Sarah and the Gay Appointment Calendar

The always-refreshing Dan Blatt, writing for PJ Media about why so many gays—even ones who don't like that "R" letter after a politician's name—are pleased with McCain's Veep pick:

Like many other Republicans, gay Republicans cite Palin’s reform record and mainstream conservative views as the basis of their support. We like that she took on the corrupt Republican establishment in Alaska and hope she can help John McCain do something similar in Washington, DC. And we like her plucky nature. Sarah Palin is no ordinary politician. We were wowed by her speech at the Republican Convention.

To be sure, we have some concerns about her stands on gay issues. She supported her state’s 1998 constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, barring state recognition of same-sex nuptials.

She’s also said that “she’s not out to judge anyone and has good friends who are gay,” confirming Eric’s impressions. We do wish she would chastise her church, the Wasilla Bible Church, for promoting the notion that homosexuality is “curable.” I fear, alas, that is not going to happen.

While she is solid on most issues of concern to us as Republicans, she is not perfect on gay issues. But most gay Republicans, like most Republicans, understand that the solutions to social problems do not come from the state. And we know we need reform in Washington, the kind of reform Sarah Palin brought to Juneau.

While John McCain’s “selection of the Alaska governor has energized the GOP’s socially conservative wing,” it has also inspired a lot of gay and lesbian Republicans. It has brought together left-leaning lesbians and Hillary-supporting gay men concerned about Barack Obama’s qualifications with gay conservatives unhappy with McCain’s frequent departures from party orthodoxy.

We see in Sarah Palin John McCain’s real commitment to reform. That is why, despite her mixed record on gay issues, we are excited by her nomination.

That's what a lot of people don't seem to get: the more libertarian the candidate is, the less his or her private convictions on matter of morality have any bearing. Yeah: Palin is "pro-life" enough to have brought Trig to term, but she isn't going out of her way to coerce other wome to take a similar course. Her church became too Fundamentalist for her (or she became not-Fundamentalist-enough for it), and she has apparently drifted from it doctrinally—but still retains strong bonds of affection for many of its members.

Above all, she gets that when men and women of conscience disagree on moral matters, it is generally best to err on the side of liberty.

Also, she knows how to veto legislation. Not a bad start.

Related: (1) James Kirchick's recent article in the Wall Street Journal about how it's time for the GOP to give up gay-bashing. Past time, I'd say.

(2) Kirchick himself notes that this past Republican convention was 99% gaybash-free, in marked contrast to past embarrassing moments in the past several Presidential GOP Conventions.

(3) The fact that (as reported in The Advocate, not only were the Log Cabin Republicans officially invited to the 2008 convention as a group, but multiple officials from the McCain campaign (including its top strategist, Steve Schmidt) stopped by LCR gatherings to pay their respects). And:

(4) The change in approach within the GOP from the past has led to a the LCRs actually endorsing McCain, even as they refused to so honor G.W., who had to parrot the party line once more in 2004. (As if anyone believes that Bush and Cheney and Secretary Rice are actually anti-gay in real life. But he made those pro forma statements, and the LCRs were right to decline endorsing him. I'll bet many still voted for W, though.)

Schmidt: "The day will come." Yes; it will.