Meg Whitman made a fortune helping a company collect small fees on the sale of vintage Cher dolls and Barbra Streisand records. Which, in her eyes, makes her a perfect candidate for California’s governor. She’s running not on social issues, but on economics; her basic platform is “whatever’s good for business is good by me.” Oh, but then she forgot this little thing: Voters care about social issues. A big one in California? THE GHEYS!
Yes, that old same-sex marriage thing, which seems to be on its never-ending comeback tour. Whitman, you see, voted for Prop 8. Her decision, she’ll have you believe, isn’t because she hates gay people or wants to infringe on their rights, but because she is a religious person, believes marriage is a sacred institution that reserves the right to divorce for heteros, and thinks civil unions are good enough to shut your second-class trap up. Her spokesman even said so: “She is absolutely a strong supporter of civil unions and it’s evident by her leadership at eBay. It was tremendously inclusive in that regard.”
Whitman also believes in the sanctity of past “mistakes”: She wants those who married after it was legal but before Prop 8 to be able to stay married, ensuring a clusterfuck of beaucracy whenever you file taxes or apply for health benefits.
But now that she’s forced to keep acknowledging all this gay stuff, she’s telling potential voters, “So first of all, what you should know is I’m not running for governor based on social issues — I’m running for governor to fix and really transform the California economy.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Well that sounds nice. Also: “I want you to know I am all about equal rights and I want to make sure that gay and lesbian people are treated equally under the eyes of the law.”
Wow. So you’re a champion for our community? Not quite: “The reason that I voted ‘yes’ on Prop. 8 was that civil unions provide virtually all the rights and remedies to gay and lesbian couples that marriage does and my personal point of view is that the definition of ‘marriage’ is a religious term that should be between and man and a woman.”
As Chris Kelly translates, “Marriage is strictly a religious idea, and that’s why I voted to have it written into state law.”
This back and forth isn’t terribly interesting on its face; politicians have a history of hemming and hawing. But realize: Whitman is running on the Republican ticket, and she needs the win the primary with a conservative base. Thus, the anti-gay marriage stuff. But as a whole, the GOP seems to be (and would be wise to actually start) abandoning its vehement anti-gay stance, because beyond “the base,” same-sex marriage is becoming less and less of a concern. Thus, Whitman’s “but, but, but I like the gays” have-it-both-ways follow-up.
It would be so much easier if we just had a site on the world wide web that could tell us, by allowing any person to name a price, how much value to place on any of her positions.
Dabq
Anything for business and even when the same business in many parts of this country can fire someone for being gay and nothing else? And, hate can hide behind ‘religion?’ Sorry toots, business is not the end all of end alls, decency and respect for all the citizens of the state should be out in the election as well since ‘social issues’ are just important, even when you lied that you were for equality, when you know you are not.
paulied
Does Ms. Whitman not see the inherent contradiction between saying: “I want you to know I am all about equal rights and I want to make sure that gay and lesbian people are treated equally under the eyes of the law.” and: “civil unions provide VIRTUALLY all the rights and remedies to gay and lesbian couples that marriage does…”? If not, do we really want someone that stupid running California?
Oaklander
Stupid comment, because I am in a stupid mood:
I have met Gavin. He is freakin even sexier than his photos. I would vote for him for ANYTHING over ANYONE.
EE Keller
Well, let’s just reduce her civil rights to “VIRTUALLY ALL.” What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Oh crap, did I just slight geese?
rick
the religious right has turned marraige into permission to have sex granted by a religious entity. pass it on.
James2
Meg, you do know that “virtual” means “in essence though not in actual fact,” correct? Sheesh…
Justin
The statement that whatever’s good for business is a crock. The legalization of gay marriage would have been a cash cow for the state at a time when every little bit helps. Schwarzenegger explained it as such when he announced his oppostion to Prop 8: it’s good for California even if you look at it from solely an economic standpoint and not a civil rights issue.
Now all that money that gay couples in the west would have spent tying the knot in San Francisco and Los Angeles will now be spent in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
D-Sun
David Duke didn’t hate black people, he just really, really wanted to promote the white race.
stevenelliot
another bitch (aka carrie prejean) that shits all over the moe’s that made her what she is. Homos and right wing christians are most of the sellers on eBay. So one group gets a nod. What about us???
