This season is becoming remarkable in that, so many GOP candidates have been buzzing around the landscape, none has actually declared. Newt, yes, oops, no. Huckabee? Uh uh. Romney? Still weighing options. Sarah? Still talking to God. The date is getting late for the 2012 primaries. What's up? Is it because they're afraid they'll have to stop accepting paychecks from Fox News?
Well, the long wait is over, we have our first officially declared Republican candidate.
It's Fred Karger. Here's his statement:
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today is a very significant day for my community and me. I have just submitted my papers to the Federal Election Commission, making me the first candidate to file for the 2012 Republican nomination for President.
I am also the first openly gay person, in a major political party, to ever run for President of the United States.
After spending 35 years in politics behind the scenes, I want to be a participant and help shape the debate in the Republican Party and our nation.
While I intend to talk about many important issues, I dedicate today to the 6 teenagers who took their lives this past fall because they were bullied for who they were. They could not go on living for even one more day.
There is no place for hatred and bigotry in this country. We must all learn to respect each other and our differences.
I began this journey 13 months ago when I traveled from my home in California to Washington, DC, New York and then up to New Hampshire. It has been a whirlwind. I have traveled to 19 states, including 12 trips to New Hampshire and 6 to Iowa. I have talked to thousands of people, and I have been encouraged to take this to the next level.
During the months ahead, I will propose some bold new ideas on a wide array of issues, and I want to help bring back optimism like my old boss Ronald Reagan did 30 years ago.
I know that I will not be invited to participate in some of the debates and forums that will be held during the next year. Some will not include me because I am an outsider, others because I am gay. I will fight to get into each and every debate, so that my ideas and my voice may be heard.
I want to send a loud and clear message to anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, that you can do anything you want to do in this country. You can even run for President of the United States.
Who? Well, you may know Fred from a variety of endeavors.
He was at the last Netroots:
He also has been a thorn in the side of National Organization for Marriage for a long time. He was behind the effort to force them to expose their donors in the Prop 8 battle. Ultimately his efforts led to the state of
California fining the Mormon Church for failure to disclose their political donations. He produced and has arranged to air a, in my opinion excellent ad taking on NOM that is currently running the New Hampshire cable channels:
What you may not know, is Fred has been a long-time political strategist for the Republican party.
I have met Fred and I have spoken with him at length. It is my impression he is among a dying breed of Republican, the moderate. One might ask, why does he not run as a Democrat? I do believe, like a few other rare birds, he's just not inclined to abandon his life-long party because the inmates took over. I suspect too, like another famous advocate of late, he's rather taking a bit of delight in rattling some people's delicate nerves while he pursues this endeavor.
I personally hope his campaign gathers enough gas to get him to the Presidential debates. I am really cheering the idea that an openly gay man, will stand on the same stage as Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee and call them on their carpet for their bigotry, live on Fox News. That would be a truly golden moment.
I guess that's why, like with Ron Paul last cycle, they're working so hard to keep him out of the debates. Can't have any rebels in the Republican party, speaking anything that departs from dogma of the three Gs: guns, God and gays.
Freedom! Let Fred speak!