbian consumers are far more likely to have voted in the last presidential and midterm elections than the population in general.
Significant numbers of both gay men and lesbians also donated to a political party in the past year. The survey also found that despite significant social and political progress over the past decade, majorities of both gays and lesbians believe homosexuality will remain a “divisive” issue in ten years.
The survey results are included in the Gay Consumer Index and Lesbian Consumer Index, precedent-setting national surveys of more than 12,000 gay Americans and 10,000 lesbian Americans conducted in spring 2007 and set to be released later this month by Community Marketing Inc.
“The results of the Gay Consumer Index and Lesbian Consumer Index studies demonstrate that the political parties would be smart to pay attention to the issues that mean the most to gay and lesbian voters,” declared Tom Roth, president of Community Marketing Inc. “We have far more at stake than the average voter and we’re therefore far more engaged in the political process.”
More than 92 percent of gay male respondents (92.5 percent) reported that they voted in the 2004 presidential election with nearly 84 percent (83.8 percent) reporting that they voted in the mid-term election in 2006. Results for lesbians were similar with nearly 91 percent (90.7 percent) of lesbian respondents reporting that they voted in the 2004 presidential election and 78 percent reporting that they voted in the mid-term election in 2006. In comparison, media reports estimate that 64 percent of the general population voted in the 2004 presidential election and just 40 percent of the general population voted in the 2006 mid-term election.
Slightly more than 31 percent of lesbian respondents (31.1 percent) reported that they made a financial contribution to a political party in the past twelve months. Forty percent (40.1 percent) of gay male respondents reported that they made a financial contribution to a political party in the past twelve months.
And finally, large majorities of gay male and lesbian respondents agreed with the statement that “homosexuality will still be a divisive issue in the USA in 10 years.” Slightly more than 73 percent (73.4 percent) of gay male and nearly 73 percent (72.9 percent) of lesbian respondents agreed with that statement. In general, larger numbers of older respondents agreed with this view than younger respondents with more gay male and lesbian Baby Boomers agreeing with the statement than gay males or lesbians born after 1980.
from “Edge,” August 13, 2007