DaveO
“Virtually all” means all rights which the State of California is capable of granting, which is true. Those rights which are granted by the federal government would be denied to same-sex couples, whether married in California or not.
Flex
It will be a delight to watch her ship sink. She can take the transparent bitch, Carrie Prejean with her!
Jet
She’s a twat. She took a 1.78 million dollar bribe from Goldman Sachs:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/meg-whitman-week—wednes_b_202767.html?www.goldmansachs666.com
Hopefully she goes down in flames right quick.
ggreen
You would think, being a billionaire, she could afford better dentures.
DeAnimator
I’m not anti-black, I’m just PRO-WHITE. That’s why I ride around with a hood over my head, lynchin’ blacks and other racially impure folks. Obviously.
Joanaroo
Oy vey! Isn’t it sad how people like Prejean, O’Reilly, and this broad make the US look very stupid and backward to the people in progressive countries?
MTB
Seperate is never equal! Is her idea of fixing the economy ordering seperate water fountains one for straights one for the homosexuals. Can we still eat at the resturant, just as long as we sit in the back, but she’ll make sure they don’t put signs in the windows “Straights Only.” We can take the bus as long as we sit in the seats reserved for Homosexuals? Give me a break. Does her deeply religous beliefs mean that CA will shut down on the sabbath? Will we bring Stoning any female not a virgin on her wedding day as a community bonding event.
Seperation of church and state, not seperation of civil rights for gay men and women. Will divorce become outlawed? Will fathers be able to sell their daughters based on the bible’s teachings? How far does this religous conviction go, or is this a Cafeteria Christain who picks and chooses which bible verse fits her at the moment.
Captain Freedom
Clearly Uncle Meg does not know anything about business…
An overwhelming super-majority of Fortune 500 companies now offer domestic partnership benefits to gays as well as strict lesbian/gay/bisexual anti-discrimination laws. They’re not all quite on board yet w transgendered rights but they’re working on it.
In the business/corporate world people saw what happened to those who supported Prop 8 and many in the business world will stay as far away as possible from social issues because of the dangers associated with supporting bigotry.
Indeed, many companies are now going over each other to reach out to gays across the country and in gayborhoods. Making promotions and campaigns meant to trigger gays into buying their products/services.
The business world is surprisingly more pro-gay than people want to admit. Meg Whitman is just another crony for the Evangelical Establishment who tries to socially engineer America in the worst ways possible. She does not represent the majority will of the business community.
While we are at it… 55% of union households voted YES on 8, therefore proving my point that unions are full of shit and that I have zero sympathy for their constant whining and bitching!
Brandon
Our state is broke. The budget ballot measures are going to be defeated. I care about gay issues as much as anyone, but not at the expense of having more failed leadership. Gavin would be a better choice if we didn’t have to make the excrutiating decisions we’re going to have to be making very soon.
Sean
I’ve been doing a lot of research on Meg. I came across this blog, as well. I’m gay, and I have absolutely no problem that she’s against gay marriage. I get angry when people (like Palin) are completely anti-civil unions. If Christians want to have marriage defined a certain way and have them only conducted in churches who cares? Seriously. It’s just a term.
However, I do believe that rights like joint-home ownership, hospital visitation and so forth should be given to civil unions. I don’t see Meg as being a bitch. I won’t fling hate at her like everyone else seems to be doing. She really isn’t preaching anything about social issues in her campaign. The only reason she’s been talking about it at all is because people keep asking her about it.
Our economy is in serious trouble right now. It’s terrible. People are running around getting all worked up on social issues when unemployment is high and debt is on the rise. She’s a businesswoman. All she cares about is getting the economy back on track. I LOVE that. That’s exactly what we need!
She has my vote.
ezequiel
marriage can be between gays or lesbians but i dont like the idea of giving them the right to adopt children because we will begin a new era of gay and lesbians and everyone knows that a lot of gays have vih by having anal sex this is not good for future health so if they want to have sex between men and men or lesbians its ok but it is not a good example for our children