Sarah Palin warned in her book Going Rogue of a gay takeover of the GOP. Turning that paranoid conspiracy into reality may be exactly what the party and the country needs—a GOP worth belonging to; one that does not define itself by ignorance or bigotry but by sound arguments of long-term stability and of limited government. With the recent ultra-conservative pullout from CPAC caused by the participation of the gay Republican organization GOPRoud, it is clear how possible this takeover is. There is power in visibility. Presence and personal knowledge change perception faster and more fundamentally than policy. For that reason, gays need to subvert the current paradigm of us versus them that has pervaded the two-party system and take back the GOP for the sake of itself and for the sake of our national security.
The voting data is telling. The map shows that where education prevails, so does the Democratic Party. But, this doesn’t have to be the case. Recently, the Republican base has redefined itself as a political circle in which education and articulation are not valued traits. What kind of party, what kind of nation, would we have if gay candidates helped rebuild a GOP that rooted itself in fiscal efficiency and reasonable principles of governing, instead of social regulation and religious piety?
Attacks on Republican strategy are becoming more and more pointed and, sad to say, more accurate. Example: opposing
the president for the sake of opposing him is not a long-term winning strategy for the party or for our country. In fact, such an endeavor is perhaps the most dangerous effort in the history of our national security. It is time for gays to inject a little more yes into “the party of no.”
Regardless of how it seems, the true fundamental core of the Republican Party is a limited federal government that is more in balance with the powers of the states. Wanting to control the size of government is not somehow impossible for gay brains to comprehend. Gays are not genetically required to affiliate with the Democratic Party, but have instead been driven there by the pervading GOP regime that has marginalized, suppressed, and disenfranchised them. So, if you see a problem, be prepared to fix it or don’t bother complaining. If the problem is the regime, then the time has come for a regime change.
As DADT dies, it’s time for the gays to take up arms as part of the solution by assuming an increased involvement in our national defense, by bringing the fresh ideas that voters have been waiting for. Gays need to step up to the podium and restore balance, intelligence, and pragmatism to the GOP. It has been said that you should be the change you want to see in the world. It’s time more conservative gay thinkers to take this adage to heart instead of running to anything blue simply because it isn’t red. Rather, why not give today’s homely GOP the makeover it needs?
As the need for intervention becomes more dire, the cracks in the existing system become more apparent. We exalt our leaders believing that they are smarter, better connected, and better informed than us. As those who do not fit this educated and informed archetype continue to infiltrate our governing system, we will find this faith to be further undermined. Cultivating a base that is increasingly ignorant and misinformed is a long-term losing strategy for the reason that you will inevitably inspire and facilitate those same ignorant and misinformed patriots to successfully pursue public office. Again gays could be the perfect antidote to the languishing intellectual average of new Republican candidates. Some might decry this idea as elitist but we ultimately don’t really want ordinary folks operating the machinery of our government.
Due to the closed media circuit that has encased Republican voters, reason has more and more often been abandoned in exchange for so-called “values.” The problem of policy based on “values” is twofold: one, they are exclusionary; and two, they are contrary to the principles of small government. The GOP needs a return to ideals over ideology, something that gays have an acute understanding of. Gay Republicans need to assertively help their party reject the distracting social issues that expatriate the pool of forward thinking leaders who would otherwise pursue a place in its ranks.
The studious and open-minded perspective of the gay community is the exact remedy the ailing Republican Party needs right now. It’s time for articulate gay republicans who have stayed hidden in the GOP’s closet to come out and onto the ballots. Let’s face it; our chances of winning only improve by playing both sides. Only by participating, can we prevail.
