Dear Editor,
“How low can you go, how low can you go?” You have probably heard that song being sung while playing Limbo at one of those awkward work parties or maybe that wedding from hell; typically used as an icebreaker. Unfortunately for the LGBT community and the nation at large it seems to be a motto for some Republican presidential candidates.
From reports of Herman Cain’s extramarital dalliances to the booing of a gay soldier deployed in the service of his country, the whole process of selecting a Republican nominee has ranged from shameful to bizarre. Even Republicans and political wonks like me find ourselves cringing as this train wreck to 2012 plays out in slow motion.
The latest low was reached by Rick Perry as his campaign, reaching out in desperation to corner that anti-gay, Bible-thumping vote, released an ad titled “Strong” which affirmed his faith and cited the open service of LGBT servicemembers as an example of the liberal assault on religion.
For me, it is all like the game Limbo where the candidates who sink lower think they can get a better shot at the presidency. That is the only way to explain how the current frontrunner is a man with three divorces, two extramarital affairs and is the only speaker of the House of Representatives to be disciplined for ethics violations. If you haven’t seen Ron Paul’s ad on Newt Gingrich titled “Serial Hypocrisy” you should.
Surely only this explanation can make sense of the fact that people with rational conservative views like Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah, and people with consistent views, albeit libertarian, like Ron Paul are lagging behind such flawed and inconsistent candidates. I mean Newt Gingrich has flipped flopped on everything from climate change to health care for money while Mitt Romney has done the same for political gain.
Republicans, can we please choose a candidate that is sane, and fit to carry the banner of the Grand Ole Party? You know that same party that emancipated the slaves, and united our Union (Lincoln). The same party that championed women’s suffrage (Susan B. Anthony). The party that led the integration of the military and the schools (Eisenhower). The history of our party has been on the right side of civil rights, except for LGBT and Latino Americans. We need to correct that, and to do that we need to stop playing Limbo, and start listening to the people. If your campaign is so desperate that the only way to win is to turn your attack to LGBT Americans who serve their country honorably, or to discrimination against Latino Americans, it’s time for you to go.
Respectfully submitted,
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy
Republican and veteran
Former Corporal in the United States Marine Corps
