A somewhat typical email I have received this last week:
I was raised during the ’80s in the midwest in a moderately Republican family. Conservative enough, but not rabidly so. Anyway, after the brief fliration with leftism that’s obligatory for all normal people in their early ’20s, I eventually drifted back to the GOP. That was until I met my wife … let me add my black Democrat wife. She thought I was insane when I told her what my affiliation was; she herself was pretty traditional, but couldn’t countenance how any decent person could belong to that party. I defended my affiliation strongly; I told her that the GOP had finally come around. It was enlightened enough to believe that limited government and free markets were good, that morals should be traditional but that one could be gay but still be sober, hard-working and responsible; but most importantly that those principles had gradually overcome whatever residual racism and religious extremism that may still have existed.-Whatever, she said; just you wait and see. After having been with her for seven years, and having gotten too many dirty glares during both our trips together to Texas, I finally had to give it all up earlier this year.-I defended Bush and the party as best I could, even during the Bob Jones fiasco, Bush’s statement that the unsaved don’t get into heaven, and his mocking of Karla Tucker. However, the Trent Lott episode finally did me in. Of course Bush told him to step down, but clandestinely so. However, there has been no denunciation over Santorum’s remarks from the White House yet, nor will there be anytime soon.-I know there are plenty of intelligent, open-minded people in the party, and that they’re fighting the good fight. However, I cannot, on principle, belong to a party that still has someone as high up as Santorum believing and saying the things he does. I refuse to support an organization that pursues American economic and military hegemony overseas in the name of freedom, but will not disown the most reactionary of social principles at home. I will never be a Democrat, but I’m afraid that only my (bi-racial and possibly gay, as my wife has a late gay uncle) great-grandchildren will be secure in a credible Republican party.
I hope Marc Racicot understands why so many want to support this party, but, under the current circumstances, simply cannot. I hope the president does too. People like Santorum and Lott are a big part of the reason. They make tolerant people who support Republicans look like fools.
The Dish 