Pat Brady, the chair of the Illinois Republican party, has had nothing but grief from the party since he came out in favor of marriage equality, but not any more. He has resigned.
Brady cited his wife’s cancer as his reason for stepping aside. “It’s time to focus on my wife and our kids,” he said. He said that the internal battles had nothing to do with his decision to resign, proving his loyalty to the party to the bitter end.
In fact, Brady’s days have been numbered ever since he said he supported marriage equality. In what looks in retrospect to have been a face-saving move, Brady fought hard last month to hold onto his job in the face of a recall effort by dissatisfied party conservatives. He succeeded, but the party regulars set up a succession planning committee and began casting around for someone more reliably homophobic.
So instead of being fired, Brady got to say, “I quit.” The effect is the same. Anyone Republican who thinks getting ahead of the conservative base is a good idea can look to his example as career guidance.
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Kieran
How is the GOP ever going to win a national election again with their reputation as the party of War and homophobia? Didn’t they learn anything in 2008 and 2012?
Cam
So if you even show support for a non-bigoted position the torches come out and you are driven out.
Caleb in SC
@Kieran: no, they did not. The GOP doesn’t realize that there is NOT enough gas in their time machine to turn the country back to the 1950s. They keep playing from the same dog-eared playbook and it is biting them in the ass nationally. I say, “Keep going, GOP!” Keep handing us the national elections!
dugout
Is it me, or does he look like Morrisseys’ long lost, slighly stupid American brother?
Dakotahgeo
And the GOP/TPods continue to become irrelevant to their own party and do a Cheney “load, lock, and fire” on their political feet! Okay… thank you, the “No tent” GOP!