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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJune 11th, 2014
The election of Dave Brat as Virginia’s 7th District GOP candidate, a move that expels House Majority Leader from the House of Representatives, has shocked the political world.
Tea Party advocates are seeing this as an indication that the Tea Party Movement is live, well, powerful, and underestimated. And many in our community see anything Tea Party to be a threat to our community.
They may be correct. But that also may be too simplistic of an assumption.
The Tea Party movement incorporates a great many people who see Washington politicians as out of touch and beholding to moneyed special interests. Certainly some of those include those who see an increasingly anti-religious fervor in government to be a threat and for many of them gay issues are a weathervane.
But the movement also includes those who see ever increasing federal involvement in their lives as a violation of the GOP purported belief that the state that governs least governs best. And many others see the constant ‘kick the can down the road’ approach to fiscal policy to be a sell out of the nation’s children.
And it also includes the somewhat disenfranchised libertarian wing of the party. These are the folks who mock both the Right and the Left for their incessant claims of freedom and liberty while simultaneously seeking to remove the rights of those they perceive as enemies.
It may be that Dave Brat fits in the latter category. The Wall Street Journal has reviewed some of his writings including this
Can Christians force others to follow their ethical teachings on social issues? Note that consistency is lacking on all sides of this issue. The political Right likes to champion individual rights and individual liberty, but it has also worked to enforce morality in relation to abortion, gambling, and homosexuality. The Left likes to think of itself as the bulwark of progressive liberal individualism, and yet it seeks to progressively coerce others to fund every social program under the sun via majority rule. Houston, we have a problem. Coercion is on the rise. What is the root word for liberalism? (Answer: Liberty)
On the other hand, Brat is a fervent Christian, holds Divinity degree (along with an economics degree), and clearly sees a role for faith in governance. That seldom promises hope for pro-gay positions on legislation.
It will be interesting to see how his views play out in the coming campaign and (as this is a safe Republican district) in his votes. I simply don’t know enough about this out-of-nowhere politician and think it far too soon to predict.
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Josh
June 11th, 2014
(It’s “Brat”, not “Bart”.)
Sir Andrew
June 11th, 2014
I haven’t stopped giggling since the election results became clear.
Lord_Byron
June 11th, 2014
“They may be correct. But that also may be too simplistic of an assumption.”
Not really, Timothy.
My evidence: http://www.pewforum.org/2011/02/23/tea-party-and-religion/
Bart not only sees a role for religion in governance he basically sees it as a requirement.
According his website he believes, “That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.”
Oh and there is also this
Dave will protect the rights of the unborn and the sanctity of marriage, and will oppose any governmental intrusion upon the conscience of people of faith.
The evidence shows that the tea party is just the GOP under a different name and in fact is more socially conservative than the gop.
Lord_Byron
June 11th, 2014
The part after the bold should be in quotes as it comes from his campaign website. On top of that, and I know I am not one of his voters, I don’t like that his campaign manager is trying to scrub from their facebook pages anything that could be construed as negative.
Gus
June 12th, 2014
Prosperity Gospel Libertarian
Stephen
June 12th, 2014
I think we have many Virginia Democrats to thank for this. And I say, thank you Virginia Democrats.
Timothy Kincaid
June 12th, 2014
Thanks Josh. Changed.
Nathaniel
June 12th, 2014
Stephen, only 12% of eligible voters voted in the primary, so I think the only people you have to thank are party extremists.
I find it odd that one of the biggest sponsors of this “anti-moneyed interests” group are big, moneyed interests – although most of those funds went to Cantor, since this, interestingly enough, seems to be a within-the-TEAP fight, not just a within-the-GOP fight. While I appreciate the nuanced view Timothy presents, I am afraid the TEAP very quickly made itself part of the establishment it purports to oppose. If only they had aimed to be their own party, rather than a wing of the GOP, then they might have actually shaken up the troubled politics of this nation.
CPT_Doom
June 12th, 2014
Brat is an economics professor who could not state an opinion on the minimum wage in his first post-victory press interview. His staff tried to set up a press conference and had to cancel the effort 30 minutes before it was to begin, and then said they’d be developing a media strategy soon. Whatever else he is, Brat is an inexperienced fool who, if he makes it to Congress, is unlikely to change the reputation of the House as dysfunctional.
Ryan
June 12th, 2014
The Tea Party is the GOP on steroids, even more devout, even more influenced by religious fervor. Brat is an extreme social conservative, by all accounts.
What’s amusing is that Virginia is a purple state, now. There’s no way a GOP candidate running for President in 2016 can go right enough to win the primary and then expect to win the state.
Paul
June 12th, 2014
A radio show about the Brat victory had clips expressing how devoted he was to the “Judeo-Christian” values and beliefs. I noted he didn’t say just “Christian.” Today I read about a politician in Kansas use the same words. Any idea what message Christian conservatives are trying to send with that words switch? Is it an attempt to claim their base is broader than it really is (shades of Million Moms)or that their values are older, therefore better, than anyone else’s?
Lucrece
June 13th, 2014
Or
C) It’s Virginia
Virginia’s Republicans are majority Tea Party in mindset.
Rob
June 13th, 2014
Paul, that phrasing isn’t exactly new. Conservatives have been using it for years. It’s a way to show they are inclusive of Jews, while still highlighting their conservative Christian beliefs.
enough already
June 13th, 2014
If my party were to capitalize on this (pun intended) and invest the time and money to do it, we could clean up the floor with this Prof. Bart.
But we won’t. Nobody is as good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the last minute as we Democrats are. Especially in mid-terms.
I’ve no comment on Tea-party vs. Republicans because they’re really all the same…their goals are all identical: Oppression of queers.
Nathaniel
June 13th, 2014
Paul, I have to second Rob’s comment. I would also add that there is probably a hint of fatalism in there as well. Most kinds of conservative Christians are hoping for the return of Jesus and the end of the world. They link this eminent event to the success of Israel, and consider the Jewish religion a (lesser) brother. You will find that politicians of this ilk blindly support the nation of Israel, and only blame Palestinians for any troubles in the region.
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