Bush Urges Congress to Pass Amendment Banning Same-Sex Marriage

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Well, we all "know' why Bush is doing this, but it's interesting (to me, anyway) to see the data anyway. It's also interesting to see how they may be shooting themselves in the foot.

The Pew Research Center released this polling data yesterday. Scroll down to the third box on the right-hand side -- the one labelled "Decline in Bush Support Widespread." Now check out which demographic group has manifested the single biggest decline in Bush support since December 2004. Yup: White Protestant Evangelicals -- a 22% drop, to 55%.

But now scroll up to the second box, the graph labelled "Bush Job Approval Among Republicans," and look at the numbers for moderates: 56%.

In other words, Bush's approval rating has tanked to the same level with evangelicals and moderates, and his grand scheme for dealing with this is to champion a hopeless idea that, while it appeals to evangelicals, will actually alienates moderates even further.

Of course, there are more evangelicals than moderates in the GOP. But the seats the GOP stands to lose are largely in places where moderates, not evangelicals, matter.

[Drake Tungsten]

Why did you quote me, then remove the part in brackets where I consider the issue in more reasonable terms as

I was taking issue with the non-bracketed and non-reasonable claim you started your post off with. It's all well and good to throw in a more reasonable analysis of the situation after you've already brought up the spectre of people's rights being taken away, but it doesn't really negate the untrue and emotionally-loaded statement you led off with.

Unless you wish to add yet another layer of semantics to your post and argue that finding something offensive and condemning it are two completely different things.

They are different. It's quite possible to find something offensive but not condemn it or the people responsible for it. In fact, I would argue that it is a necessary skill for living in a free society.

[Lorizael]

DID you se Jn Stuart last nigth he pNWESD Bill Bennt,.

[Brundlefly]

Lou Dobbs really nails the Bush Administration for making an issue of same-sex marriage as a distraction from more pressing issues...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/06/dobbs.june7/index.html

Republicans are using this in an attempt to salvage Bush's approval rating heading into June and November elections.

[MrFun]

Maybe it's just that the right of conscience is overrated and needs to be taken away from everyone.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Odin
Gays and Atheists are to today what Blacks were to the 50's.

Yeah, they're shut out of the regular education system, routinely denied access to higher education, required to use separate public facilities, denied access to parks, swimming pools, required to use separate transit facilities, and denied accommodation at hotels, restaurants, etc. Oh yeah, and routinely beaten on by the po-lice if they get uppity and protest in the slightest.




The comparison of black's civil rights struggles in the 50's and 60's to anything gays are facing today is ludicrous. And given the pandering to atheists in frivolous purported First Amendment cases (Oh me, oh my, there's a cross on p-p-public land, never mind it's a war memorial, I'm s-s-s-so o-o-o-offended I just have to litigate for the next decade even though I have suffered absolutely no harm, nor has anyone else. Oh, and I have a hangnail too... {wimper}), atheists aren't exactly suffering as a group, so to lump atheists in with gays is just facile.

[Lorizael]

I think the only reason gays aren't quite as discriminated against as blacks were is that it's easier to spot a black person than a gay person.

Gays do get the **** beat out of them, gays do lose their jobs, gays are mistreated by authority figures; but it's not done in an institutionalized fashion, because this country would never support, say, forcing gays to wear labels that identify them as such.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


Yeah, they're shut out of the regular education system, routinely denied access to higher education, required to use separate public facilities, denied access to parks, swimming pools, required to use separate transit facilities, and denied accommodation at hotels, restaurants, etc. Oh yeah, and routinely beaten on by the po-lice if they get uppity and protest in the slightest.

I agree with you on that point; gays today do not have it as bad as what blacks have suffered through. Does not exclude legitimate parallels and analogies, though.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Odin


Gays and Atheists are to today what Blacks were to the 50's.

And you have the audacity to get offended when I call you a ******?

[Kuciwalker]

Comparing gays and atheists' problems to those of blacks makes you an *******. However, they are the only two groups that remain socially acceptable to be bigoted against.

[loinburger]

Gay marriage ban fails in Senate.

[Arrian]

Good. Unsurprising.

-Arrian

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Odin
Oh, and Ben is officially a biggot.

I suspect that it's less a matter of bigotry, and more a matter of there being a fundamental disconnect between those who ask the question "what compelling reason do I have to grant you this right" and those who ask the question "what compelling reason do I have to deny you this right."

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by loinburger

I suspect that it's less a matter of bigotry, and more a matter of there being a fundamental disconnect between those who ask the question "what compelling reason do I have to grant you this right" and those who ask the question "what compelling reason do I have to deny you this right."

Very well said.

[Flip McWho]

Ditto