It makes you wonder if there will even be a Republican party left after all the dust settles from this election: a judge in Texas, exasperated over his party’s ludicrous behavior, has switched sides to the Democrats. And the turning point for him was presiding at a gay wedding.
His name is Terry Jennings of the Texas First Court of Appeals, and he’s been mulling the switch for some time. His kids kept needling him about it. And then last year when he presided over his first same-sex wedding, everyone kept telling him that most Republican judges wouldn’t have been so accepting.
“That’s when I started thinking,’Well maybe I’m not in the right party then,’” he told reporters.
Democrats are in short supply on Texas benches — there are only 12 of them in state appellate courts out of 73.
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Here’s how he explained his switch:
My values and principles have not changed since 2000, but those of the Republican party have.
Over the years, I have watched this great nation, in all its diversity, grow richer and stronger. In 2008, I was excited when we elected our first black president. Too many Republicans were not. As the father of two daughters, and the son of a woman born before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, I am equally excited that we are about to elect our first woman president. Too many Republicans are not. I appreciate and embrace that we are a nation of immigrants, of individuals of many different faiths and ethnicities — all one people under our Constitution — all of whom are guaranteed equal protection under the law. Too many Republicans do not.
He concluded that he’ll be voting for Hillary in the election.
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geoker
As they say down under, Good On Ya, Mate!
Low Country Boy
I am proud of him.
dwes09
There is a well known phenomenon on the Supreme Court of right wing judges slowly moving to the left or the center over their years of work on the court. Some don’t, more do. Not surprised to see a circuit court judge do the same, especially as the republican party has ceased to be the party of fiscal caution (they are only against “big government” when they see it as benefitting those the consider as “less than”, but they are all about spending to oppress “sinners” or maintain the status quo) and become the party of xenophobia, “Christianity first”, belief over intellect, and a “return” to an imaginary simpler world where the lesser folks knew their place.
MacAdvisor
@dwes09: Grammar Police: to Correct and Serve.
Commas within the quotation, even if not part of the quote.
Karlis
Good for him, and I hope there are a lot more like him. The Republican Party has gone completely off the rails because of:
A) “Evangelical” Christians
B) The Tea Party
C) The Citizens United Ruling
D) All of above
There is just no excuse for what the party has been doing for the past two and four years since it slithered its way into the majority of both houses of Congress, which is to say nothing. Time to clean house this November!
trusgold
BEING GAY IN TEXAS IS DANGEROUS