UT-Sen: Mitt Romney is exploring 2018 Senate run

[Brittain33]

Obama can be understood. But Clinton is as bad if not worse than Romney.

Oh there's plenty of criticism to be made of Clinton. I didn't intend this to apply beyond gay rights.

[Brittain33]

Generally, when flip-flopping for electoral convenience, it makes sense to switch from a position that is less popular to one that is more popular.

But it's also true that a change of heart is usually from a position that is less popular to one that is more popular. How can you distinguish the two?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not really, see above. You just happen to approve of one switch and disapprove of another.
[/quote]

Literally hundreds of millions of Americans have switched their views from against gay rights to for gay rights in my adult lifetime (I am 40). The number who have switched in the other direction I can probably count on one hand, and usually it's because of a personal trauma. Romney's flip-flop is evaluated against that background.

I'm a gay man in Massachusetts who personally struggled against Mitt Romney's campaign against same-sex marriage from 2003-2006 through brutal fights in the legislature. So, yes, I have a stronger opinion on his change from "gay rights are ok" to "we must defend traditional marriage/hey South Carolina vote Romney '08!" than your average change because it's personal to me and I saw up-close how cynical and callous he was being.

Since Romney's backwardness on gay rights probably contributed to his loss in 2012, I can say I heartily approve of it in one sense.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I voted for Clinton over Obama in the 2008 primaries because I mistrusted Obama's cynicism on gay rights, in fact. Google Donnie McClurkin.

Clinton was cynical as well, but at least everyone knew that and there was no scope to be disappointed.

[Brittain33]

Romney's flip-flop hurt people (including me, personally) who were excluded from the legal protections of marriage to boost his own career. Clinton's and Obama's "flip-flops" brought legal relief and protection to tens of thousands, ultimately millions of people who suffered from that exclusion. I can't shut my eyes and ears to the moral content of their decisions.

[mencken]

Generally, when flip-flopping for electoral convenience, it makes sense to switch from a position that is less popular to one that is more popular.

But it's also true that a change of heart is usually from a position that is less popular to one that is more popular. How can you distinguish the two?

I tend to view changes of heart from those who professionally tell people what they want to hear with generous amounts of skepticism.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not really, see above. You just happen to approve of one switch and disapprove of another.
[/quote]

Literally hundreds of millions of Americans have switched their views from against gay rights to for gay rights in my adult lifetime (I am 40). The number who have switched in the other direction I can probably count on one hand, and usually it's because of a personal trauma. Romney's flip-flop is evaluated against that background. [/quote]

One could be pro-gay rights in 1992 and being against gay marriage in 2007 without any change in position (I do not believe gay marriage was more than a fringe position in 1992). That hardly requires a flip-flop; you just disapprove that he did not change his position as the Overton Window shifted.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So you take issue with his position on the issue, not a lack of conviction. Sometime tells me you would not prefer Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum on gay rights, because they are more ideologically sincere?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Yeah, hordes of gay voters in Miami, Philadelphia, and Columbus would have voted for any Republican other than that turncoat Mitt Romney.