NY: With Dems like these, who needs Republicans?

It does happen, albeit infrequently.

But there have been a few times when I've crossed over and voted for a candidate with an "R" after his/her name.  Keep in mind, I am a registered Democrat, as were my parents and grandparents (except for my maternal grandfather).  We do have some allies in the GOP, but they are few and far between.  The few interactions I've had with these GOP allies were refreshing.

Maybe it's because I'm from Illinois, but everytime I voted for a pro-GLBT GOPer and they won, they (or someone close to them) ended up in the slammer.

---

by: Phil @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 11:24:59 AM CST

Diaz is at least honest in his opposing our equality

I prefer that to lying duplicity...cough-Rick Warren-cough

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

---

by: peteyPornpig @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 11:30:48 AM CST

If there's one thing

that white and black "Christians" can agree on, it's that gays are not equal and should not be encouraged to sanction their relationships.  They agree to disagree on much else, except this issue.  It's a slam dunk for whites and black alike!  Unity!!!!

---

by: Narra @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 12:04:23 PM CST

also unity for religions that otherwise spit on each other.

Mormons, Catholics, Southern Baptists, non-denominational talibangelists, orthodox Jews - isn't it a shame to see that so many "religious" people can only come together to hate, never to love?

Lurleen on Twitter

---

by: Lurleen @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 12:15:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This is why...

...I've always said we gay people serve such an important purpose. We are peacemakers between different religions and different ethnic groups.

I'm also sure that behind locked doors, while counting their pieces of gold, the homophobic pastors thank us mightily.

---

by: Jim @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 23:36:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I love how he thinks blackmail is an acceptable form of public negotiation

He's calling the Working Family Party outside interests? This dude is probably going to be primaried next election cycle.

---

by: bruhrabbit3 @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 12:58:37 PM CST

Carl Kruger is my state senator :(.

Anyone have any suggestions for how to get these guys off the fence and back into the Democratic caucus?  Kruger is my state senator.  I've left a voice mail at his office and sent a polite email asking him to stay in the caucus (focusing on the argument that the NY State legislature needs to be able to address the pressing issues such as the budget crisis, not focus on leadership squabbles).  My read is that Kruger is angling for more power (he wants chairmanship of a Finance Committee with inflated powers), but he's also probably genuinely opposed to same-sex marriage, congestion pricing, etc.  And while his constituents would likely mostly benefit from congestion pricing and/or east river bridge tolls, his anti-same-sex marriage stance would probably be popular (it's a highly Orthodox district).  What more can I do to get Kruger back in line with the Democratic caucus?

As an aside, I live in an odd corner of a gerrymandered district, and when I showed up to vote in the state primary I was told that "my" machine was not in it's usual polling place (5 blocks from my house), but rather was 2 miles away.  In Brooklyn, that translates into about half a million people who live between me and my voting machine's new (and, it turned out, temporary) location.  (In NYC, everyone is assigned to a particular machine.)  One possible explanation is that the workers just dropped off the machine at the wrong place and, rather than correcting the problem, they covered it up by pretending it was supposed to be in that different location.  However, I can't help but wonder if this was a form of suppression against the voters in my little corner, who are lower-income and mostly Pakistani, during the contested Democratic primary.  My machine miraculously reappeared in its usual location in time for the (functionally uncontested) general election.

---

by: LauraG @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 13:01:39 PM CST

tough situation.

some ideas:  follow up your call and email with a hand-written letter.  get your neighbors in the district to do the same.  and be sure to have couples contact him as individually (voter numbers count).  you can also write a letter to the editor of the local paper.  pols do read them, as do voters.  are there any viable challengers for the seat?  if so, you may wish to communicate your willingness to give votes and support to someone else who can better represent all new yorkers.

Lurleen on Twitter

---

by: Lurleen @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 13:15:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You could launch a campaign

to inform him that crossing over to the republicans will destroy his chances of reelection.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!

---

by: RainbowPhoenix @ Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 15:56:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

We ought to use his threat to cross

against him in the next election, his willingness to sell out the low and middle income constituents to the republican fat cats over gay marriage.

And run a Latina Lesbian against him.

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

---

by: MauraHennessey @ Thu Jan 01, 2009 at 23:35:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I'm rooting for you all

Send us your strategies so we can use them in Arizona.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!

---

by: RainbowPhoenix @ Fri Jan 02, 2009 at 05:59:30 AM CST

[ Parent ]