In the wake of New York's big move on marriage equality, a top GOP operative in Neveda has suggested Nevada Republican party should throw in the towel on the marriage equality as well.
Not to do what's just, right or in line with our Constitution. Oh no. It's all about the money.
Las Vegas blog The Strip relays these comments from Chuck Muth. The Strip describes Muth as an "outspoken conservative activist whose wrath is feared by most Republican elected officials in Nevada." Muth wrote this in his daily email blast that goes to GOPers and journalists:
Many, if not most of you won't like this but gay marriage is coming. Nationwide. It's inevitable. It's only a matter of time. It can and will be delayed, but not stopped. And eventually, it will be as acceptable as black/white marriages. The problem isn't letting gays into marriage, but having already let the government into marriage.
As an economy based almost solely on tourism and entertainment, Nevada -- and especially Las Vegas -- should accept reality, embrace the inevitable, repeal the state's ban on gay marriage, and scarf up on the tourism bonanza that would result rather than suck hind teat behind the likes of Hawaii and New York.
Moth's biography from his own blog, Muth Truths:
Chuck Muth is President of Citizen Outreach and a professional political communications consultant.
He is a former executive director of the American Conservative Union, a National Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a Clark County GOP chairman and former Nevada Republican Party executive director.
Chuck is also a professional campaign trainer who volunteers as a national field instructor for numerous groups, campaigns and organizations.
Many of us in the LGBT activist community fight for the right to marry so our families will not have to endure what Janice Langbehn and Lisa Marie Pond did in Florida in 2007. The lesbian couple were celebrating their 20th anniversary in the Sunshine State with their children when Pond suffered an aneurysm and was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
Thence began the nightmare for Langbehn and the children, as they were at first treated as virtual strangers to Pond, denied access and information as she was struggling for her life in the trauma center. Langbehn claims that a hospital social worker said to her they she should not expect any information or access because they were in an "anti-gay city and state."
Hospital administrators ignored the power of attorney Langbehn had faxed over and continued to deny her requests for information and to see her partner. Pond died alone, denied the comforting presence of her wife and children.
A lawsuit filed by Langbehn and Lambda Legal was subsequently dismissed.
No, injustices like this seems unpersuasive to many in the Republican party. Instead, it looks like this is the genesis of Muth's change of heart came from this initiative reported by from Bloomberg News:
New York City Plans Campaign to Woo Gay Weddings
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to unveil a campaign to sell the most populous U.S. city as a gay-wedding destination after thousands marched to celebrate the state’s legalization of such marriages.
The “NYC I Do” campaign “will create millions of dollars in additional economic impact to the city’s $31 billion tourism industry,” Kimberly Spell, a spokeswoman for NYC & Company, the city’s marketing office, said yesterday in an e-mail. Bloomberg will unveil more details in coming days, she said.
A report by marriage equality advocates suggested New York stood to reap $391 million in from areas including economic activity and tax revenue within three years.
The report predicted about 3,300 couples from surrounding states without such laws would choose to marry in New York, and that almost 42,000 other out-of-state gay and lesbian couples would go there for a “destination wedding.”
[...]
The benefit to Massachusetts’ economy was worth more than $100 million over five years after legalizing same-sex marriage, according to the [Los Angeles-based Williams] institute.
Well, whatever gets them from point A to point B, I guess I'll take it. If the conclusion is correct, who am I to quibble with the reasoning that gets them there?
It is interesting that they are willing to usher in End Times and anarchy for the sake of a few bucks.
Social conservatives see the writing on the wall and are furiously rending their garments. The American Families Association's Bryan Fischer had a meltdown via Twitter yesterday.
Fischer was responding to news that Clarke Cooper of the LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans had secured a high-level position as director of finance on the Republican National Committee. Cooper had been quoted as saying the GOP should "not take a position on social issues."
Update: Wow, I missed this, thanks to jethrock for pointing it out, Fischer also said:
Wow. Fischer is so apoplectic he skipped right over Godwin.
Appointing Cooper to such a high-profile position within the Republican establishment is an interesting move for the party to have made. Recall that not long ago CPAC conference "endured" the boycotting of social conservatives to protest the presence of the LGBT group GOProud.
The battle for the GOP's priorities is heating up and the American Taliban is enduring some hits. Think Progress reports that internal polling by New York's state Republican party have given them no cause to be concerned about reelection prospects for their four Republicans who voted yes to equality. Top GOP Albany insider John McArdle says:
They can win. There were polls that were done throughout this whole effort and what we’ve seen consistently is that while this issue is important, that are a lot of issues that are probably more important on the minds of most people.
To conservative threats to his own seat, Republican Senator Mark Grisanti has a flippant response, "Go ahead and do what you’ve got to do.”
Sounds like "Bring it on!" to me.