Longtime Log Cabin Republican Members Resign Over Romney Endorsement

Jim Burroway

October 31st, 2012

Kevin and Don Norte have been Log Cabin Republican members for about a decade, with Kevin winning a “Grassroots Leadership Award” from the group in 2009. Kevin has served as California trustee and Don was on the board of the L.A. chapter. They have invested quite a lot in the organization, but the national organizations endorsement of Gov. Mitt Romney two weeks ago was something they couldn’t accept:

But on Oct. 25, Kevin and Don tweeted from their joint Twitter account that they were leaving the group: “@LogCabinGOP Please accept our resignation from #LogCabin effective immediately.” The reason? The group’s endorsement of Mitt Romney.

“Leaving them is kind of like a divorce,” Kevin said sadly in an interview with The Huffington Post that night.

…”If we have Romney in office, he’ll get the Department of Justice to keep DOMA upheld,” added Kevin. “Obama’s position is to the contrary. I can’t support somebody who wants to destroy my family.”

“I’m at a point where I just can’t put myself with [the LCR] anymore because of what their positions are on marriage. They act like it’s not important anymore,” agreed Don.

tristram

October 31st, 2012

Jim – thanks for posting this. I recommend that readers link out to the original article from which you quote. It recites all the LCR talking points (that is, forms of denial). While it is not attributed, there’s one quote I have to pass on –

‘Within the group, as The Huffington Post has reported, members are troubled by Romney’s positions on LGBT issues but feel that deep down, he’s an ally.

As one board member explained at the Republican National Convention this year, “We don’t listen to what a candidate actually says. We try to feel where they seem to stand.”’

Priya Lynn

October 31st, 2012

That’s amazing Tristam. It helps me to understand them a little better to know they’re just fabricating a friendly delusion to assign to Romney in absence of any actual support and in contradiction to his direct opposition.

Ben In Oakland

October 31st, 2012

As Will said,

there’s nothing so true on heaven or earth, but wishing will make it so.

It only took the nortes 12 years to figureout what George bush told them 12 years ago.

TampaZeke

October 31st, 2012

As a former Log Cabinette myself I applaud these gentlemen for taking a principled stand.

Now I’m pretty much a screaming liberal!

Timothy Kincaid

October 31st, 2012

I think most people who know the Nortes and who are in any way familiar with LCR are wondering why Amanda Turkel thought this was a story.

Werdna

October 31st, 2012

Timothy, can you elaborate?

Gene in L.A.

November 1st, 2012

If Mr. Kincaid knows something about this, I hope he’ll fill the rest of us in soon. Ms. Turkel, whoever she may be, didn’t write the story and isn’t named in it, so how is she relevant?

DN

November 1st, 2012

Good for them – good to see them taking a principled stand.

DN

November 1st, 2012

I see an interesting parallel in LCR’s endorsement to how the Democrats treated gays for so long.

For decades, the gay community at large tended to vote Democrat because, while we understood that our interests would get thrown under the bus at some point (in order to get something else from the Republicans), at least they weren’t overtly working against us like the Republicans were. There was a hopeful optimism that was proven unfounded over and over and over – until Obama came along.

LCR now seems to be taking a similar, but opposite, view: they see Romney’s anti-gay positions as something he’s just saying to get elected, and not what he’s actually going to do should he win the office.

I have to point out that the position taken by the community at large regarding Democrats was based on optimism and hope for better treatment. LCR’s position is based on a cynical assessment that Romney won’t actually do the things he campaigned on. As a skeptic, I’m generally pretty cynical, but that level of cynicism must be soul-sucking, indeed.

Jay

November 1st, 2012

Well, DN, inasmuch as Romney lies about everything else, the LCR might as well assume that he is lying when he says he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and will defend DOMA. Of course, the danger is that even a stopped clock tells the truth twice a day, so the odds are that Romney is lying about medicare, social security, the auto bailout, and whatever else he is saying at any particular moment, but telling the truth about his animus toward gay people.

TampaZeke

November 1st, 2012

If it had been left up to Timothy, this story wouldn’t have been posted at all.

Robert

November 1st, 2012

Gene in L.A.

Rarely do I defend Timothy Kincaid, but he is refrencing the authour of the Huffington Post Article, unfortunately he can not spell her name correctly. She did indeed write the piece at HP. But what’s with the cryptic mention of the Couple in the Story, Tim? You are always asking ME to back up assertion or innuendo, Please, Hold yourslef to the same standard you ask or demand of others.

I doubt that will happen, I’m sure you don’t want to run the risk of slander or defamation. You obviously already run the risk, insinuations are the Republican playbook word for word…

Timothy Kincaid

November 1st, 2012

Zeke,

You are correct. I would not have posted this; it isn’t a story. It’s two members of a local branch of a club who quit over a decision made by that club’s membership.

When Jimmy LaSalvia and Chris Barron left to go create GOProud, that was news. If Clark Cooper or Frank Ricciazi or Terry Hamilton quit, that would be news.

But the Nortes leaving the club is immaterial. It has no impact on anything at all and reflects nothing at all. That Terkel is trying to make it news is perplexing.

Michael C

November 1st, 2012

At one point in time, Timothy, there was only one Eagle Scout returning his badge.

Robert

November 1st, 2012

And yet again, Timothy bad mouths or makes innuendo about this couple and doesn’t clarify his meaning in any way. Much like Romney, Kincaid seems impervious to answering questions.

What, EXACTLY, Timothy, is there to know about this couple? You disparage them in a later post as if they are somehow nobodies in the organization, or in the Gay Rights movement. Strange, nobodies don’t get national write ups in Advocate magazine, nor do nobodies win Leadership Awards, serve on the Trustee Commitee, AND serve on the board of the local chapter.

Timothy acts as if this is just some low level individuals who just happen to be members. He totally ignores all their awards and positions within the organization. Nice to see that once you break with the LCR, members like Kincaid will deny your position or influence withing the organization. Much like discredited members of FRC and the like. Cross the organization and all proof of your involvement or importanc to the movement is washed away.

When was your last write up in the Advocate Tim?

Priya Lynn

November 1st, 2012

Timothy said “But the Nortes leaving the club is immaterial. It has no impact on anything at all and reflects nothing at all. That Terkel is trying to make it news is perplexing.”.

I know you’d like us to believe that but I for one don’t and I seriously doubt many other readers will believe it either. It just sounds like you dislike them personally or the Huffpost writer, or the message their quitting sends (or all of the above) so you hope to trivialize this story for personal reasons.

Raybob

November 5th, 2012

Who cares?

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