The Gist

When polls don't really say much -- or say what certain people want them to say


Surprise! Republicans really do like us! Or so says the Log Cabin Republicans and the poll they sponsored. So golly-gee, what then is the problem? Why don't we have our rights, like, tomorrow -- or even yesterday? I mean, those Republicans are just effusive in this poll. Maybe they were not the road block to our progress after all and it was all just a crazy dream. Or maybe Log Cabin has done extraordinary work in, like, 16 hours, to turn around an entire Southern-dominated, homo-bashing party, since they certainly seem to imply that they've done the work to change the party.

We discussed this on the show yesterday (Thursday) and some listeners commented on it in earlier posts here on the blog. The problem with a poll like this is that it doesn't ask "average" Republicans a more pointed and practical question: Sure, you may want to be nice to homosexuals, but if your party was bashing them to get hatemongers and religious zealots out to vote, would you actually do anything about it or even vote for a Democrat instead and perhaps give up your tax cuts, small government philosophy and whatever else Republicans say they value in return for being able to sleep at night?

Sadly, not many would say that it's worth giving up being a Republican just because of a little gay-bashing. (So there, they don't like us that much!) Nor would they say that they'd really try to expend capital and energy trying to stop it in the party. I know, because I speak to those people as well, who call in to my show every day. They accept that being Republican right now means bowing to the fundies, no matter how matter what they personally think about GLBT people -- many of them are GLBT themselves!

Also, the poll questions "self-indentified" Republicans and not likely Republcian primary voters. There are plenty of people who identify as Republican but who vote Democratic (some are among those who became disgusted with the party in recent years). They're not really Republicans -- at least not the kind that vote the way James Dobson tells people to vote. And with the leadership still in the grip of the Christian right, it is the Christian right followers who dominate the party and are the most likely voters.