First major party gay candidate for president

[Bijou Drains]

I guess he won't get very far, he is Republican

http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-kar...-washington-dc

[Simplicio]

Optimism, thy name is Fred Karger

[Kolak of Twilo]

Seems like a nice enough fellow. I wouldn't mind seeing him do well enough to be included in some of the debates and canidiate forums that are likely to be held during primary season. That could be very interesting.

[Chronos]

I have a hard time believing that he's the first gay guy to ever file to run with a major party. Surely there have been gay activists who've run pie-in-the-sky campaigns before this?

[Bijou Drains]

Originally Posted by Chronos

I have a hard time believing that he's the first gay guy to ever file to run with a major party. Surely there have been gay activists who've run pie-in-the-sky campaigns before this?

Maybe, but I can't recall one. New Hampshire primary normally gets a ton of guys/gals on the ballot so it's possible in the past a gay person ran in NH.

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by Kolak of Twilo

Seems like a nice enough fellow. I wouldn't mind seeing him do well enough to be included in some of the debates and canidiate forums that are likely to be held during primary season. That could be very interesting.

Whats the bar to being let into the primary debates? Given the past participants, it can't be that high.

[Little Nemo]

Is it 2084 already?

[Jonathan Chance]

There is certainly an argument out there that not only have we had a gay major candidate but a gay President.

It's been a point for decades that fifteenth President James Buchanan was gay and that many members of official Washington knew it. It was certainly the opinion of one of my graduate professors (My degree is in history. This would have been about 1988 or so) that he was quietly gay during his time as an elected official.

Our Queer President

James Buchanan: A Lesson in Name Calling

[waterj2]

Originally Posted by Simplicio

Whats the bar to being let into the primary debates? Given the past participants, it can't be that high.

First, find a party who's debates aren't hosted by homophobic bigots.

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by waterj2

First, find a party who's debates aren't hosted by homophobic bigots.

Well, going by that article, I guess the bar to getting in the primary debates is just to get the group thats hosting them invite you. Which may be kinda dicey for a gay GOP candidate.

Optimism!!

[waterj2]

Originally Posted by Simplicio

Well, going by that article, I guess the bar to getting in the primary debates is just to get the group thats hosting them invite you. Which may be kinda dicey for a gay GOP candidate.

Optimism!!

Well, at the same time, the people hosting the debate have to get candidates to show up. Can you imagine getting all the major Democratic candidates to show up to a debate that blatantly discriminated against gays? Also, I think the RNC's top guy for the debates is a lawyer that represents anti-SSM groups that are trying to keep the names of their donors and petition signers secret. And Fred Karger is one of the main people on the other side of that legislation. I can't find the story at the moment though.

[Quartz]

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

I guess he won't get very far, he is Republican

http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-kar...-washington-dc

Being gay didn't stop Condi Rice from being right up there, did it?

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by Quartz

Being gay didn't stop Condi Rice from being right up there, did it?

She didn't run for President (or anything else).

But in anycase ,there's a pretty big difference between running for office while being rumored to be gay like Buchanan and running while being openly gay like Fred Karger.

I imagine if Lindsey Graham or Charlie Crist wanted to go to the Iowa debates, they wouldn't have a problem getting in, despite long running rumors about their sexuality.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Condi Rice is openly gay?

[Captain Amazing]

No, she's not. People have spread about the rumor that she is.

[Boyo Jim]

Originally Posted by waterj2

First, find a party who's debates aren't hosted by homophobic bigots.

From the linked article:

...I will work overtime to help ensure that your political aspirations are aborted right here in Iowa...

Hypocrite! He's officially anti-abortion.

[Bijou Drains]

There are gay members of Congress but never an openly gay senator (that I recall.) Of course NJ had a gay governor for a few years but he was in the closet until he quit.

[appleciders]

Wow. Good for him. I'm curious where he stands on other traditional social-conservative issues.

[levdrakon]

I wouldn't mind if he didn't use the word "queer."

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

Condi Rice is openly gay?

Baby steps. Conservatives are still getting used to her being openly black.

[BigT]

Originally Posted by levdrakon

I wouldn't mind if he didn't use the word "queer."

I thought that was one of those words where the minority took them back.

[Khaki Campbell]

Originally Posted by waterj2

First, find a party who's debates aren't hosted by homophobic bigots.

Heh. Being right-wing and homosexual are not incompatible. Even far-right, cf. Ernst Röhm, Yukio Mishima, Pim Fortuyn...

[Captain Amazing]

Pim Fortuyn was to the left of most Democrats. He just didn't like Muslims. But I don't get why everybody portrays him as far-right.

[levdrakon]

Originally Posted by BigT

I thought that was one of those words where the minority took them back.

I know, but this little minority never felt empowered by that word.

Gay, lesbian and homosexual work just fine. What is queer anyway?

[Really Not All That Bright]

Originally Posted by Captain Amazing

Pim Fortuyn was to the left of most Democrats. He just didn't like Muslims. But I don't get why everybody portrays him as far-right.

He compared himself to Silvio Berlusconi, for one thing. In any case, extremists are often going to be pigeonholed based on their extremism. The Klan was largely populist and concerned with social justice, but you wouldn't call them progressive.

[Boyo Jim]

Originally Posted by Khaki Campbell

Heh. Being right-wing and homosexual are not incompatible. Even far-right, cf. Ernst Röhm, Yukio Mishima, Pim Fortuyn...

I don't know about the latter two, but Rohm's party eventually killed him. I suspect the Republicans will kill Karger, though probably in a more figurative than literal sense.

[Chronos]

Gay, lesbian and homosexual work just fine. What is queer anyway?

