Florida GOP and Gay Marriage

[Sayhey]

Anyone doubt the GOP uses the issue of gay marriage in order to rally their troops? Take a look at the extent they have gone in Florida.

Florida Republican Party donates $150,000 to support ban on gay marriages

By Jason Garcia
Tallahassee Bureau
Posted January 12 2006

TALLAHASSEE · The Republican Party of Florida gave $150,000 to the group that wants to put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot, new campaign finance records show.

The party's donation -- more than three-quarters of the total that the group sponsoring the amendment, Florida4marriage.org, has raised so far -- comes as supporters are struggling to meet a state-imposed deadline for gathering signatures.


Backers must collect 611,009 signatures and have them certified by local elections offices by Feb. 1. Florida4marriage.org officials say they have gathered roughly 250,000 so far for their proposal, which would also prohibit civil unions that offer the same benefits as marriage.

Word of the contribution also comes a week after a host of Republican leaders, including the state party chairwoman and both of the GOP's leading candidates for governor endorsed the measure.

Having a proposal to ban same-sex marriage on the ballot could help the Republican Party by rallying religious conservatives to the polls in a year when Floridians will elect Gov. Jeb Bush's successor.

A spokeswoman for the Republican Party said political considerations played no role in the GOP's contribution.

The party made the donation "solely because we support the issue," said Camille Anderson, the spokeswoman.

Still, Anderson acknowledged, "It happens to be beneficial to have initiatives on the ballot that Republicans feel strongly about."

John Stemberger, the chairman of the group sponsoring the amendment, said the money has been largely spent on mailers alerting supporters of the impending deadline and distributing petitions.
Sun-Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fgay12jan12,0,1218946.story?coll=sfla-news-florida) emphasis added

If you believe the GOP is coughing up the big bucks because they fear a epidemic of gay marriage will suddenly seize the state -- well, you're wrong. The closeness of some of next year's races and the need to try bolster others just might have something to do with it. ;)

[solvs]

If Dems were smart they'd highlight the fact that the GOP wants to privatize Social Security (very unpopular with older voters, even if it doesn't affect them), fight against euthanasia (witness how popular the Terry Schaivo thing was), and of course the whole war and the fact that we are still worried about terrorism (if we were winning the WOT, we wouldn't still be afraid). If they can rally the older voters and the youth vote, I'm sure the moderates will be easy. They already don't like GW. Look at what happened in PA, NJ, and VA.

Oh, and have a candidate that, you know, doesn't suck.

[leekohler]

Disgusting. It's so sad that they would use a relatively defenseless group of people to win votes. It's even sadder that people are so afraid of us.

[iGary]

This is why I am now a registered Independent.

The GOP has totally lost its mind.

[aquajet]

Perhaps they're finally heeding the warnings from Pat Robertson. We'll see how hurricane season pans out next year...

[Chip NoVaMac]

Disgusting. It's so sad that they would use a relatively defenseless group of people to win votes. It's even sadder that people are so afraid of us.

This is why I am now a registered Independent.

The GOP has totally lost its mind.

Fear is a powerful factor at the voting booth.

For iGary, registering Independent is one thing, but voting the idiots out is another. For we all have our pet issues. And some get overlooked when it comes time to vote.

Add to that we as a people don't want to vote for a loser. And that most are not willing to look past the 30 second soundbite, or the best attack ad.

Despite the Lobbyist Scandal now in Washington, nothing will change. Our elected officials will vacation in HI while attending an Air Traffic Control meeting in January. Our local people will jet off to whatever meeting that sounds good at the best sounding resort.

The politicians that got caught with money from Abrahms, feel all so good about donating their ill gotten gain to charity. But where are we as the people, demanding to know how they voted on the issues they were being paid off on?

Oh, I forgot. We are too worried about paying for our McMansions, and our Hummers. Or some of us are just thinking how we will make it to the next new day.

[IJ Reilly]

This is why I am now a registered Independent.

The GOP has totally lost its mind.

Good for you. I came to feel the same way about the Democrats 30 years ago, dropped my party registration, and have been an independent ever since.

[mactastic]

Time for some minimum-wage increases to be put on the ballot then. :cool:

[solvs]

Time for some minimum-wage increases to be put on the ballot then. :cool:
Oooh good one. Forgot about that one. Of course the GOP can just use the "it hurts small businesses" talking point.

[mactastic]

Oooh good one. Forgot about that one. Of course the GOP can just use the "it hurts small businesses" talking point.And of course the Dems can use the "why should government be in our bedrooms" talking point... but the point isn't to placate your opponent with the initiative -- it's to rally your base and get them to the polls.

The Dems could draw a lot of folks with minimum wage law initiatives on the ballots who'd likely vote strongly Democratic on the rest of the ticket. And in selected areas, something like the anti-Walmart legislation could help bring out Democratic-leaning voters too.

Not saying it's right... Just saying that it works and the GOP exploits these kinds of tactics....