Fortunately for Meghan McCain, not all university student groups are scared of her pro-marriage stance. Which was why she held court in front of 400 students at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Wednesday, where the little matter of how her father is a proud bigot came up.
Despite very public support (lip service?) of gay rights from both Meghan and her mother Cindy — which has critics calling them “haters” — John isn’t budging. His latest gaff? Calling Don’t Ask Don’t Tell a “successful policy” that must remain.
Which puts Meghan in a semi-awkward position: Loving her father, while handily disagreeing with his politics. Or morals. Or, the word Queerty prefers: bigotry. But, she told the university crowd, he might see the light one day soon. ABC News relays:
As for her father, who supports efforts to ban gay marriage in California, McCain said she is having conversations with him and taking things step-by-step.
“I think that he is coming along. He’s 73 years old. It’s difficult,” she said, “I keep telling people ‘You continue putting pressure on President Obama and I’ll continue putting pressure on my father.’”
Heh, that’s cute.
But Meghan isn’t anywhere near an objective operator in this conversation; Sen. McCain is her father, who she loves, as she should. But she is actually the best ally we’ve got in convincing a conservative Republican senator that his beliefs aren’t just wrong, that they aren’t just discriminatory, that they aren’t just hurting American families, but that he has the responsibility as an elected official to do something about it.
It’s a big task. Have you ever tried convincing your (older) parents they were wrong about something? Now multiply that argument by about 10,000, to factor in the pressure John faces from constituents and fellow Republican officials. Reconciling his morals is one thing; getting him to be a maverick and standing up for them is another.
Cam
he has no real opinions. He listened to the State of the Union and chose to focus on DADT because his poll numbers in AZ are tanking. He has a primary challange from somebody on the right wing, and because of this he has decided to come out and attack “The Gays”. His Chief of Staff Mark Buse is openly gay and yet he is still coming out and doing this. That shows this isn’t an opinion but the desperate attempt of a jaded politician to play politics of the most cynical variety.
DesperateInOhio
Does he escort?
PADude
@DesperateInOhio: I just threw up in my mouth a little. Thanks. 🙂
christopher di spirito
Meghan is a good kid. She’s cool. As for her ancient, bigoted, homophobe daddy, who cares?
terrwill
Meghan is 100% correct. The oldsters are too damm set in their ways. In every poll the acceptance of all things Gay increases dramaticaly as the age of the respondents decreases. We basicaly have to wait till the old flocks fuck off and die (literaly)………………..
trickstertara
The idea that it’s John McCain’s age that might be preventing him from having an open mind towards LGBT people is crap. Sorry Meghan. My 83-year-old grandfather has been one of my strongest allies all my life. He laughs like hell when he gets anti-gay, anti-Islam propaganda from Sean Hannity and Edwin Meese in the mail and it goes right into the shredder.
Meanwhile, my 43-year-old uncle threatened to beat the shit out of me if I ever came by his house and I had a 21-year-old explain to me why she voted for the gay adoption ban in Arkansas. Bigotry is ageless.
Brian NJ
If McCain doesn’t understand that yanking a veteran out of his job and away from helping his fellow soldiers, and throwing them out on the street is the wrong thing to do, then his daughter can talk to him all she wants. You can’t cure bigotry.
Being locked in a bamboo cage in Vietnam for those years taught that jaw-clenched fuck nothing about freedom, or equality, or honoring veterans. I would like a few hours with him, and I would show him all of the possible deaths caused by yanking those trained soldiers away from the battlefield.
sal(the original)
well wish her well
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
What’s with the annoying staight couple gushing about St. Lucia on EVERY PAGE? Make them go away…
Or can we at-least turn them off once they appear the first-time?
Robert, NYC
Its not all a republican thing either, there are plenty of conservadems who are just as bad as McCain. Look at my own state. 8 conservadems voted away my right to marry, my own party. I’m glad to have Meghan McCain on board and her mother who has always supported marriage equality. Same as John Edwards wife for the other side. Its Meghan’s generation that will win us our rights, not politicians. She’s done more by showing support for us than the Log Cabiners combined who often oppose us by voting republican in the first place.
dan j
AZ senator and conservative Republican Barry Goldwater was able to change his mind and support equality before he died. Way back in ’93 he said: “After more than 50 years in the military and politics, I am still amazed to see how upset people can get over nothing.” “Everyone knows that gays have served honorably in the military since at least the time of Julius Caesar. They’ll still be serving long after we’re all dead and buried. That should not surprise anyone.”
Come on John. Put aside the prejudice you learned as a child. Goldwater did. You can too.
Luis
Meghan McCain for Prez 2032 🙂
1EqualityUSA
It’s fiscally prudent to discriminate against an entire segment of the population.