Meghan McCain: Yes, I'm a Pure Republican

[Emit]

After a College Republican group withdrew its support for a Meghan McCain speech because she believes in marriage equality, she took the GOP’s “purity test.” And passed.

This week I made a little news by not being “pure enough,” if you will, by College Republican standards. I was invited to speak at George Washington University on February 9 by numerous campus groups, including the George Washington College Republicans and Allied in Pride, an LGBT organization. I take great pride in being one of the few people who brings together the gay community and Republican groups. But somewhere between my accepting their invitation and my presence coinciding with Marriage Equality Week, GW’s College Republicans bailed.

They subsequently put out a statement saying: “Ms. McCain’s views on marriage equality align with neither the Republican Party nor her father’s personal stance. Though we fully supported John McCain’s candidacy for president, we feel that Meghan McCain’s last name is not near as important as the message she advocates.”

Yowza.

Seriously, how many 25-year-old women do you know that have the exact same world view as their 73-year-old fathers?...

~snip~

All of this drama smacks of the Republican Party’s so-called purity test, which caused a lot of controversy last year. In November, an email circulated around the RNC asking members for comments on a proposal that all Republicans must pass a litmus test in order to receive financial support from the party. It was based on the idea that President Reagan “believed that anyone that agreed with him eight out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent.” If you agree with eight of the 10 statements on the purity test, you’re apparently the right kind of Republican.

~snip~

... I passed this ridiculous “purity test” and apparently even President Reagan himself would have considered me a friend. But something tells me a passing grade still won’t put the negativity to rest. Because as I have said before, when it comes to separating moderates and conservatives, one of the key issues is marriage equality. If that is going to be the one issue that Republicans continue to use to divide the party, then perhaps they should be putting out an entirely different test—one that has one question only.

Until then, is it too much to ask that the Republican Party be more open-minded, that it learns to respect and accept conservatism without labels and boxes and stereotypes?

Because that’s what I want for the GOP. And I’m a pure Republican.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-24/yes-im-a-pure-republican/?obref=obinsite

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Meghan McCain, you only got 5 minutes of fame instead of 15, and they are long over.

[gratuitous]

2. Dear Meaghan

You aren't the gatekeeper for who's a "pure" Republican anymore, if you ever were. See, there's a little cabal of zealots who have taken it upon themselves to make those determinations, and they have decided that if you don't really hate gay people, with a virulent hatred, you're not pure. You're not a Republican. You're not even really an American in their eyes.

Is there anything you plan to do about it?

[yourout]

3. "purity test" sure brings thoughts of Nazi Germany.

Scary shit.

[Demeter]

4. She's a Virgin?

Really?

[Maru Kitteh]

5. I can at least applaud her for standing up for marriage equality

Metaphors about broken clocks aside - the more voices speaking for equality, the better.

[Emit]

9. I agree, Maru Kitteh

and I applaud her for standing up against the nut bags and their purity tests. At least she is trying to counter their fanaticism; whether I agree with her politics or not, I give her credit for that, too.

[Zoeisright]

6. Purely stupid. Purely mean. Purely ignorant. Purely greedy.

That's what is 'pure' about repukes.

[zonkers]

7. She's a freak... and she's pretty dumb and she's got a reality tv vibe about her.

[jaysunb]

8. You don't have to do this, Sweetie.

I know my parents loved me (still do) but I discovered about 50 years ago that their fears and past experiences wouldn't let them be forward thinkers. I don't love them any less and not surprisingly they see the world a lot better these days than then, so try thinking for yourself and the real world you live in.

It's ok....