I understand "queer" to be used as an umbrella term encompassing all non-mainstream sexualities. Like, a group might campaign for an end to discrimination against gays and lesbians and transsexuals, rather than just focusing on discrimination against one of those groups. Since all non-mainstream sexualities are usually lumped together in contexts like that, it makes sense to have a single term for those categories collectively.

[waterj2]

Originally Posted by Khaki Campbell

Heh. Being right-wing and homosexual are not incompatible. Even far-right, cf. Ernst Röhm, Yukio Mishima, Pim Fortuyn...

But being openly gay and being successful in the Republican Party of today are indeed incompatible.

[Captain Amazing]

Barbara Jordan didn't run, but she got a vote at the 1976 Democratic Convention, and people were talking about her as a vice presidential candidate. She wasn't out of the closet, though.

[BobLibDem]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

Condi Rice is openly gay?

I always thought she was the chief handler of the president's staff.

[Farmer Jane]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance

There is certainly an argument out there that not only have we had a gay major candidate but a gay President.

It's been a point for decades that fifteenth President James Buchanan was gay and that many members of official Washington knew it. It was certainly the opinion of one of my graduate professors (My degree is in history. This would have been about 1988 or so) that he was quietly gay during his time as an elected official.

Our Queer President

James Buchanan: A Lesson in Name Calling

Lies My Teacher Told Me! A+

also, I wonder if I'd get into trouble for teaching a lesson on this in US History? Hmm? Spreading gay propaganda to teenagers?

[Bryan Ekers]

His first act as President will be to order the printing of three-dollar bills!

[dhkendall]

Originally Posted by CitizenPained

Lies My Teacher Told Me! A+

Well, there's really no proof for either Buchanan's homosexuality or heterosexuality. In fact, I'd wager and say there's really very little proof for anyone's sexuality - I am married to a woman and have two kids (for the whole "proof of sexual intercourse" angle) but so do many other people who have since come out.

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

...The Klan was... concerned with social justice....

In their own particularly appalling and monstrous way, I suppose they were!

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by dhkendall

I am married to a woman and have two kids (for the whole "proof of sexual intercourse" angle)

Well, that's her proof, anyway....

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ekers

His first act as President will be to order the printing of three-dollar bills!

Please. Redecorating the White House will obviously be of higher priority.

[Sampiro]

Next time he'll know to take TRUTH instead of DARE.

[Chronos]

While it's still a new field, you can learn something objective about someone's sexuality by measuring blood flow to the genitals or brain activity via MRI when presented with various images, or by using eye tracking to see which of two images the person focuses more attention on. Of course, there's a bit of a self-selection here, in that the sort of people who would agree to take part in such experiments are probably more likely to be open about their sexuality to begin with.

[Sampiro]

Originally Posted by Chronos

While it's still a new field, you can learn something objective about someone's sexuality by measuring blood flow to the genitals or brain activity via MRI when presented with various images, or by using eye tracking to see which of two images the person focuses more attention on.

Though it's much easier just to sing "Dark lady laughed and danced and lit the candles one by one...!". Both gay men and lesbians are physiologically and psychologically incapable of not clapping their hands twice.

[Quartz]

This article about the growing acceptance of gays will be of interest.

[bengangmo]

Georgina might also be of interest and relevance.

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by bengangmo

Georgina might also be of interest and relevance.

And the mayor of Houston, Texas, a very big city indeed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annise_Parker

[iamthewalrus(:3=]

Looking at Karger's issues page, he's:

Pro-choice
Wants to remove forces from Iraq/Afghanistan
For marijuana legalization

Why is this guy running as a Republican?

[Nametag]

He's a California Republican -- pro-business, believes in lower taxes, less regulation, and strong property rights. Most conservative social issues are not defining for Republicans in California, especially in Liberal enclaves like Los Angeles, where Karger's consulting work is based. Republicans in California must be viewed in opposition to Democrats in California, who are mostly strong liberals -- the conservative Democrats one finds in the South are almost unknown here, at least in high-level politics. Social conservatism in California is mostly the "public decency" type that crosses party lines, and is more correlated with class and age.

This is only a generalization -- there are lots of counter-examples, but they don't often carry much weight state-wide.

[Quartz]

Who knows, with so many others dropping out, he could easily become the front runner!

[BrainGlutton]

I would rather like to see the WH redone in a polychrome paint job like one of those San Francisco Victorians . . .

[Budget Player Cadet]

Originally Posted by iamthewalrus(:3=

Looking at Karger's issues page, he's:

Pro-choice
Wants to remove forces from Iraq/Afghanistan
For marijuana legalization

Why is this guy running as a Republican?

This.

It's a bizarre thing he's doing... As a homosexual, he will not get the republican vote. It just will not happen. As a republican, he probably won't get the democratic vote... Unless the rest of his platform is like this, in which case he's, well, you know, a fucking democrat.

[Quartz]

Originally Posted by Budget Player Cadet

This.

It's a bizarre thing he's doing... As a homosexual, he will not get the republican vote. It just will not happen.

It's already been pointed out that gays do get the Republican vote.

[Chronos]

Not nationwide, they don't.

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by Budget Player Cadet

This.

It's a bizarre thing he's doing... As a homosexual, he will not get the republican vote. It just will not happen. As a republican, he probably won't get the democratic vote... Unless the rest of his platform is like this, in which case he's, well, you know, a fucking democrat.

Alot of people run for President without hope of winning, either to raise the profile of issues their interested in (Tom Tancredo), force the other candidates to move towards more extreme sides of their political spectrum (Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich), to raise their national notoriety (Donald Trump, Newt), to set up for a future run (John Huntsman) or because they're insane (Alan Keyes, Mike Gravel).

I'd imagine our gay Republican is running to try and raise the profile of the moderate, socially liberal wing of the GOP, rather then because he thinks he has a snowballs chance in hell of winning.