Listen Kos, I love you, but this hare-brained "Operation Hilarity" scheme is the worst idea you've ever had.
There's this book I think you need to read. It's called American Taliban. It's a good read, and it talks about some of the people and organizations that threaten our constitutional democracy with a theocratic takeover. You just suggested giving one of these biblicist lunatics a platform.
When running a political op like the one you discussed (and indeed, it could have some potential benefits) you failed to ask yourself the most important question:
What's the worst thing that could happen as a result of this? How likely is the worst-case or other bad-case scenarios to come about?
Well obviously, the WORST case scenario that could result from something like this is President Santorum. Though thankfully, Santorum has a bishop's chance in hell of getting elected nationally.
But there's one other kind of blowback you can expect if an op like this is successful.
You're going to give one of the most vicious anti-gay zealots this country has ever seen a platform. You might even get him into a vice-presidential slot. Romney-Santorum is a marriage made in hell. It fixes Mitt's problem with evangelicals. The kind of Right-Wing Fundie Church GOTV efforts that would result would be problematic, especially with some people on our side still feeling unenthused with Obama (not me, but they're out there, and I get where they're coming from.) While I have no doubt we could win this fight, and win it easily, this would still be one of the worst things that to happen in American Political History. Forget the fact that we'd have a harder fight in Viriginia and NC after this:
In addition to the fundie GOTV efforts, you're going to see a huge rise in anti-gay sentiment across the country.
There are gays and Transfolk I know, friends of mine, who live in the south. I am not exaggerating when I say their lives will be threatened during a Santorum ascendancy. If this operation is successful, it will help Santorum rile up every single southern nutjob who thinks the gays are part of Obama's secret commie army, and that they're out to rape good Christian children. Anti-LGBT sentiments would run even higher than they do now. You will see an increase in the already constant violent attacks on LGBT folks in fundie areas across the country.
It is incredibly selfish for this community to potentially put some of the most vulnerable people in this nation in a dangerous situation.
Now that might happen anyway. You might see Santorum in the VP seat anyway.
But to suggest that we should help a bigot build himself a platform because it would give us an easier ride in the primaries really is a step to far.
Now, if you have some harebrained scheme that doesn't potentially endanger vulnerable Americans, I'm all ears. I'm all for a bit of the ol' operation republican chaos.
But in this situation, you're playing with fire and brimstone.
That kind of crazy is dangerous enough without our help.
Update:
Quoting Kossack Scottie Thomaston about our discussion. I mentioned one of my Transmen friends. I am constantly afraid that they're going to end up beaten to death in a McDonalds.
I live right down the road where a kid was killed for being gay during the worst of the anti-gay campaigning in 2004-2006. My friends and I live through this.
I'm not just trying to be dramatic. I have experience every day listening to this type of rhetoric and seeing what it does to people who are gay and transgender. My reaction to this was an immediate gut reaction, certainly not just trying to get attention. I'm scared about this.
I've already written about the anti-transgender "bathroom bill" that was proposed in Tennessee that would have been directed at literally my FRIEND just because he's transgender. It never ends, even without help. There's no need to help spread this type of rhetoric and hatred.
And to clarify, because one Kossack got a little over the top in his defense: I am not holding anyone morally responsible for the actions of bigots. I'm saying that these people are incredibly dangerous. Currently, they're depressed and apathetic.
I'd like to keep it that way.
This operation has the potential to rile them up in the worst kind of way.