What do you get when you combine right-wing talk radio and the Tea Party? Veiled death threats! A Tea Party web radio show has been oh-so-clever to come up with a recurring feature called the “Tombstone award,” presented to “an action, deed or words that deserves to be put six feet under the ground.” Well, that’s constructive criticism…
GOP New York state senators Jim Alesi, Roy McDonald, Steve Saland and Mark Grisanti better watch their backs. They are the lucky winners of the Tombstone award for “betraying how they campaigned to their constituents” and voting to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.
NOM picked up the award on its blog, and although the write-up clearly states the award is presented to specific actions not the individuals, if you listen to the radio show, the host makes no distinction and alludes directly to the senators in presenting the death-wish awards.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
gregger
Considering that 58% of New Yorkers polled were in favor of marriage equality, NOM and the TEATURDS need to STFU and get a clue.
Abirdwillingtobeitself
It sure is dangerous to be a tolerant Republican!
Abel
Not surprising. They’ve been wanting OUR deaths for quite some time. They don’t just want to prevent our having equal rights. They really want to destroy us.
Rowan
Wow.
So what’s next? Putting targets over pictures of peoples’ faces?
Oh wait.
Cam
The last time this vote came up, it was defeated by more than ten votes. This time it passed even though the GOP was in power. Those few NY Gop Senators who crossed over aren’t stupid. They know which way the wind was blowing and were smart enough to follow it.
jason
The Pee Party. Nuff said.
oldgayvermonter
I hope these four Republicans will not be forgotten or marginalized now that they have risked their legislative futures to help us out – despite having few gay supporters, minimal gay contributions, and lots of noise/threats from the conservative “party line”. I will be sending them a thank-you note, and will promise a contribution if (more likely when) they face a primary from the NOMbies. The same may apply to the Dems that switched to our side since the last vote. And please…let’s tone down the rhetoric, not to mention trying out that spell/grammar checker. I hope happy couples about to be married will not be tempted to spend one cent in districts that are home to our most hateful opponents – and that they let the powers-that-be know this!! (Chambers of Commerce, Tourist Bureaus and the like).
JAW
I think that it is time for LGBT people, especially, in Red states and districts to register as Republicans and VOTE for people that support us.
We can make a difference in primaries and perhaps, get the far right out of office. Many states have closed primaries, where you have to be a member of the party to vote. I think that we should have a voice. In heavily red states, the candidate chosen in the primary will be the winner in Nov.
Owen
@JAW: We don’t have to register Republican (ew) to support our RYT friends (Republican Yet Tolerant).
B
No. 9 · Owen wrote, “@JAW: We don’t have to register Republican (ew) to support our RYT friends (Republican Yet Tolerant).”
I think what JAW is suggesting is the “eliminate the lemon” model for voting in primaries. I’ve occasionally (in the past) registered as a Republican specifically to vote in a primary against someone I thought would be a real disaster and when both of the Democratic candidates were reasonable choices. It’s simply risk mitigation. If the Republican disaster wins the primary and the Democrat stumbles just before the election, you get a disaster instead of a guy you might not agree with on some issues but who is hopefully going to do a decent job. Also, if the disaster wins the election regardless, at least you got to vote against him/her twice. Subsequently a change in California election laws made this tactic unnecessary, but not all states have open primaries.
Note: it is possible for the Democrats to have a disaster candidate too, but currently nearly all the disasters seem to be Republicans. The closest the Democrats have been coming is to run a Wiener whose photo ops show his wiener, which has nothing to do with how the guy actually handles his job.
JAW
@Owen: In many states we do have to register as a Republican, in order to vote as a republican in primaries. We have many Republicans that help us… including the republicans in New York that helped to make marriage a reality.
NOM plans on spending $2,000,000 to unseat those Senators that voted in favor of Marriage. They will put up republicans to run in PRIMARIES against those that helped us. I think that we need to show our Thanks, by money and votes. In New York you must be registered as a republican in order to vote for republicans in the primaries. If you live in any of their districts I think that would be a great way of helping those that helped us.
As B stated in his response another reason to register as republican is as he said so well… “eliminate the lemon”. In Iowa the caucuses are closed… You must be registered as a republican to join a republican caucus. We already know who the Democratic candidate is, so why not help NOT support people like Michele… and find someone not as anti gay. Perhaps that person would be Romney or someone else.
I am not suggesting that you have to vote for Republicans that have not helped us in the General Elections… BUT, many of our friends will need help in the primaries.
Jim
@JAW: I think that’s definitely the way to go. It’s not like you have to pay dues or anything. Whichever party you wish to affect the primary process, register with them.
GayGOP
I urge people who are supporters of Marriage Equality to consider becoming Republican. Not all of us are Teabagging Religious-Right Wingnuts. Many of us, from the likes of the Goldwaters, to Laura Bush, Alan Simpson to the New York Four, are reasonable sorts. It just is usually the crazies that get the media attention, because the conservative media is run by wingnuts, and the mainstream media simply likes controversy.
Patsy Stoned
GayGOP I think the numbers speak pretty well for themselves, so no thank you to the extremist, anti-gay Republican party as it stands now.
That said, the four fair-minded Republicans should have our support in NY and we should do all we can to avoid NOMs wrath on them (we know what they did to the judges in Iowa). And save our hatred for the MANY anti-gay NY Repugs and the lone asshole on the Dems side (the vile, anti-gay lunatic Diaz).
tjr101
I am willing to register as a Republican just to get rid of an extremist in a primary, or rather get rid of someone who seems like a viable threat to the Democrat. I would consider registering Republican to vote for the gay-friendly senators in the primary but I won’t guarantee voting for them in the general, they are still Republicans!
Queer Supremacist
@JAW: and find someone not as anti gay. Perhaps that person would be Romney or someone else.
Or you could vote for the candidate who was not only objectively pro-gay but actually gay *cough*Karger*cough*. Gay votes for gay candidates!
JAW
@tjr101: Understood. If you live in a red state, odds are the republican will win anyway. By voting in the primary you are having a say in who might win in the fall.
there are many republicans that are worth voting for in local, state as well as national elections. Olivia Snow, Senator in Maine, has done a great job, not just with gay issues, but social issues too.
There are plenty of Democrats out there that I would Never vote for.