Ken Buck promotes social issues, and it may cost him the election

On Meet the Press Sunday, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck, showed those of  his supporters who are homophobic, against gay marriage and against abortion for women who've been raped that he's the real deal. He's against full civil rights for gays and lesbians, and he thinks rape and incest victims should be forced to raise their rape babies and live with them for the rest of their lives. He let Obama Democrat Michael Bennet make him look like an extremist who insentive to rape victims.

He said on Meet the Press that homosexuality is a chosen life style and that it is like being an alcoholic. After the show, he said he didn't mean to say homosexuality is a disease, but most people believe that he thinks it is.

This horrified those of us who think government should have no say about gay marriage, whether women can have abortions or about our death bed decisions for ourselves and our loved ones. I didn't want to blog on this, because I want people to focus on reducing the powers of President Obama and Obama Democrats.

But Buck has made his views on the social issues the political story of the week, if not of the campaign. Like all Republicans this year, Buck wants voters to focus on the country's economic problems, but like most Republican candidates, he went so radical on the social issues in his primary election that he's can't escape his radically anti-gay, anti-woman reputation.

As a result, he may be blowing what should have been an easy win in this anti-Obama year.

Why didn't Buck answer David Gregory's entirely appropriate questions about homosexuality and date-rape victims this way?

1. "The science is  clear that homosexuality is inherited by gays and lesbians.

"We all decide at some point in our lives whether we will live with a partner or spouse. We all decide whether we will make an issue of our sexual orientation, or not, and, if so, how much of an issue we will make of being straight or gay.

"So, no, I don't believe people get to decide whether they are gay or straight. And, yes, I believe that people do decide whether they will have partners or spouses. You can do that in America and in most free countries. "

However, like President Obama and most Democrats and Republicans I don't  support gay marriages."

That's what he could have said, and most people would have accepted that statement, even those of us who support gay marriage as a civil right.

2. When questioned about his refusal to prosecute a date rape case that involved an intoxicated woman who invited her former lover to her apartment and seemed to be seeking revenge against the rapist and Buck, Buck should have said:

"First and most important, I did not mean to even suggest that I blame the victim for being assaulted and raped. Victims never are to blame in any assault or rape cases. Period.

"Second, as has been reported this week, my office sent one rapist to prison for 24 years. In my seven years as Weld County's District Attorney, we have handled X number of rape cases. We've prosecuted YY% of those cases, and we've sent XX rapists to prison.

"I'm proud of how we've helped rape victims and how we have prosecuted rapists."

That Buck wasn't prepared to discuss these issues on Meet the Press is simply unbelievable. Where where his campaign manager and staff? Why was he in such denial?

Chuck Plunkett, a moderately conservative editorial writer at the Denver Post calls Buck "stupid" for his comments on homosexuality. He also could have wondered why Buck doesn't get why "buyers remorse" so offends women who feel Buck was blaming the victim of a controversial date rape case.

Someday, all Republicans will realize that the GOP is as diverse as America. Millions of Republicans are gay, have gay kids or grand kids and other relatives as well as gay friends and colleagues.

Former Dick Cheney and his wife and Laura Bush support gay marriage.

There is no consensus on gay marriage or abortion within the GOP or the country. 

LINKS:

Buck's gay gaffe and what Republicans should learn from it, by Chuck Plunkett.

Ken Buck said what? By Ross Kaminsky.

1. I think Gregory’s question about whether one is born gay was stupid, and can easily be irrelevant to one’s views on gay rights.  For example one is not born with religious views, yet we respect freedom of religion.

   But many commenters are acting as if Ken went out of his way to discuss the subject.  The question was real direct, so what do you suggest Buck have done to get back on the economic issues? 

   It frosts me that Bennet really made the biggest gaffe of the entire debate trying and failting spectacularly to defend his rubber stamping of Zero while sounding independent.  “When I agree with Zero I agree.  When I disagree, I disagree?”  Yet he gets a virtually free pass and the issue of whether a potential senator thinks one is born gay or not, or a mix, is something I doubt most conservative gays would care about.  On the other hand, had Buck watched even one episode of Project Runway, he’d see the nature argument is pretty strong.

   Posted by Laura Victoria  on  10/18/2010  at  04:10 PM

2. The question arose because Obama’s close friend and adviser, Valerie Jarrett, said being gay was a life style choice. She had to apologize for saying that. Then the don’t ask, don’t tell court decision came down, further prompting the question.

   On balance, I thought MTP and Gregory worked real hard to promote Obama and the Democrats. So did ABC’s This Week.

   Posted by Donald E. L. Johnson  on  10/18/2010  at  06:59 PM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.

<< Back to main