# Why no Gay Bashing this time? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 6, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529 "2008-01-06T22:06:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/1 "2008-01-06T22:06:30Z")
So why no Gay Bashing in this election so far? It worked so well last time to bring people together on a position. Too busy Mexican bashing maybe? I’m disgusted that it always seems that some group has to be demonized in order to make political points. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/2 "2008-01-06T22:11:05Z")
[QUOTE=InLucemEdita] So why no Gay Bashing in this election so far? It worked so well last time to bring people together on a position. Too busy Mexican bashing maybe? I’m disgusted that it always seems that some group has to be demonized in order to make political points. [/QUOTE] Who’s bashing Mexicans ? ---
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/3 "2008-01-06T22:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Who’s bashing Mexicans ? [/QUOTE] I listen perhaps too much to CSpan radio, and I’ve heard some extraordinary claims from candidate’s representatives and supporters/questioners at candidate forums regarding immigration. The head of Duncan Hunter’s campaign in Iowa stated something along the lines that 1 in 5 illegal immigrants was a murderer or rapist. I’m not sure I could find the audio of that broadcast to prove it. Although the discussion is occasionally broadened to all illegal immigration, it seems to always return to keeping Mexicans from crossing the souther border. But anyway if you don’t perceive this discussion as Mexican bashing I won’t try to convince you. My question is why is there no Gay Bashing this time? Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/4 "2008-01-06T22:39:55Z")
What’s this about Gay Mexicans? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/5 "2008-01-06T22:42:41Z")
It’s not time yet. The gay-bashing will begin after the Conventions. It’s a Republican ploy against Democrats, and the Republicans, despite debate rhetoric, are still running against each other at the moment. Actually, I should say the gay-bashing will begin after both parties have a clear candidate break free of their respective packs. That should be well before the Conventions for the Democrats. Harder to say for the Republicans. That whole field looks like a rat king… ---
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/6 "2008-01-06T22:42:44Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] What’s this about Gay Mexicans? [/QUOTE] Boy, wouldn’t that be a bitch? They’ll get you one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/7 "2008-01-06T22:49:01Z")
Isn’t it normally the Republicans who engage in the gay bashing? The 'pubes have had a rough few years not coming across as a bunch of hypocritical closet homos. They’re just waiting for a Democrat to get a blowjob so they can gain the moral high ground again. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/8 "2008-01-06T23:01:49Z")
The benefit of the rhetoric during the 2004 was to get anti-gay marriage amendments on the ballot in as many states as possible. It ended up increasing the turnout of socially conservative voters who are believed to skew Republican. In most states the measures passed, so they can’t be used to energize and mobilize the base. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/9 "2008-01-06T23:53:45Z")
Well, Ron Paul is kowtowing to the religious right by refusing to take a “stand” on evolution (no word yet on where he stands as regards gravity). As far as I’m concerned, that’s on the same slope; giving credence to the same people who think god hates fags. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/10 "2008-01-06T23:58:16Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] The benefit of the rhetoric during the 2004 was to get anti-gay marriage amendments on the ballot in as many states as possible. It ended up increasing the turnout of socially conservative voters who are believed to skew Republican. In most states the measures passed, so they can’t be used to energize and mobilize the base. [/QUOTE] the DOMA is not the only energizing issue for the RR. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/11 "2008-01-07T00:33:05Z")
IMHO the main reason is that the GOP now has a much bigger fish to fry - getting rid of Huckabee. Anything along the gay bashing line from other candidates makes Huckabee seem more reasonable and mainstream. Huckabee doesn’t do it because he’s branding himself as the “nice, reasonable” Repub so that he’s separated from the rest of the mean, war-loving, nutsy others (well, except for Paul who is being ignored by all the other candidates). ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/12 "2008-01-07T01:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=InLucemEdita] I’m disgusted that it always seems that some group has to be demonized in order to make political points. [/QUOTE] “I’m disgusted that someone always has to get bashed. Why isn’t anyone getting bashed this time?” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/13 "2008-01-07T01:26:07Z")
Immigration is such an old topic. I watched [Border Incident](http://www.amazon.com/Incident-Authentic-Starring-Ricardo-Montalban/dp/B000H0JGM6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1199669078&sr=1-1) this weekend. It could have been filmed yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/14 "2008-01-07T02:25:06Z")
Well, an out of state group has got an Oregon federal judge to freeze a law that would have gotten me domestic partner benefits, using the argument that signatures on the petitions to block the law were equal to votes. Therefore, I am feeling bashed, both by the ruling and by the inevitable anti-gay rhetoric that pops up in response. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/15 "2008-01-07T02:31:07Z")
I tend to take issue with the idea that being morally opposed to gay marriage is somehow “gay bashing”. I don’t wish to hijack and start a debate about gay marriage, but certainly a person can have a well thought out opinion against X without being accused of “bashing people, a part of whom wish to engage in X”… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/16 "2008-01-07T02:37:43Z")
I think the OP got it: it’s the Mexicans’ turn to get bashed as the threat to the Republic. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/17 "2008-01-07T02:46:34Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] I tend to take issue with the idea that being morally opposed to gay marriage is somehow “gay bashing”. [/QUOTE] Y’know what? You can be morally opposed to anything you want to, and nobody else has the right to _make_ you change your mind. But when you start trying to put that moral belief into legal practice to perpetuate second-class citizenship, then you’re doing something that the people you’re throwing the lid down on have the right to oppose. Go believe whatever the hell you want. Just don’t force ME to also act as if I believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/18 "2008-01-07T02:49:24Z")
There is no such thing as a “well-thought out” opinion in opposition to same-sex marriage that includes the phrase “morally opposed.” ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/19 "2008-01-07T02:53:50Z")
Does anyone happen to know how Mexicans generally vote? Republican, Democrat? I really do think the Republicans see Mexicans as a safer target then going after gays and reminding everyone about all the recent Republican boy-twiddler/airport restroom scandals, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529/20 "2008-01-07T02:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=wring] the DOMA is not the only energizing issue for the RR. [/QUOTE] Yes, I know, but that’s why we haven’t seen any anti-gay rhetoric this election. Without the chance of using it to get the base to the polls next election they’ve discarded that strategy. Most Republican politicians aren’t really anti-gay, they’re pro getting elected, and they know their constituency. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-gay-bashing-this-time/432529.md?page=2)