Is a Gay President More Electable Than a Wingnut President?

Like most egomaniacs I am not averse to quoting myself, and the other day I wrote:

The day I’m phonebanking or canvassing for a proudly gay presidential candidate — THAT will be a great day.

On that day, I will be able to say to my children: America keeps all of its promises.

I want to live to help elect a gay president.

Because, you see, if I am nothing else, I am a patriot.

What I mean is, if one day a homosexual can credibly run for president on a major party ticket, well, it will mean that it is understood that being gay is not in and of itself a disqualification for the presidency, and that will mean a lot of bigotry over the bridge. Right now it definitely is a disqualification for the Republicans (at least the "proudly gay" part; they seem to be quite enlightened and tolerant about voting for self-loathing homosexual politicians). And it’s probably still a "problem" for the Democrats as well, though likely not to the same degree. Or at least I should hope.

But get this. I’ve also been watching the comical Meltdown of Wingnuttia over the past week or so, where the idiots are manning the barricades to defend their chosen standard bearer for the Conservative Movement… Sarah Palin.

And I gotta say: I think a competent, intelligent, qualified gay candidate could get elected president before Sarah Palin, or her radical religious analogues, could ever get elected president.

I’ve been chuckling for a while about the idea that the problem with John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin was that Palin was never "properly vetted." It’s true that she wasn’t — but then, come on, how much time and effort would a "proper vetting" of Palin have ever actually taken? Hell, I "vetted" Palin as a credible possible occupant of the White House as soon as she was announced, and all it took was Google and about 30 seconds before I burst out laughing. How long do you have to look at someone in floppy shoes, a red rubber-ball nose, and a rainbow fright wig before the Startling Truth hits you, and you smack yourself on the forehead and cry: "Omigod, check out the clown"?

And the nation agreed with this analysis — with her approval ratings quickly taking a nosedive and eventually cratering. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll of 11/1-2 had her at 23% very positive and 16% positive, and 15% somewhat negative and 33% very negative. These numbers suck, and not because Palin was the victim of Media Bias or Nasty Leaks, but because she’s a joke.

Which tells us a lot. It really is astonishing how addicted the Republican Party is to identity politics. They desperately want to pretend that they are an Oppressed People, and desperately want everyone to feel like a Meanie Bigot for their Unfair Contention that a Real American Christian Real American like Palin should not be allowed to run the country. Nevermind that they are not really oppressed, and instead actively engaged in oppressing others. It is in fact all they have left — expanding the frontiers of bigotry.

So much for the "intellectual content" of conservatism..

Rarely has an ideological end ever been so dead. Which does not mean we do not need to stomp these idiots stupid in every venue open to us in our democracy.

Well, stupider. It really would be tricky, though, to get any stupider than, say, Dan Riehl.

Related posts:

1. BREAKING: Sarah Palin to Resign; Alaska Governor Stepping Down in “A Few Weeks”
2. Sarah Palin Thinks Being President Would Be Awesome Because Ass-Kicking “Department of Law” Would Protect Her from Lawsuits
3. So long, and thanks for all the moose
4. The Republican Brand in Ruins: 75% of Americans Dislike Republicans; Over 70% Think Palin’s Not Qualified to be President
5. …and furthermore, please have Steve King run for President