There's been a considerable bit of traffic in the gay blogosphere as of late concerning the actions (or antics) of Texas Governor Rick Perry. First was his signing of Texas's new parental notification law for abortions on Sunday in the gym of a private religious school in Fort Worth; today it was the news as reported at dailyKos that Perry said the following when asked about the rights of gay veterans:
"Texans made a decision about marriage and if there's a state that has more lenient views than Texas, then maybe that's a better place for them to live."
This is quite a change for the man who on April 29th was complaining about how the gay issue could unnecessarily derail the CPS bill and saying that, if he wasn't quite in favor of gay foster parents, they were definitely better than kids being abused (thanks, I think). What brought on this latest orgy of gaybashing?
Here's your catalyst.
AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's job approval rating, after rebounding earlier this year, slipped to 45 percent in a new poll released Wednesday.
Perry's job approval hit 51 percent earlier this year, his highest showing in three years of polling.
The latest poll of 1,000 adult Texans was conducted between April 14 and May 4. It has a margin of error of three percentage points.
The governor also had one of the highest negative ratings — 35 percent — of state officials in the poll.
In addition to that spectacularly-dismal showing, here's the OTHER overriding reason -- actually, BOTH reasons.
(US Senator Kay Bailey) Hutchison remained the most popular Texas politician with a 67 percent job approval rating that includes strong support across political lines.
Among Republicans polled, 78 percent approve of Hutchison's job performance compared with 63 percent for Perry.
More than half of Democrats, 55 percent, said Hutchison is doing a good job, as did 65 percent of independents.
Perry's other potential challenger, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, received a 51 percent approval rating.
Her disapproval rating was only 12 percent, but 37 percent didn't know enough to offer an opinion. Voters might not be aware that Strayhorn, who took a new married name two years ago, was formerly known as Carole Keeton Rylander.
In short, Rick Perry realized that, as things stood, the only thing would keep him in the Governor's Mansion for a second elected term would be if Hutchinson and Strayhorn didn't want it.
So what did he do? Turn to the Dark Side, of course.
A little over two weeks ago, Perry attended a two-day closed-door meeting with what organizers described as an "alliance of conservative evangelical Christians" in which he described himself as an "ally" on abortion, prayer in schools, and gay marriage. The avowed purpose of this group is to register 300,000 new "values voters" and 1,000 "Patriot Pastors".
To put it bluntly, this is a sizeable and influential voting bloc by any measure, especially in a state political race, and one that could certainly be the tipping point in the Republican gubernatorial primary -- most likely Perry's motivation for allying with them. On a more sinister note, given the total turnout of 1.47 million voters in the 2003 special Constitutional election, if one assumes that there is one existing "values voter" for each of the "new" 300,000 by November 2005, a total of 600,000, that would represent nearly half of the people voting -- and I guarantee you it won't be "No" on the state's new antigay constitutional amendment.
Moreover, at least in these initial stages, Perry, a man famous for his political tin ear, was using some maneuvers positively Machiavellian in their effectiveness and brilliance. The bill signing at Calvary Christian had several of these:
-- The school and church is located in Fort Worth -- Kay Bailey Hutchinson's political center.
-- Its proximity to Dallas ensured that Michael Piazza, one of the right-wing's favorite examples of gay spirituality, would be there ironically protesting this "misuse of church property".
-- Even though the antigay state constitutional amendment did not need to be signed by the governor, Perry made sure it would be included in the program by mentioning that it would be "discussed" -- thus ensuring that gay activists and the Tarrant County Democratic Party were outside protesting in apparent solidarity with abortionists, the ACLU, and anti-religionists -- all of whom are about as popular in Texas as are fire ants.
-- All of the aforementioned being present made a wonderful photo-op and proof statement for the argument that "liberals" are protesting the involvement of Christians in government because of their religion.
Fortunately, Mr. Perry, you showed once again your ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of political victory with your aforementioned idiotic statement.
First off, Texans have NOT yet "made a decision" -- the election isn't until November 8th, Rick.
Second, while your statement is technically true -- if gay marriage is important to you, there ARE better states to live in than Texas -- your amendment doesn't just ban gay marriage. It specifically precludes the state or its subdivisions from granting ANY form of legal recognition or rights to same-sex couples, neatly cutting out civil unions -- a position not likely to sit well with folks who oppose gay marriage on religious or other grounds, but do not wish to completely deny same-sex couples legal benefits. Your arrogant "my way or the highway" remark is going to make that even worse.
Make no mistake -- this is going to be a hard fight. However, I think it's a winnable fight -- especially as we start poaching some "morals voters" turned off by their leaders' nasty rhetoric towards their neighbors, coworkers, and friends.
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