It appears the GOP is dying off. Some species just can’t adapt to a changing environment.
As American voters continue to embrace LGBT family members, friends, and neighbors, and in turn LGBT rights, Republicans increasingly are seen as out of sync on this issue. The most recent Pew polls show just as many independents support same-sex marriage as Democrats, 65 percent. More than two-thirds of America’s voters who identify as ‘moderates’ support marriage equality. Younger voters of both parties support gay rights in larger numbers than ever before.
Adam Khan, 24, is the chairman of the Washoe Republican Party, and Ed Williams, 42, is the chair of the Clark County GOP. Both are examples of the young leadership in Nevada’s Republican Party. One of their highest priorities is to recruit members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities to the GOP cause.
The hypocrisy of this is astonishing. Members of the Grand Old Party, including presidential hopefuls, have raged at the Supreme Court decision to legalize marriage for the LGBT community. The prejudice against gays runs so deeply within the Republican Party none of the GOP hopefuls would publicly answer a very specific question asked by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
The HRC asked Republican candidates where they stood on the Equality Act, a landmark non-discrimination bill that would finally extend key civil rights protections to LGBT Americans. HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ reported the entire field of Republican candidates for President refused to answer a simple yes or no question about whether they supported the bill. The show also pointed out Gov. John Kasich and Gov. Bobby Jindal have both weakened non-discrimination protections in their states for LGBTs, during their tenure.
Recent HRC polls have shown nearly two-thirds of LGBT Americans have experienced discrimination in their personal lives, and nearly half of those experienced discrimination in the workplace.
Why is the Republican Party so out of sync with voters? The answer rests with the GOP relationship with evangelical Christians. While Evangelicals staunchly maintain their right of prejudice, mainline Christians, Catholics, and Jews favor LGBT rights. However, evangelicals are a very powerful constituency within the Republican Party, and can easily threaten to “vote out” a candidate who does not stay close to their position.
Adam Khan stated,
“Already since 2012, 2 million people who voted for Gov. Mitt Romney (for president) have died. So this party is literally dying off. So we need to make sure that this party continues to expand to as many voters as possible.”
Khan and Williams sponsored a meet-and-greet on a Friday night at the Coney Island Bar and Restaurant. It would introduce Republicans and members of the LGBT community. The turnout was underwhelming for Khan and Williams. No elected GOP leaders were there, although they were invited. Yet it was a start, and a positive start, according to the two GOP county chairmen.
The Republican Party is at a crossroads. They have become the party of fear and anger. While change is always a possibility, people who use fear and anger as tools of manipulation generally don’t change. That would require a process of honest, conscious thought. It appears the GOP may simply die out and become extinct.
