I personally could care less that George H. W. Bush was a witness at a Gay wedding. These were adults he was friends with and he had every right to show support. What irks me is that Poppy Bush made the Republican Party Social issue centric. He moved the party away from its traditional focus on Economic issues and made the Culture War (Murphy Brown, Family Values) the focus of the party. This was done for cynical reasons to cover up his Progressive economic polices. The result was that the GOP lost for a generation it’s old Northeastern and Upper Midwestern suburban stronghold.
Poppy’s son took a page from his father and in the 2004 campaign used opposition Gay Marriage to whip up the Social Conservative base. Although at the time it was electorally successful, the vitriol and hate directed at Gays by segments of the Republican Party created a backlash that now most Americans support Gay Marriage. Even worse, George W Bush now refuses to speak out against Gay Marriage. His wife and daughters support Gay Marriage and in this context it is no surprise that his Father approves of Gay Marriage. George H. W. Bush served as a witness at a Gay Marriage between 2 female friends of theirs in Maine.
(Reuters) – Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, were the official witnesses of a same-sex marriage between two women in Maine over the weekend, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The former first couple witnessed the private ceremony on Saturday in Kennebunk between Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen, according to Jim McGrath, a Bush spokesman.
Clement posted a photograph on her Facebook page of President Bush signing a piece of paper as the couple, close friends of the Bushes, watched and held champagne glasses.
The couple owns H.B. Provisions, a general store in Kennebunk, Maine. The former president owns a compound in Kennebunkport, about four miles (six km) east of Kennebunk.
Maine is one of 13 states that allows gay marriage.
Like I said earlier in the thread I could cares less Poppy Bush was at a Gay Wedding, that’s his business and congrats to the couple. This is not a Social Conservative vs. Libertarian thread either. My issue is that Poppy attending a Gay Wedding is that it is indicative of the Republican Establishment’s cynical use of social issues. They could care less about gays or abortion, they just use the issues to manipulate Republican voters to support them. They are playing Republican voters for suckers and using the rhetoric to keep control over the Party.
My advise to my Social Conservative allies, don’t fall for red meat social issue rhetoric. Mr. Family Values himself was a witness at a gay Wedding, which should proof at how phoney these GOP Establishment types are on these issues. The reality is, there is nothing these politician can do on these issues, it’s ruse to deceive well meaning voters.
