http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/103082/richard-grenell-mitt-romney-republican-opposition-gay-marriage-conservativeWho is the real Mitt Romney? Richard Grenell, the openly gay conservative who abruptly resigned as a Romney campaign spokesman, has answered that question for us.
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According to an account in the New York Times, Grenell pointed out that his background “could be an issue” during an interview with Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney’s longtime aide and strategist. Fehrnstrom replied that “it’s not an issue for us.”
That was probably true and, as it turns out, utterly irrelevant. The right wing howled and, instead of standing behind Grenell publicly, the Romney campaign sidelined him—a decision that, Grenell understandably felt, undermined his authority and required his resignation. “It’s not that the campaign cared whether Ric Grenell was gay,” a Republican adviser told the Times. “They believed this was a nonissue. But they didn’t want to confront the religious right.”
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As Greg Sargent put it, the Grenell episode is a litmus test of “Romney’s willingness to take on extreme voices within his own party.” The results could not be more clear. He wasn’t willing to take them on during the primaries and he’s not willing to take them on now.
