If you want to see the GOP problem with intolerance, look no further than the comment section of this Roll Call article on Clay Aiken’s candidacy for Congress. The whole country is increasingly accepting of gay people, but the far right still takes pleasure in gratuitous bashing. I’m not suggesting that all Republicans are homophobic, but I am suggesting that the ones who are present a huge problem for the party as a whole.
GOP politicians routinely claim that they are not bigots but, so far, they have not declared war on the ones who are. In the late 1950s, William F. Buckley had enough of right-wing nuts who made up the John Birch Society. In response, he openly, publicly and repeatedly attacked and condemned them. Essentially, he and his supporters rooted them out of the Republican Party. It’s time GOPers today follow suit.
There’s no place for bigotry in politics today. Too many Republicans are too slow to condemn the racists and homophobes in their midst because they’re scared to cross them. Some leader needs to stand up and make it his or her cause to end their influence, even in primary elections. It will help them in the long run and, besides, it’s the right thing to do.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
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