Four House Republicans who made a last-minute vote switch last week in order to ensure passage of an anti-LGBT provision are now in the crosshairs of the Democratic leadership. It’s just one example of the many ways in which Democrats are advancing an incredibly pro-LGBT platform in an election cycle where LGBTQ issues looked like they might be overshadowed.
The four GOP members—California Reps. David Valadao and Jeff Denham; Iowa Rep. David Young; and Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin—originally voted to scrap a measure that would have repealed nondiscrimination protections for LGBT employees of federal contractors. But in a highly unusual move, they and three other Republicans (seven total) flipped their votes after the time had expired. All four hail from Obama swing districts in 2012 and Democratic leadership is now promising to make the anti-LGBT vote a key campaign issue in their reelection bids.
An official for House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), told The Hill that the vote is expected to become a major issue in a competitive race like Young’s. Nonpartisan political prognosticators like the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rate Young’s district as a “toss up.”
While seizing on workplace fairness issues for LGBT Americans may seem like a tactical no-brainer these days for Democrats, it’s worth recalling that as recently as 2012 Democratic leadership was still a bit squeamish about pushing LGBT issues as a general election strategy.
In particular, President Obama himself hesitated to come out in favor of marriage equality during his reelection, putting off his announcement until just six months before voters went to the polls.
But this cycle has been a completely different story on everything across the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender concerns. In fact, as a member of the press, I have received repeated emails from the Democratic National Committee targeting candidates like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, among others, for their anti-LGBT stances. The DNC even produced an ad pushing LGBTQ issues as one of the major reasons why the nation needs a new Supreme Court justice confirmed.
Of course, some of these noticeable and welcome efforts are the result of party polarization and the fact that elections are more and more about turning out your base rather than swaying those who rest in the middle of the electorate.
But part of the change in approach also represents the simple fact that LGBT issues have proven to be a net positive for Democrats at the polls ever since 2012. Doing the right thing, as it were, is just smart politics these days and the Democrats have caught on quickly. As for Republicans, in case millennials need reminding, last week’s House vote is just one more indication that the GOP still hates teh LGBT.