Rob Portman
A Republican senator from Ohio, Portman has a perfect track record on gay issues—perfectly odious, that is. He’s voted against marriage equality, gay adoption and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. His anti-gay positions led to graduates walking out when he gave the commencement address at the University of Michigan Law School in 2011. Portman may help Romney in a key swing state, but the Senator has some significant negatives as well. He served as George W. Bush’s budget director—and we all know how well that worked out. One sign that Portman has the skill set needed for the job: When asked in a recent interview if Republicans were anti-gay, he was able to respond with a straight face, “I don’t think Mitt Romney is anti-anything.” Photo viaMarco Rubio
The freshman senator from Florida would certainly attract attention as the first Latino VP candidate—and give Romney a boost in another key swing state. And when it comes to gay issues, Rubio knows how to pander as well as the best of them: He recently accused President Obama of using his support of marriage equality as a way to push Republicans into the trap of “trying to prove we’re not haters.” Why would anyone suppose Rubio is a “hater”? It couldn’t possibly have to do with his opposition to marriage equality, federal nondiscrimination laws and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, could it?
Like Portman, Rubio carries some extra baggage: His son-of-Cuban-exiles story took a hit when it turned out his parents left Cuba before Castro assumed power. He’s had significant personal financial problems that include foreclosure. Plus, at age 40, he may lack the gravitas that voters expect from someone a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Photo credit: Gage SkidmoreChris Christie
The governor of New Jersey and the butt of more fat jokes than Kirstie Alley, Christie has the love of the Tea Party base because he likes to yell at his constituents when he disagrees with them. As a Republican in the increasingly Democratic Northeast, Christie also appeals to pundits who argue he has a relatively moderate record that resonates with independent voters.
Of course, moderate is a relative term: Christie vetoed a marriage-equality bill on the grounds that the public should vote on minority groups’ civil rights. Christie says that he just vetoed gay marriage, not gay rights. We’re relieved to know there’s a distinction. Photo credit: David ShankboneThirsty for more?
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GordonSoleil
Seriously, guys?
This is just a repost of this June post. If you’re going to do a retrospective on the old VP shortlist, why not bother to update it with what they’ve been doing recently?
dvlaries
Agreed. If weekends mean reruns, let’s see the Alessandro Calza or Dallas Walker sets.
JDJase
Next weekend’s post: “A look back at all the interesting, relevant things Queerty COULD have written about, but didn’t”
jeff4justice
Queerty ignores info on alternative party options (the real progressives) and rehashes more ways to keep LGBTs fearful. Lame.
BTW, I think it’s kinds funny, kinda sad how Prop 8 lawyer Ted Olson is once again throwing LGBTs under a bus by helping the GOP win in November.
I’m remembering how Democrats helped GWB vote in Alito and Roberts when Bush was Prez.
Gay Ince mega groups and the media have ignored alternative party options who have been 100% supportive of equality (Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, and Gary Johnson) and now we’re getting a dose of how that feels with Olson.
Karma : )
the other Greg
@jeff4justice: I have to agree with you (sort of reluctantly!) that Gary Johnson deserves more media attention. He’s the former governor of a state.
Dr. Jill Stein was once an elected town council member of a la-te-da upper-middle-class suburb of Boston.
Who’s Rocky Anderson?